Theon Cross, courtesy Ian Hippolyte.

This week we touch on multiple genres. Lebra Jolie and BRS Kash come with fresh rap collabs while Teri Gender Bender and Inzo showcase different sides of electronic music. Alex Vaughn offers a new R&B perspective and Theon Cross represents well for a new generation of jazz artists.

Lebra Jolie featuring Babyface Ray, “Think It’s Funny” — A trap battle of the sexes goes down on Houston rapper Lebra Jolie’s new single, from her self-titled debut EP. In a similar exchange seen in trap hits like Trina and Trick Daddy’s “Naan,” she and Babyface Ray go back and forth about the downsides of dating while dealing with expectations from the opposite gender.

The beat is smoothly put together with a Southern flair, which includes tons of 808 bass and Jolie’s skillful, witty and clearly enunciated delivery. It’s a good match for her veteran counterpart. Lebra Jolie shows she’s ready to stand toe-to-toe and stand out in a sea of competitors.

Inzo featuring Elohim, “Earth Magic” — The sounds of nature welcome you in this ethereal, drifting and dreamy vision by electronic artist Mike Inzano, better know as Inzo. The soft sounds of the whispery vocals of DJ and singer-songwriter Elohim, coupled with intermittent birdsong, water and other ambient sounds bring you into a sonic envisioning of the captivating beauty of a jungle forest.

Lo-fi beats interspersed with syncopated pauses add an interesting element to the track, which was crafted during lockdowns. The Chicago-born, Denver-based artist’s focus on health and wellness leads to a genre shift from pop-rock-electronica to more healing music. His “cozy headspace” is evident. This is the title track of Inzo’s new EP, which follows 2019 debut Multiverse. Inzo plays the Regency Ballroom on Feb. 17.

Teri Gender Bender, “Saturn Sex” — Industrial-influenced alt-electronica is the genre of choice for the title track from a new EP by Teri Gender Bender, out Oct. 21. The singer and guitarist, born Teresa Suárez Cosío, is well-known in the punk and garage rock community from her work since 2007 as lead singer and guitarist of the Guadalajara band Le Butcherettes. The track is artfully assembled, iconically starting and ending with the same distorted guitar riff’s singular picking in eerie minor key notes. Those are subsequently sprinkled in throughout the song along with the industrial synth sounds reminiscent of Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails.

This is the first solo record for Teri Gender Bender, with the second part of her double EP, State of Fear, coming on Dec. 16.  This follows the Complexify EP series, 10 records that focused on Teri Gender Bender’s work in Le Bucherettes and other bands. She’s touring with The Mars Volta, playing the Warfield on Oct. 18 and 19.

BRS Kash featuring North Ave Jax, “Rich & Famous” — The strings in the intro for Atlanta rapper BRS Kash’s latest single create immediate interest and bring complexity as the relentless beat pushes through and draws you into the hypnotic loop. Supported by North Ave Jax, the rappers describe the feeling of finally reveling in the rockstar lifestyle of fame and fortune.

Kash and Jax’s furtive and compelling delivery is aspirational, imagining what awaits the rappers once they’ve “made it.” The track made the cut as one of the selections for Rockstar Energy Drink’s curated program for breaking artists, which included a just-wrapped nationwide tour where the duo were featured on the Atlanta stop.

Alex Vaughn, “So Be It” — The lament and pain of dealing with a toxic relationship is examined in this powerful ballad, produced by legendary track-maker Rodney Jerkins. The instant-classic sound is carried by the soulful and deft vocals from the Maryland-born vocalist, paired with a simple and perfectly balanced arrangement that allows Vaughn’s voice to shine as a focal point.

Classically trained in piano since childhood, Alex Vaughn broke into the industry by posting covers on social media in 2017. That led to opening for K. Michelle and Eric Bellinger. The song opens Vaughn’s debut EP, The Hurtbook, which will feature eight tracks focused on the path of healing and self-discovery, or as the artist puts it, “[Though] events may have hurt you, you are not broken.” Using a tried-and-true formula, Vaughn is showing the new face or R&B in this stunning offering that’s poised to be a classic.

Theon Cross, “Wings” — Londoner Theon Cross has West-Indian roots and found success with U.K. jazz ensemble Sons of Kemet. The brass instrumental’s heavy ’60s jazz fusion and Afrobeat influence is immediately apparent within the first moments of the song. The breathy, low-pitched bass line of Cross’ tuba is paired with bass and drums.

The jungle rhythm is accentuated by sporadic animal calls until it’s joined by other building percussive elements while Theon Cross’ gifted tuba performance takes center stage. The Afro-jazz song immerses you rhythm until, mid-song, the tuba takes flight, lifting the song up and away as it’s joined by other brass instruments. A compelling musical stanza is echoed, building into a magnificent crescendo before deconstructing into a cacophony of instrumentation and fading into the steady percussive elements, coalescing into a satisfying adagio conclusion. 

Theon Cross exemplifies jazz fusion at its best. Experimental, artistic and artfully blended with other genres, it pulls bits from rock, soul, Latin and Afrobeat. He will perform at The Independent on Oct. 23.

Mel’s pick: Though initially wavering between Teri Gender Bender’s stark industrial electro-alternative track, the shock and awe of Theon Cross’ mesmerizing jazz masterpiece was undeniable. Not only pushing the limits of what the tuba can offer in musical arrangements, his effortless blend of many different influences is the true definition of jazz fusion in style and substance, evoking the emotion that truly good music is meant to bring forth. Cross is a shining example of the new crop of amazingly talented musicians taking center stage in jazz and his composition is a triumph of the continuing transformation.

Follow Mel Bowman at Twitter.com/melmichel.