Heïka, the rising star of the indie-pop genre, has sent a ray of sunshine into the Canadian province of Quebec's music landscape. The mesmerising soprano Andrée-Anne Bélisle and the evocative pianist Jo-Annie Bourdeau are at the centre of this project. Their unexpected encounter at the University of Montréal as jazz enthusiasts developed into a symphony of shared musical aspirations once they got to know one...

Kent Owens, a name that sounds like it should be on a library card next to “Hemingway,” but instead it's on the digital shelf next to my slightly messy playlist. This Cambridge-based creator of soundscapes – I’m resisting calling them songs, but…well – just released “Fade Away,” a single that feels like an open window after a long winter. It’s a soft rock hum...