We’ve touted his name in the past, and I know I’ve listed Thaione Davis as one of my top 10 emcees, with a back catalog that’s testament to his prowess. The Chicago underground scene continues to flourish through his Culture Power45 imprint, which he established to release a plethora of releases from like-minded artists and branching out even further. It’s been a minute, but this week Thaione released his 3-song EP/Maxey Single Thou Shall Not Fret. The word is it’s off a forthcoming album TBA. Regardless, the tracks filling the space within are a raucous affair. “Thou Shall Not Fret” seems to be a warning to those who don’t constantly keep their eyes open. There’s no worry though, but learning is key. Thai has a way with words but it’s his cadence, his flow, that forces you to pay attention. And you will want to because his voice commands on the mic. He moves on with “Breathing Over Breaks,” a track with a musical backdrop that is focused and sharp, cutting through with every downbeat. He’ll grab hold of you from the start with his words, “I’m a champion/Skittles dripping out of my pen/dressing these paragraphs, letting them no matter the trend…” and we get it! His words are definitively colorful, utilizing metaphors and similes with ease. His storytelling is poetic, requiring dissection like a modern-day Shakespeare. Clever lyricism doesn’t get any better than this. With “Roc Rock (Jenora Rok)” featuring Cosmo Galactus is much looser, and he and Cosmo rip the mic with urban rawness. They’re comfortable in their element, with gritty finesse.

P.O.S. x DWYNELL ROLAND x YATA – RELAY RELAY!!

As it happens at times, many artists may pass us by without even a glance. Unless someone is wrapped up in the social media world, there’s no way to know without publicity. There’s a new gen of artists that somehow expect listeners to grab hold of their works through osmosis, but life doesn’t always work that way. For many, the requirements of old are still prevalent. For others, we wouldn’t be in the know if it’s been a while.

It’s been some time since we’ve heard anything new from Minneapolis’ P.O.S., his last full-length coming in 2017’s Chill, dummy, which remains an extraordinary movement in sound. While he’s usually opted to work with some of the same players, this time around, he takes a different approach. P.O.S. shares the mic with Dwynell Roland on the 7-song Relay Relay!! (Doomtree) with beats provided by Yata. Note: another 7-song EP, Relay! was released back in June. But it seems that now, after this and that Shredders EP last year, P.O.S. is back and with a vengeance. This is the point we should all embrace the chaos. “Mud Tires” opens the release, where we do get a sense of dynamic change, even if it is just for the intro. Both Roland and P.O.S. trade verses as if they’ve always worked together since the beginning of time over this hard-edged beat and rhythmic thrusting. Musically, Yata takes hold of this and annihilates everything in its path. The destruction left in its wake is evident.

There isn’t anything you should sleep on here, and “Don’t Call The Cops makes that evident. The rhythm is familiar, pop-lock-move at a fervent pace, as Roland rides that rhythm with quick-tongue energy. He leaves room for P.O.S. as Yata creates an ambiance more than halfway through, with an eloquent change filling space with a piano break before everything resumes the way it was. It’s perfect in every way. Then there’s “Throwing Ghosts” featuring Casey Gerald. The vocal harmonies he provides are sugary sadness as guitar & bass play off one another with additional percussion (finger cymbals, drums) happily crowd around them. Lyrically & musically, life is troubling, with stormy days ahead. It’s all captured vividly in stereo. It’s a struggle, but there’s a smile at the corner of their collective mouths that we can still see/hear.

P.O.S. is an astute emcee who is unique. The journey back into the forefront has been slow, but he and Dwynell Roland astound lyrically throughout Relay Relay!! You can also catch Relay! here if you don’t want to wait for the entire album pieced together. In any regard, you won’t be disappointed.

BAD TRIPS – NOTHING BUT TROUBLE

Day in and day out, things are, things have become a blur where I’m not certain where I begin or end. It’s with certainty that I can’t be the only person feeling alone in this. Life in America, but I’m thankful for the sole resource that is music. Given the stale wave of releases has left me conflicted thinking, “Yeah, I should give this a rest,” but if we all did that, we’d probably miss some of the best things new artists have to offer.

This is where a youthful Bad Trips comes in. I don’t remember the last time I was in Queens, NY, before I moved but I doubt I’ve been through Ridgewood, where the group is based. Bushwick, Brooklyn – which borders Ridgewood – is where I frequented much more. But I digress. Once known as Melted Teenagers, the band, bassist/multi-instrumentalist Andy Borsz, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist David Drucker, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Konrad Kamm, moved on, creating a variety of new themes. About a month back, I went online and proclaimed Bad Trips my new favorite band, and that was off the basis of just a couple of tracks. A day late and a dollar short, I come to you with the group’s new Nothing But Trouble, which was released 2 weeks prior. There’s a lot of talk surrounding Bad Trips and its influences, but no, we’re not even touching on any of that. This trio may have similarities to others that came before it, but the band is derivative unto itself.

Bad Trips is nothing if not showcasing its experimental prowess. On the instrumental “Thirteen Ghosts,” they rally around guitars and drums, and caterwauling electronics and vocals are an unnecessary factor. The band is enthralling from beginning to end, languishing within a repetitive nature without becoming repetitious. It hides behind nothing, leaving doors open for all to see and witness the fury of the song’s delivery. Just over 3 and a half minutes, the band captures your attention through its rhythm, the bassline never releasing its grip on things. Then there’s the high frequency of “Slaughter High,” which is a distorted pop song if I ever heard one. Beneath the distortion, dissonance, and playful electronics, guitars and vocals are melodic and in tune with one another. Catchy? Indeed, and if we can say anything about it, it’s colorfully finger-painted with melted crayons. It’s a little erratic but enticing. “No Questions Asked” moves gracefully as sounds and instruments build around the inviting bassline. Guitar and electronic noodling shiver across it, scraping along but allowing the melody to form and take shape. It’s evocative while pulling from so many directions. As the band moves slowly, there’s a sense of sweet dread throughout the brief “High Spirits.” As Bad Trips plays along to a slow yet infectious melody, it’s almost as if we’re waiting for the hammer to drop down hard. But it never does as we all sink into oblivion.

Where does this leave the Queens-bound Bad Trips? Well, only time will tell, but a band like this only comes around every decade or so, keeping things interesting through its no-nonsense we-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude or what anyone thinks about its music. Through Nothing But Trouble, the band isn’t afraid to play with sound, allowing it to morph through whichever direction its moving. Listening to this reaffirms my faith in artistry.