Listen if you like: Mellow, kicked-back hip-hop, world jazz, intelligent R&B, conscious funk, Afro-beat.

 
First impressions: Gabriel Teodros is about as worldly as it gets; as his press release for Colored People’s Time Machine says, “Raised in Seattle, Teodros carved his identity with Black music and old-school activists, Mexican and Southeast Asian gangs, First Nation community, a group of Filipino poets, a Chinese landlord, and an Ethiopian family… This is the 98118, the most ethnically diverse zip code in the country.” But as the Ethiopian-American chants on “Mind Power,” “I will not be defined by where I’m from.” If he wants to be defined by the kick-ass beats and smooth-flowing, multi-lingual lyrics that fill this sophomore album, that’s fine too. Of course, you can’t overlook Teodros’ deep resume of community activism, organizing Seattle’s Eritrean community, teaching language arts, hip-hop history, and songwriting classes, and even touring Ethiopia to bring African-American art forms to the mother continent.

 
The nitty-gritty: “Mind Power” boasts a killer electric-guitar sample that hearkens back to The Geto Boys’ early simplicity, but similarities to gangsta rap end there, as Gabriel Teodros touches on ethnic identity (“Blossoms Of Fire” and the swirling, drum-heavy “Alien Native”), embracing foreign cultures (the uptempo hand-claps of “Sarung Banggi”), struggling to fit in with American values (synths and swagger on “Diaspora” and the Latin-tinged “Beit”), and the dangerous allure of the hip-hop game (the eerie, otherworldly “You A Star”). Luckily, Teodros’ producers BeanOne, Budo, JustD’amato, EarDr.Umz, and MetroGnome make Colored People’s Time Machine as easy on the ears as it is a workout for the mind. “Flow Throo” is a piano- and sax-led cool jazz workout, while “Still With You” is funk-lite at its best. And “Colored People’s Time Machine” is a shaggy drum ‘n’ bass number that perfectly sums up Teodros’ sophomore album.

 
Other recommended tracks: Let “Goodnight’s” luxurious lines wash over you, take an interplanetary, Jimi Hendrix-inspired voyage on “Saturn’s Return,” explore the unseen realities of Las Vegas on “Babylon By Bus,” and accompany Teodros and fellow Ethiopian Meklit Hadero to Africa on “Ella Mable Bright” and “Sun & Breeze.” No matter which tracks you take to, Colored People’s Time Machine is a revelatory journey we all should take at some point in our lives.

East Coast tour dates? None as of now; as you can guess, it’s hard to get Gabriel Teodros out of his Pacific Northwest home. But stay tuned to www.GabrielTeodros.com for updates.

Listen if you like: Melodic yet hard-hitting ‘90s punk rock, over-amped reggae and ska… what Jacksonville Beach, FL, trio Poor Richards appropriately call “skunk rock.”

First impressions: The Micro Deal EP kicks off with the full-throated punk jam “Why?,” channeling the political ferocity of bands like Pennywise and forgotten Volcom Entertainment legends Bueno/ All Autonomy. But there’s something about the deep-seated howl of lead singer/ guitarist Matt “LB” Norman that, dare I say it, hits even harder than those icons. “Everybody’s Clone” puts the skunk into Poor Richards’ self-described skunk rock, riding a speedy reggae-tinged riff that again boasts an impressive crunch.

The nitty-gritty: Given the intensity of five out of the six songs on The Micro Deal EP, I’m not sure how much reggae and ska Poor Richards are really into. “Keeping Up With The Joneses” boasts a sick bass breakdown from Sean Pee, along with shouted backing vocals from LB, Pee, and drummer Jimbo Slice. Likewise, “Life’s A Mess” ricochets off the walls with its twitchy yet melodic energy, and EP closer “To Eradicate” really showcases how good of a drummer Jimbo Slice is, assaulting his skins with impeccable rage while LB peels off a shredding guitar solo. Bottom line, Poor Richards create an unholy racket on The Micro Deal EP. I’m thinking catching them live might be the only way to fully appreciate this definition of a power punk trio, though.

Other recommended tracks: “All We Need” provides the only change of pace on The Micro Deal EP, although even its jacked-up reggae beat gives way to a shouted, overdriven chorus.

East Coast tour dates? February 5th at The Joint in Jacksonville, FL; February 25th opening for Agent Orange at Brewster’s Pub & Pit in Jacksonville; and March 30th at FUBAR Downtown in St. Petersburg, FL. Stay up to date at www.Facebook.com/PoorRichardsPunkRock.

Listen if you like: Nico, Super Furry Animals, Velvet Underground, Fiery Furnaces, CAN, revved-up fem-folk, British art-rock, avant-garde prog-pop.

First impressions: Knottier than what you’d expect from this captivating Welsh beauty, who many have compared to legendary narcotic-voiced chanteuse Nico. Yes, Cate Le Bon has the detached cool and adept pipes that flit from husky to high-toned at the snap of a finger, most elegantly on CYRK’s title track. But the musicianship on this sophomore album really stands out. Album opener “Falcon Eyed” fades in with a straight-up jangle-punk riff, devolves into disjointed keyboard explorations, and comes back between the left-side-of-the-road lines to finish things off. Yet there’s still plenty of smoky early ‘70s languor (“Puts Me To Work”) and pastoral folk smolder (“Ploughing Out Part 1”) to be found throughout.

The nitty-gritty: Ultimately, it’s the diversity of CYRK that works most in Cate Le Bon’s favor. “CYRK” shifts from dusty to electrifyingly jagged; “Julia” combines the downtrodden folk of Elliott Smith with the Renaissance faire aesthetic of Fairport Convention; and “Greta’s” simmering, rambling avant-pop would have fit perfectly next to the entombed Nico classics on The Royal Tenenbaums’ soundtrack. Most interestingly, none of these fairly fantastical journeys clock in at much more than three minutes; the only one that does, the five-and-a-half-minute “Fold The Cloth,” is definitely the most psychedelic jam on CYRK, although its loping guitar solos make it perhaps the easiest track of the album to listen to, especially for American listeners. Not to downplay Le Bon’s wonderfully enticing voice, which sounds eccentric and refreshing in today’s over-electrified musical age. But the guitars and drums and bass and keys that accompany her provide plenty to latch on to for otherwise skeptical rock fans.

Other recommended tracks: “Through The Mill” sounds like a lost outtake from a dream session between Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin, while hard-rockin’ album closer “Ploughing Out Part 2” puts the perfect finishing touch on the folksy evolution evident on CRYK.

East Coast tour dates? Boston, New York, New Jersey, Philly, DC, Chicago, Wisconsin, and Minnesota from February 8th-17th before heading west. Visit www.CateLeBon.com for more info.

Listen if you like: This New Jersey band’s name should say it all, right? Smooth white-boy reggae with hints of folk, pop, hip-hop, blues, punk, and ska, a la G. Love, Citizen Cope, or Donavon Frankenreiter.

First impressions: Pt. Pleasant, NJ, quartet The Irie Sound sure isn’t shooting for blunted-out street cred on their self-titled album, given the fact that they start with young-love ode “Backseat.” This breezy summer jam, along with its follow-up “Did Me Wrong,” would fit right in with Donavon Frankenreiter or G. Love — The Irie Sound even opened for Dono in Asbury Park last fall. Lead singer Grady Wenrich definitely sounds like the mustachioed king of surf folk, while his backing band of Shane McClatchey, Ed Moran, and Paul Criscuolo hit the same easygoing notes that Frankenreiter, G. Love, and Jack Johnson to a certain extent are famous for hitting.

The nitty-gritty: “Leisurely” could easily soundtrack any longboard segment of Thomas Campbell’s celebrated films, while the loose edges and clean six-string effects of “Slow Ride” and “Ninety Eight” brought to mind lost Jimi Hendrix tracks about the joys of surfing. But the most noticeable thing about The Irie Sound is its preponderance of love songs: “Backseat,” “Did Me Wrong,” “You’re Mine,” and “Girl” all offer various takes on modern romance, especially on the beach-centric Jersey Shore that The Irie Sound hails from. I loved “You’re Mine’s” blistering guitar solo, though, along with the gritty reggae riffs on “Girl.” And in a way, “Ninety Eight” is an ode to all of our freewheeling summers past. Clearly The Irie Sound’s dual-guitar attack is something to behold, as fans of the Belmar Pro and various New Jersey bars and clubs will attest.

Other recommended tracks: “Paul’s Song” hews the closest to the reggae/hip-hop/folk hybrid of Citizen Cope, perhaps thanks to rhythmic guest vocals from Joey Martz. And “Beneath The Waves” was the only acoustic track on The Irie Sound, adding a rootsy, bluesy vibe to the album. But “No Shoes” is the perfect summation of The Irie Sound’s entire atmosphere — a little Sublime, a little Donavon, a little G. Love, and a whole lot of sing-along love that anyone on any East Coast beach can relate to. Funny that the album closer — and the shortest track on The Irie Sound — was my favorite.

East Coast tour dates? None as of now since Grady Wenrich moved to Nashville; stay tuned to www.Facebook.com/pages/The-Irie-Sound/20828603051 for updates.