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...

If you want to experience the raw depths of human feeling, listen to "Thief" by Emily Nicole Green. This is the song for anyone who has experienced the sting of rejection, the difficulty of reconciling life's contradictory realities, or the emptiness of longing for someone who is no longer in one's life. Emily, a bright light in the midst of New York City's hustle and bustle,...