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...

Listening to the new release from Glass Cabin, the album "Emmylou", feels like finding a box of letters you were never meant to read, tucked away in the back of a closet in a rental house. There is an immediate sense of intrusion, but you stay because the story is too compelling to leave. Jess Brown and David Flint have crafted something here that...