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...

With "Regret", Nelson G constructs a sonic space that sits somewhere between a confession and a late-night drive through an empty Swiss town. This single, emerging from his home studio in Brugg, immediately disarms you with a repetitive, plucked acoustic string progression. It functions less like a melody and more like a nervous habit like the way you might subconsciously tear at a paper...