On first listen, “Waiting for the Rain” from New York-based singer-songwriter Half/Brother (aka Adam Kryzan) has a sense of innocence. But the past five years have been particularly unstable for Kryzan, who

Sometimes two voices are better than one, as is the case with San Diego alt-rockers The Verigolds, a quartet that blends elements of several rock genres (psych, pop, folk) on “Gloom”, from

On “Magnet”, Boston trio Modesta mesh silky R&B with guitar-rock that never gets too loud. This is a good thing, as there’s nothing overpowering the soulful vocals and falsetto that recall Adam Levine

“Mind” from the mysterious act Paper Giants ambles like a surfer fresh off a long, successful day of riding the waves. The hazy lead riff punctuates through the drums and bass bringing

Recently, modern pop has found its way back to an ’80s sound and Castorp’s “Fool” hums along like a time capsule from that neon-tinged decade. The song’s tone is darker than most