The first listen of Haus of Sound’s new single, “Mirage,” is like walking into a room where a beautifully ornate vase has just been shattered against a wall. There's a jagged, crystalline energy here, a collision of theatrical drama and raw, modern discontent. Evolving from their 2000s tribute roots, the Everett band has synthesized the best of that era’s angst—the coiled tension of early...

The new single from Slovakian DIY architect H-dMan Such, “Empty Phrases,” begins with a sound that feels both familiar and askew, like a classic car sputtering on the wrong kind of fuel. There's a sun-bleached Britrock swagger in the guitar work, a confident strut down a familiar road. https://open.spotify.com/track/4tG7pp3IFwp9rQZSNjzMZL?si=EzYN3PMTRVi5vnvURkbF-w But something is swirling just beneath the surface, a psychedelic shimmer that hints at engine trouble, or...