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...

Reaven's latest offering, "Something To Remember," barrels in like a sunbeam after a week of rain, a potent shot of pop-rock that dares you to feel something. It's a single, a little burst of focused energy rather than a sprawling landscape, and it gets straight to the point, doesn't waste time building up to anything, because there is so much to embrace today, that...