Some albums work fine in the background. Ray Johnson’s WaterColors isn’t one of them.

It’s hard to think about Halloween without thinking about “Monster Mash,” and Sheldon Mashugana has picked a fun way to put his own spin on the classic.

Brian Asha’s “Mighty Man (Jack De Keyzer's Rock'n'Roll Remix)” is the kind of track that makes you want to turn the volume up.

Fusiform Minds are angry, and they want you to know why.

Most of us have had something go wrong that, years later, we’re glad happened.

Nobody expects an electric tenor ukulele to lead a rock band.

Most Christmas songs are about presents, snow, and getting the family round the table. Mick J. Clark’s “Sing Glory Glory Hallelujah” goes somewhere else.

Some heartbreaks are harder to shake than others, especially when the person you love is with someone else, and you still haven’t given up on them.

Maybe Love's A Crime” sees DownTown Mystic leaning into the kind of guitar-driven rock that never really goes out of style.

Plain Drifter’s “Cracks in the Mirror” is a rock song about a feeling many people know but don’t always talk about

Some albums take years to get made. "Significant Others" by Hamish took a little longer than that.

The most striking thing is that the track is not too polished or too clean.

The rock sound that opens Mister Chorister’s “You’re Not Listening” is the sort that sets an anxious mood right away.

Segana’s Midnight Masquerade is an album that knows exactly when it wants to be played.

It’s a simple but genuine reminder that home can stay with you, even when you’re far away.

"THE END" by PROJECT: Beyond is an alternative rock track that has a lot going on without becoming difficult to follow.

“PALAZZO” by FORRM has a sound that sits somewhere between indie rock, alternative rock, and something a little more cinematic.

Across six songs, Luigi touches on love, loneliness, grief, missed chances, and the feeling of having to start over when life doesn’t go the way you expected.

It has a warm, relaxed feeling to it, and I found myself enjoying how simple the idea is.

The late 60s and early 70s influence is pretty obvious, especially in the psychedelic and hard rock elements, but the song doesn’t feel like it’s just trying to copy that era.