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...

Luma Saint invites us into a shared space with "All of Us," a track that feels like the sonic equivalent of finding a familiar face in a crowded city. There is a specific kind of magic that happens when a musician from Stockton-on-Tees decides to tackle the gargantuan concept of universal unity, especially when collaborating with his son. It grounds the grandiosity. It makes...