Atlanta Soundtrack: Larkin Poe, Mariah the Scientist and vintage Bone Crusher

Larkin Poe | “Strike Gold”

Larkin Poe, comprised of multi-instrumentalist, singing sister duo Rebecca and Megan Lovell, released this glittering nugget last month, off their sixth studio album, Blood Harmony, which drops next week. The album was co-produced with Rebecca’s musician husband, Tyler Bryant, and includes the talents of drummer Kevin McGowan and bassist Tarka Layman.

Georgia-bred and Nashville-based, Larkin Poe began to perform and write music together as youngsters growing up in Dalton, and earned a Grammy nod for 2018’s Venom & Faith. They’ll kick off a major tour in January 2023.

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Mariah the Scientist | “Spread Thin”

When we last caught up with Mariah Buckles, aka Mariah the Scientist, she was unsuccessfully attempting to dodge cupid’s arrows across a barren winter landscape. Over a year later, the 25-year-old R&B-er (which, of course, stands for research & biology) is back with this latest ode to heartache from her latest work, a four-track EP called Buckles Laboratories Presents: The Intermission, which was released back in March. 

The former pre-med student-turned-singer uses this song to dissect the limits of love and lies. Her hypothesis? Deceit is highly flammable.

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Bone Crusher | “Never Scared” (featuring Killer Mike & T.I.)

When Wayne Hardnett Jr., aka Bone Crusher, burst onto the scene in 2003 with his go-for-broke delivery on this absolute banger, it was easy to assume that he’d remain in the same orbit as his fellow artists on Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def label. This song, from Hardnett’s debut album, AttenCHUN!, was so popular that the Atlanta Braves used it as a theme for their 2003 season. So, surely, he’d go on to crush the charts just like he stomped down Atlanta, Godzilla-style, in this irrepressibly energetic video?

But, lo, here we are, almost 20 years hence, and the guy who bragged about his impenetrability to fear has faded like a ghost from the hip-hop scene. However, the story does seem to have a happy ending. The Adamsville native, now in his 50s, has evidently been spending his middle years enjoying quality family time with his wife of almost three decades, Aneesah, and their five kids. Aw, more like heart crusher. Here’s a call back to “Never Scared,” our Vintage Track of the Week.