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...

Fort Myers solo artist JR unpacks the heavy, digital baggage of contemporary isolation on his new country-rock single, "Back In The Day". Spurred by a life-threatening pulmonary embolism, the devoted father and husband found himself staring down mortality. He emerged from that scare with a poignant call for unity, cutting through today's profit-driven tech divisions and political unrest. We exist in a fractured landscape,...