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...

JVC TheDream is known for his impassioned singing and chants, as well as his positive mood and instrumentals. He was born and nurtured in the region of the great Congo. https://soundcloud.com/jvcthedream As a young man, he freestyles when he raps. In spite of how serious he is, he performs on open mic nights and other local venues until he graduates from high school. It was time...