Brandon Watson just released an absolute battering ram of a single with "Watch Me Work". The Franklin-based, Texas-born songwriter and producer tackles the age-old theme of ambition, but entirely ditches the usual glossy inspirational clichés for pure, combat-ready swagger. https://open.spotify.com/track/0za6E6IEIjs4B02OfuzuIz?si=7b1cb992bcec4632 The arrangement roots itself in the dirt. A heavy, stomping percussion sets a marching cadence from the jump, acting as the spine for jagged, distorted electric...

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...