Isaiah Johnson, better known by his stage name Dutch Tha Kid, is currently promoting his mix tape Life On Pandora. Samuel Hindes, who performs using just his first name, is a born and raised NYC artist whose EP I Heart NY reflects the love for his hometown. T-Man is a St. Louis rapper who is working on his debut album Son of a G. Ume, whose Sunshower EP is available now, hail from Austin, Texas. Zigmat is vocalist Monica Rodriguez and bassist Stephen Yonkin, who released their debut album Sounds of Machines last year.

Dutch Tha Kid

“All Night”

Looking at the title of this song, I was a little afraid. But it contains less graphic descriptions than I had anticipated. It is really difficult for me to critique a song like this because, as a woman, I think it sets unfair expectations of relationships and intimacy. However, that opinion doesn’t take the music into consideration, so you can see my conundrum. Subject aside, there are some very clever quips in the lyrics (particularly the bit about ESPN) and it’s an enjoyable listen. Catchy chorus.

Samuel

“I Heart NY”

I can always appreciate a video that features NYC as… well. I live here. I do like that Samuel’s video chooses not to show all of NYC’s glamorous sides, but focuses instead on what it is like to be just a regular ol’ resident kicking around on the streets. It’s a refreshing perspective. And the song touches on that love/hate relationship with the city that haunts so many of its residents.

T-Man

“100″

This is a very new artist so you can tell by the production quality of the video there wasn’t tons of money to be spent. But this is why I think it was such a great decision to show the artist in the studio actually making his record. Not only does it tie in nicely with the lyrics, but it demonstrates how he works and where he is going. It’s not about how much you have so much as how you can utilize it. Plus, great beat.

Ume

“The Conductor”

I love that Lauren Larson looks as though she would be such a petite little pixie, when in actuality her performances are raw and energetic; unnerving in the best way. The video captures that nicely. I’ve had my eye on Ume for a while now, so I am glad to see them finding their way to the Freshmen. They don’t need a fancy video. Their sound and presentation speak for themselves.

Zigmat

“Don’t Tire”

Anyone who is familiar with Goldfrapp or Bat for Lashes will see a resemblance in Zigmat, in both sound and video. It’s the combination of the dreamy, surreal landscapes with Rodriguez’s delicate vocals; a mixture such as this always tends to be a winner and most certainly does not fail the group. This whole package is absolutely beautiful.

Who will it be this week? Vote and tell us in the comments section below.