Some records do more than ask for your attention; they sit down right next to you, hand you a tissue, and wait for you to stop pretending everything is fine. Light Bird's debut album 'See Her' is exactly that kind of record. Released a few years after singer and songwriter Danni Hoshino came out as a trans woman, this eleven-track collection hits like a late-night...

Brett L Walker’s new single, “Best Redneck Life,” is a curious and compelling thing. From the opening notes, it leans into its identity with a sound that’s all humidity and frayed denim—a confident strut of swampy, chicken pickin’ guitars that feel both West Coast-baked and Southern-fried. It’s a track that plants its flag firmly in the soil of North Carolina, unapologetic and unconcerned with...