UPHORIA, the rising, multi-instrumentalist, solo artist hailing from Australia's Sunshine Coast, bursts onto the scene with her single, "Don't Wanna Catch Your Disease." It's a declaration, a sonic slap in the face to anyone who's ever tried to dim someone else's sparkle. This track is all about reclaiming power. Imagine that feeling when you finally rip off a band-aid that’s been stuck way too long....

Before listening to a single note of Suris’ new album, “Pertinax”, I spent a few minutes just looking at the word. Pertinax. It has the distinct ring of a Stoic philosopher’s last defiant utterance or maybe a type of beetle known for its unusually stubborn shell. What a curious flag to fly for a collection of songs in an age of fleeting distraction. But...