Dre Thompson – “Bulls On Parade”
Baltimore rapper and party starter Dre Thompson has been on the scene and unquestionably delivering quality work for some time, whether on record or in live performance. His latest six -song project “Bulls On Parade” showcases both his lyrical prowess and his ability to create tuneful dance music. The whole album is a soundtrack to being fly, counting money, and talking your most confident shit with ease.
On the first track “A Pop Song” he plays on the word “pop” in all ways imaginable.
“Pop a bitch. Pop up in ya party cameras flashing Papparazzi shit. Dem niggaz aint poppin how I’m poppin they just poppin shit. Pop a pill and pop a package open this the loudest shit. I don’t pop it often when I do I pop a lot cha bitch.”
On the lead single “Boing,” he swings by to scoop you for your obligatory trip into a Southern strip club.
My personal favorite is “Spooky” when Thompson digs into his menacing rap bag seamlessly delivering braggadocio amalgamated with a warning to not fuck with him.
The EP’s production by Tony Krav (beats, mixing, and mastering) showcases a chemistry between the MC/producer duo of Tauruses (Their birthdays are on May 3 and May 4). That chemistry, mixed with Thompson’s Rage Against The Machine influence, inspired the album title.
“I’ve always been a “raging against the machine” type of artist and the song Bulls On Parade by RATM would randomly pop into my head during the recording sessions so I felt that was the appropriate response, to name the project Bulls On Parade,” Thompson told Baltimore Beat via email.
Whatever follows Thompson’s moniker “It’s automatic baby” is always a guaranteed good time. That, sandwiched in with Krav’s tag, a woman’s voice acknowledging the quality of a beat with “That sound good” is yet another example of having the right production to match dope songwriting and bar delivery. (Eze)
“Bulls On Parade” is available on all streaming sites.
End It – “Wrong Side of Heaven”
Following the 2022 “Unpleasant Living” EP, Baltimore’s hardcore band End It is set to release their debut full-length, “Wrong Side of Heaven,” on August 29. The hardcore powerhouse has built a fearsome reputation for being unapologetically outspoken, writing fast, reverberating songs, and putting on live performances where fans can leave it all on the floor of the pit. Now, they’re ready and equipped to take over with one of the most creative and compelling visual campaigns I’ve seen in recent memory.
This summer End It has rolled out a quadrant of music videos directed by Noah Haycock and featuring a variety of frequent creative collaborators that prove they’re operating on a different level, building a world around the record that is Baltimore — uncut Baltimore hardcore — through and through.
The rollout began with “Pale Horse,” featuring four youth doppelgangers of the band who end up beating up a Spider-Man piñata, juxtaposed with clips of their real-life cinematic parallels. Here vocalist Akil Godsey’s declares: “Live your life with no remorse / Karma on the back / Of the Pale White Horse.”
Next was the Tony Hawk Pro Skater-inspired and digitally rendered, with the band and spaces and places in our city in a video game, “Life Sublime.”
Godsey’s declaration “trying my hardest, to get out/ but heavy is the crown/make a nigga scream shout” encapsulated the tedious nature of pushing these metaphorical rocks up these metaphorical hills in this literal capitalist hellscape.
Next is “Optical Delusions,” a brilliant and chaotic claymation brawl akin to Celebrity Deathmatch. It opens with a claymation cameo from Flatspot Records’ co-founder Che Figueroa. (BTW this video should have way more views, wtf???)
Then on August 20, they released the video by Noah Haycock for “Could You Love Me?” The track, a powerful cover of Maximum Penalty’s 1996 hit, is a gorgeous explication of unrequited love and a nod to one of the band’s greatest influences. The black-and-white visual places the band, clad in clean black and white tuxedos, on the fictional late-night “The Paris Roberts Show” before an audience of rapt fans.
“Could You Love Me?” spotlights each member’s command of their respective instruments and explicitly showcases Godsey’s versatile vocal talent, especially on the lines, “I dream about you almost every single night; could you love me?” to the rhythmic, pulsating breakdown at 2:19 where he pleads, “Could you show me love? I really need your love” builds over a cadence of instruments.
This rollout represents a visual harbinger for End It’s inevitable prominence. Each track becomes a mission statement, backed by the strength of guitarist Ray Lee and the rhythm section comprised of drummer Chris Gonzalez and bassist Patrick Martin. This dedication to aesthetics and authenticity extends to their release of physical media, underscoring the band’s thoughtful and intentional approach. (I mean, every time they drop merch I want it.)
End It is talented, intentional, and purely Baltimore hardcore.
“Wrong Side of Heaven” is out on August 29. You can — and should — preorder the vinyl and stream the singles via Flatspot Records. The band’s heading out on the road with dates supporting Superheaven, Alkaline Trio, and Blink-182, as well as a recently announced headlining tour which wraps up right here at home at Baltimore Soundstage on October 26. See y’all there! (Teri)
Purchase Wrong Side Of Heaven on Bandcamp and purchase physical copies of band’s other records at flatspotrecords.com
The Bysons – “Meet the Bysons”
In May of this year, I wrote about The Bysons and their single “Kathmandu.” The duo Mike and Jadie Byson have followed up with their EP “Meet the Bysons.” The EP is a collection of songs that arose from their 2023 travels through Asia. The first track, “Diamonds on Neptune,” feels like the evening before the journey. It comes in with ambient background vocals as Jadie sings
“It rains diamonds on Neptune and there’s spiders on Mars. I’ll just hold your hand and look up at the stars. There’s purple rain down in Baltimore. That’s something I can feel. The thought of you leaving, sometimes it’s too real.”
The album was recorded in Austin, Texas, at Melted Igloo, an artist collective and distribution hub focused on empowering independent artists. It was started by The Bysons and some friends for the purpose of sharing information and resources to help empower indie artists.
“What’s a Heaven For” was inspired by Robert Browning’s poem “Andrea del Sarto.” The poem is written from the perspective of del Sarto, a 16th-century Italian painter, who reflects on his life, fears his own mediocrity, and is filled with regret. The song is an extension of del Sarto’s monologue. “Fredo Flow” was inspired by Fredo Santana’s “Jealous.” On this one, Jadie sings in something like a rapper’s cadence effortlessly.
“Air Up There” feels like a calm ride falling in love and riding through the mountains, featuring a gorgeous horn section orchestrated by Baltimorean and Blue Note recording artist Brandon Woody.
“We’ve been big fans of his (Woody) for a while and were so excited to get him on this song. He recorded like 100 different trumpets to give the feel of a whole arrangement,” Mike told us via email.
The closing song “I Shall be Released” is a Bob Dylan cover that brings the trip to the kind of close where one starts fantasizing about how to not return home and stay in the bliss of freedom, exploring possibilities while sharing endless love with your favorite sidekick.
“This is a heavily covered song,” Byson says. “But we wanted to bring a new voice and fresh perspective to it.”
If “Meet the Bysons” is an introduction to this dynamic duo, we’re in for quite a ride to whatever part of the earth they’re going to next. (Eze)
Check out “Meet The Bysons” on their Bandcamp and all other streaming platforms.
Micah E. Wood & N A E – “Mesmerized”
This summer was hot as hell, and the perfect track to cruise us into the cooler nights has officially arrived. Baltimore’s Micah E. Wood has teamed up with frequent and fantastic collaborator N A E (Nala Bailey) for “Mesmerized,” a synth-pop duet that feels like the perfect soundtrack for a late-night drive with the windows down. It’s dancey, groovy, and full of the warmth and longing that defines the end of a season — thank GOD Fall is on the way.
The track immediately captures the feeling of a hazy summer romance. Over a bed of warm synths and a bassline that rattles the car stereo, Wood and N A E trade lines with an infectious energy.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture that every Baltimorean can recognize:
“No one else around / Just you and me / Driving down 83.”
When N A E sings “Ahh, I want you bad,” it’s less of a plea and more of a confident, joyous declaration.
Co-produced by Wood and notcharles, the song is a masterclass in collaboration, with every element feeling lovingly layered.
“Mesmerized” is the second single from Wood’s upcoming album, “You, Me, the Reign,” and it’s a glowing taste of what’s to come. Described as a “vibrant, genre-blurring love letter to the resilience of community, intimacy, and Baltimore’s DIY spirit,” the album promises to be one of the year’s essential local releases.
Mark your calendars now: Micah E. Wood is celebrating the album’s release with a stacked show at Current Space on Friday, September 26 with The Beach People, EYAS, and Cadeem LaMarr on the bill. (Teri)
You can stream the track and pre-save “You, Me, the Reign” via bandcamp.
More Noise Radio – “Sounds of Baltimore”
Compilation albums have always been a great source of exploring a range of sounds and styles. Some of my favorite compilations are ones from cities or regions and in my personal opinion, Baltimore always delivers the wildest. More Noise Radio is a new community-based internet radio station. Their new 25-track album “Sounds of Baltimore” has been released in hopes of raising funds to grow the station. It’s a refreshing ride through the wild, less mainstream sounds Baltimore is known for.
“In a time where Spotify funds drone warfare while arts organizations lose funding for discussing Palestine I feel like it’s important to have an uncensored space to hear challenging music selections coming from a person, not another ai generated background music playlist,” the station’s founder, Owen told Baltimore Beat.
The compass on this album is tremendous, going from Dønny Bxndo’s “gold!” to artist/activist Santana Sankofa delivering a sweet ode to those gone before us with “Altar 4 U (Ancestors)” to Daoure Diongue’s “dirge” featuring Max Wiggins.
The only thing missing from the project is hip hop and club music but only because I’m selfishly curious about what some of the city’s myriad of talented lyricists and Baltimore Club pioneers could add to it.
There are five geographical coordinates as song titles throughout the album. Each coordinate is an apparent sound of the city, sometimes turned into a musical composition in some way or another. The first track introduces us to sounds of the Baltimore National Cemetery on Frederick Road. The second coordinate is Track 6 in the Parkwood area behind a house on Garnet Road right near Double Rock Park and Parkwood Cemetery. The third at Track 11 is at the city/county line in Brooklyn where Ritchie Highway begins. The fourth puts listeners on the corner of Park Heights and Slade Avenue for Track 16 and the fifth lands us in the Patapsco River right off the coast of Fort Armistead where the Key Bridge used to be at Track 21 before closing with contributions from JASS, HIDDEN GEM, Head Face South, and Connie Li.
“From here we just want to keep growing, experimenting and welcoming more people into the fold. Anyone in Baltimore can submit an idea for a show on our website and I will reach out and talk to you about it,” Owen says.
My personal take is that if mainstream radio could be a bit more like this album, we’d all be in a better place. Purchase “Sounds of Baltimore” through More Noise Radio’s Bandcamp page and support the platforming of local music today. (Eze)
Bailey Straughn – “Rooftop Party”
According to Twitter, there has been no song of the summer. This critic vehemently disagrees.
“Rooftop Party” off of the recently released FREE:BASS is the definitive anthem of a Baltimore summer.
“Rooftop Party,” released on June 20, is the debut track from FREE:BASS, a new collaborative project by rapper Bailey Straughn and producers Cadeem LaMarr and Jayswann. It is a masterclass in nonchalant swagger, witty bars, and a beat that feels both laid-back and riotous at the same time.
This is the sound of a perfect night out (that turns into afters) with the crew, bottled into two and a half minutes of pure confidence.
Bailey Straughn is in top form, delivering a dizzying array of clever punchlines and pop culture references. The opening line alone sets the tone:
“Me and the boys some sluts for a rooftop party/ no kidding.”
From there, he’s on the edge like the Hardy Boyz, giving a shout-out to RuPaul, and making it clear he’s here for the chaos.
But the line that anchors the track firmly in its hometown is the undeniable, chest-puffed-out declaration:
“My city got the best QB in the league.”
Straughn is a talented rapper and his technical skill and humor are on full display here.
“Calm down lemme exhale/Pay bills like Clinton but I did inhale.”
On the first taste of the “FREE:BASS” project, “Rooftop Party,” and its accompanying video of chaotic fun directed by Jarett Loeffler, Straughn provides the lyrical fireworks while Cadeem LaMarr and Jayswann build the perfect, head-nodding foundation.
This is the track for the pre-game, the after-party, and the after after party. (Teri)
Stream the track on baileystraughn.bandcamp.com.
If you would like your music to be considered for Baltimore Beat’s Best Beats, send us your single or full length project, along with a short bio (no more than 100 words) and a photo of yourself (with the photographer’s name) to music@baltimorebeat.com.