Geoff Westen’s album, “Music For My Friends”, thumps onto the scene like a dropped box of heavy disco balls – all shiny potential energy and the slight threat of chaos. It aims for that classic pop song euphoria, the kind designed to rattle car speakers and fuel late-night dance floors, an "aural assault" as Westen puts it. And it does pulse with energy, a...

If one were to immerse themselves in the environment of modern popular music, one would find that there is a dynamic and broad assortment of voice expressions. On rare occasions, though, one person may rise from the middle of multiple voices with great clarity and charisma, compelling others to listen to what they have to say. Katie Belle is making waves with her entrancing new...