For melodic punk veterans Taking Back Sunday, second time's the charm. The group’s standards of success have risen dramatically with the release of their latest album, Happiness Is. This time, however, artistic freedom was more accessible than ever.

ArtPrize turns up the volume for musicians with structural changes aimed to increase their exposure. “Half of the time when I would tell people about the piece they would say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know music was a category.’ So then I had to explain that to them instead of talking about the song or what I’m about and what I do,” said Bouwsma-Schultz, who won the $2,000 St. Cecilia Music Center (SCMC) award in rock/blues for her song, "In my Heart (To the Moon)."

Cage the Elephant's 2013 album, Melophobia, was approached a bit differently than previous records. As opposed to a strict collaborative effort from the very beginning, each of the band's members started writing music individually.

 Kalamazoo’s music scene might be battered, but it ain’t beat. Audiotree, the Chicago-based website and music company known for its stellar in-studio sessions, is bringing a well-deserved bump to town with its second-annual music festival.