Maverick Smith’s “We Make Fire, They Make Smoke” lands not with a thud, but with the distinct, satisfying crackle of something catching alight. It’s a title that carries the grit of the Ohio Valley in its consonants, a resolute statement from a band – Paige Bosic on commanding vocals and rhythm guitar, Sean Boynes sculpting soundscapes on guitar, Jim Courtney’s intricate drumming, Charlie Kovach’s...

NTGB. Sunderland. DIY. Okay, got it. This “BURN DOWN THE NOW” single – it’s got teeth. Not sharp, pointy canines, more like the comfy, slightly crooked ones you find on a friendly stray dog. You know the type? https://open.spotify.com/album/5IA3vdLaZ15d2t7J3Pf2m3?si=umch_E8JQM6i9rmaUCYqfQ The sound itself, it’s that indie-pop-rock thing, but there's a pulse beneath it. Something like that old dial-up modem hum that always felt like the universe was...