It’s tough to keep track of Roanoke rapper/producer/promoter Byron “Poe” Mack‘s output. I had to scroll way up in our Messenger thread to get the number he sent me last November, after he released “Aaliyah’s Day.” That was his 25th album or EP release, and less than a year later, he has followed it up with No. 26, the EP “WARantine.”

Powerful lyrics spoken through a flowing voice of experience have been the rule for Mack, and that doesn’t stop here. Textured production, too, is the rule. See the heartbreaking “Other Side” video at poemack.com. Hear the full CD at mackstrumentalrecords.bandcamp.com.

Roanoke resident Al Bloch grew up in Seattle and later moved to Los Angeles, where he played bass guitar in bands including Wool and Concrete Blonde. Roanoke, where his wife grew up, has been home for the past couple of decades, and while he didn’t play out, he kept recording. Most recently, he dropped “It Was All Once Bright Jewels,” recorded in March, in his hometown.

It rocks and rolls, and Bloch’s voice is good, which pulls it all together. His daughter, Olivia, provides vocals, too, and his brother Kurt (The Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows) recorded it and played some ripping guitar. Hear it at bit.ly/alblochBrightjewels.

Bryan Hancock first came to our attention spearheading Soul Sessions, the poetry, spoken word and music gathering that’s been happening for a few years now. He’s also been using his rap nom de plume to front the band Harvest Blaque & Company. It’s a quintet, with father/son drummer and bassist combo Evan Goodwin and Bill Goodwin holding the grooves, Melissa Johnson on sax and Nathan Paxton recently installed on guitar.