Listening to Arnold J.’s new single, "Muddy Waters," isn't quite like anything else swirling around right now. It arrives with the gentle insistence of incoming tide, pulling you into its specific gravity. Arnold J., Ghanaian-born and now Canada-based, weaves a sound tagged as alt-country and folk, but those labels feel thin, like trying to contain smoke. There’s earthiness, sure, but his soulful vocal lines...

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...