Brian Lisik (in the Wine Bar)

Akron singer-songwriter Brian Lisik hasn’t been particularly prolific over the course of a career that stretches back into the late ’90s, when he fronted the indie-rock act Giants of Science. His last solo effort, Happiness is Boring, came out six long years ago. But Lisik has been plenty active on the local bar and club scene, and the songs on the just-released The Mess Money Could Buy sound so natural, you’ve gotta think they’ve been road-tested in front of live audiences. His raspy vocals distinguish the jangly “Change You,” and he inflects just a touch of twang into “Longest Day of the Year,” a track that ushers in well-deserved comparisons to Jeff Tweedy/Wilco. (Jeff Niesel)