Take Jack Horton, a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose path to folk-Americana included stops at Japanese law school, Tokyo piano bars, corporate boardrooms, and government offices. His latest EP, "Imperfections," feels like finding someone's private journal set to music. And that someone happens to write really, really well. The five-song collection opens with "Set Me Free," a piano-driven confession that might surprise anyone expecting typical breakup bitterness. Horton...

It's a thrilling song to listen to, and we were compelled to introduce you to Nadine Randle's new single, "Man Up". The song provides an entirely new musical experience. We wonder who inspired the song's concept, but it's clear she's talking to someone we don't know. In any case, we already enjoy the mood and are confident you will as well. The pace of the song...