The fiercely independent, Idaho-raised rapper nick! channels a deeply overstimulated, restless frequency on his new EP, "GEEKED!". Born in 2006 and building a fervent following entirely without industry co-signs, he occupies an interesting lane in new-wave underground hip-hop. His music sounds precisely like the brain chemistry of an internet-raised creative processing the blinding speed of newfound success. He writes and produces melodic, hard-hitting rap...

The Swedish sextet Villa Rivercat turns hesitation, healing, and synth-lit folk rock into a single built for repeat plays. Some songs feel like the exact second before you send the text you have typed three times and deleted twice. 'Woodchopper', the new single from Villa Rivercat, lives in that nervous little gap. It is about choice, but it does not treat choice like a neat...