Steve Horowitz

Without an Audience Strolling Bones As the old philosophical question goes, “If a tree falls in an empty forest, does it make a sound?” That query feels newly relevant in the age of modern music-making. We live in a world where anyone can hear virtually any song ever recorded, anytime, anywhere (provided there’s an internet connection). Today’s artist isn’t just competing with peers for attention, but with the entire history of recorded sound.

Ingrid Andress (photo by Olivia Bee) Ingrid Andress writes and performs sensitive story songs filled with humor and pathos. Her sweet, clear voice creates an immediate sense of intimacy, as if she’s confiding in a close friend. You can hear the emotion behind her narratives in a quiet sigh or the slight ache in her tone. She rarely needs to raise her volume to make an impact.

All I Want Is All of It Six Shooter Whitehorse have returned to their folk-rock roots on their latest full-length record, All I Want Is All of It. The Canadian husband-and-wife team of Luke Doucet and Melissa McClellan recorded the album in a 19th-century farmhouse to capture the mood of past spirits in the ancient place. Of course, only a New World denizen would consider a place built 200 years ago old. Its semi-rural setting on the other side of the tracks offers a haunting aural landscape.