Rhythm Pals’ new single, ‘Lookin’ Good,’ shimmied into my listening rotation, and honestly, it’s got the kind of bounce that could coax a smile from a particularly grumpy badger. These two dads, one musician, one animator, have concocted a pop-funk confection that’s as bright and immediate as a freshly opened box of crayons. Pure kid fuel, this. https://open.spotify.com/track/4vKkjfjgVFUgsbkArYE07b?si=3c4e041c48c249e1 The track champions the noble art of dressing...

Stars Go Dim’s new album, “Roses,” has a peculiar effect; it settles into a room less like music and more like a change in the atmospheric pressure. There’s a plush, amber-toned sound here, a vibe so authentically steeped in 1970s groove that you can almost feel the corduroy under your fingertips. https://open.spotify.com/album/1KS8wbOx2wWw1ce0VdcMgV?si=VRrFtLJDQi-8gD8p8t1BlQ Chris Cleveland’s vocals, smooth and seasoned like worn-in denim, glide over bass lines that...