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NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 3 |
Included In This Issue:
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About Your Writer: Adam E. Smith |
 Adam E. Smith is a music enthusiast and journalist living in Delray Beach, Florida. His progressive writing endeavors have been featured in publications ranging from The NewTimes Broward/Palm Beach to South Florida magazines Barcode and WeMerge. Employing a hands on approach to building a narrative, Adam can be found haunting local music venues and festivals in the state of Florida and abroad. To contact him directly please send all questions and comments to adam@auramusicfestival.com |
Know Your AURA: Vote to Aura 2012! |
 Vote to Aura 2012 is a fan choice contest that pits eleven of the best up-and-coming bands against each other for a chance to perform at the 3rd Annual AURA Music & Arts Festival. After hitting capacity with the second installment of AURA last year, the only option this year was for us to bring you a bigger and better event. With that in mind, we have worked to build the strongest lineup to date. In addition to that, there will also be new interactive activities planned that start even before you arrive. The people do have a voice, and we proudly announce your chance to become a part of making the last artist addition to the AURA lineup. This is your opportunity to see your favorite new band showcase their talent on the stages at Forever Florida Ranch. Voting is open now and can be cast until December 28th, 2011 at 5:00 PM EST. Good luck to all the artists! Follow the link on Facebook to vote your favorite artist to AURA! http://www.facebook.com/AuraMusicEvents?v=app_126231547426086 |
Artist Spotlight: An Interview With ArtOfficial |
 South Florida-based Sun Sentinal writer Dan Sweeney recently described ArtOfficial's latest album release Vitamins and Minerals as, "the best thing to come out of the South Florida hip-hop scene in years." Given the region's music climate that boasts power players on their way to household names, this is a bold claim that is backed up by a consensual truth. Sonically, the quintet from Miami brings polished instrumentals that transgress New Orleans horns, gritty pianos, technical bass jumps and two-step beats that are independently impressive. Emcees Logics and Newsense spray their vocals onto the fusion-funk canvas and paint narratives of life, love and universal truths. For music connoisseurs that encourage equal opportunity genre use, the welcomed switch from rap harmonization over throwback hip-hop to full band jazz breakdowns in a single song, is appealing and encouraged. This is no accident. ArtOfficial is the product of two bands melding their influences and experience to take off running in the direction of building a rap sheet as the best showmen in the Magic City. The guys' efforts have gained attention of hip-hop heroes KRS-One and Pharoah Monch, both of which they've shared the stage with, and have had videos featured on the Roots' Okay Player site. They even spit among rap royalty when opening up for Wu-Tang Clan. Early successes have given the guys the platform to perfect their art, and their status as a must-see act for the dance party-inclined is official. Logics took some time to talk about the new album, live band hip-hop and where ArtOfficial is heading. You guys just released your latest studio effort, Vitamins & Minerals, in November. On the title track, the jazz hook repeats "vitamins and minerals, this here's how we livin' though." What is the significance of the album title in a cosmic sense? We left the album title open for interpretation. I like when a listener comes to their own conclusion. Sometimes what people come up with is more interesting than any meaning we apply to it. Everyone in the band has their own personal definition.. I can guarantee that. To me, Vitamins & Minerals symbolizes a completeness. By that I mean that we completely submerged ourselves in this project and in turn provided something complete for people to enjoy. Hopefully something timeless. Something they can relate to and a counter-balance to all the sonic-high-fructose-corn-syrup. You have a few collaborations on Vitamins & Minerals with Miami musicians like Mayday's Wrekonize and even the Miami Symphonic Strings. How influential is the Miami music scene in crafting your style and overall approach to music? We're lucky to have good resources a phone call away. Vitamins & Minerals is a Miami record - no doubt about it. It might not have the familiar sounds of a Miami record, but Miami is evolving so fast these days that it's getting harder to pigeon hole us. The Miami spirit is definitely in there though. Being crafty, working with what you have around you, and melding sounds, cultures and genres, that is all in this record. Your approach to hip-hop is instrumentally nontraditional with a meld of jazz, funk and fusion. When in the studio, how does this affect the writing process? For example, does the beat come first or do the lyrics form and you fit the instrumental to those hooks and verses? Our formula is pretty loose. Sometimes the lyrics come first, sometimes a keyboard riff, or a programmed drum loop. Newsense and I come from a hip-hop background. The rest of the band comes from a jazz and funk background. We don't necessarily plan to smash genres together, it just happens from everyone playing off their strengths. Over the years we've gotten more adventurous, so our sound will keep evolving. Having a live backing band gives you an advantage over emcees with just a DJ, as it gives you the freedom to control tension and release. Beyond that, what else sets ArtOfficial apart in the live setting? I'm always on stage looking out, so it's hard for me to pinpoint what attracts outsiders looking in. I think what catches people is our sound - hearing raps on top of a funk and jazz band with rock band-like energy, sounding unforced - that's what stops people. There's a lot of improv on stage too. Just having the label of "hip-hop band" sets us apart. How did you meet artist Luis Toledo? The internet. I spent tons of time researching, looking for something exceptional and representative of ArtOfficial and Vitamins & Minerals. Luis' work is amazing. I can't say much more. He has incredible vision and the talent to execute it. Collaborations between artists and musicians seem to be more important than ever before. His art represents themes of life, identity and reality. Did you choose his work because this represents your approach to music as well? The particular piece we chose for Vitamins & Minerals spoke to me on a subconscious level. I'd be lying if I said I could describe why. The piece just felt right. The colors felt right. Chaotic elements perfectly put together. In some twisted way, that's us. How do you expect your brand of live instrumental hip-hop to be received at a festival heavily represented by jambands and live-electronic acts? With open arms of course! Lucky for us, jam band lovers are pretty open-minded. They want to have fun, vibe off the energy and appreciate the musicianship. Check, check and check! Other than producing innovative hip-hop and tearing up stages, what can we expect from the ArtOfficial camp leading up to AURA Music & Arts Festival in March? Producing innovative hip-hop and tearing up stages is kind of our forte. We're always working on putting out new visuals, new sounds and of course, going city to city. Life of a vagabond.
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Local Love: Green Sunshine |
| The art of genre blending is a perfectionist game and requires music IQ and overt creativity beyond the standard requirements from any musician. Traditional funk, rock and hip-hop combine in perfect harmony with the diverse septet Green Sunshine. Throw in a horn element, thick bass bombs, smooth rap presentation, and you have the formula that sets Green Sunshine apart from their live band hip-hop counterparts. Resident Tampa Emcees Motown Tea, Reason and (Optimus) Rhyme define the lyrical front with soulful vocal breakdowns and uplifting rap verses that fit, and accent, the groove progressions. Feel good party anthems and dance hall kick starters are what Green Sunshine specialize in. Coming off the release of their first full-length album in October, the funksters have been promoting the tracks off From A Planet With A Green Sun at major music events like Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival, Orange Blossom Jamboree, Jambando and will help Florida music fans bring in the new year with a slot at the highly anticipated Bond-Fire Music Festival before bringing the hippy-hop boogie to AURA.
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On The Radar: The Fritz |
 Taking form in 2007, The Fritz has been building a band sound that combines funk and rock improvisation with hints of jazz, live electronic and world music. Screaming guitars, soulful vocals, bouncing organ tones and concentrated grooves create a desirable earful. Their efforts and unique approach have afforded them well-deserved success in the South East as they relentlessly tour and recruit a fan base. A strategic relocation to the music hub of Asheville, NC resulted in a partnership with The Macro-Management Group. From there, a snowball effect of milestones took form with a residency at Modaddy's Bar, featurs on radio stations like WNCW 88.7 and touring through Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Adding to their festival appearance experience, The Fritz earned a spot on the eclectic lineup for the Blackwater Music Festival this year. Right now, the guys somehow manage to find the time to write new music and will be recording a new album in Florida a month before they tear it up at AURA. That album will be released during the summer just in time for festival season.
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WHERE CAN YOU SEE OUR FEATURED BANDS? |
ArtOfficial On Tour
Green Sunshine On Tour
The Fritz On Tour
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Showing posts with label Adam E. Smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adam E. Smith. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
AURA Music & Arts Festival Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 3
The third issue of the AURA Music & Arts Festival newsletter that I have been writing. This issue features ArtOfficial, Green Sunshine and The Fritz, and a feature on the Vote to AURA fan selection content.
AURA Music & Arts Festival Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 2
The second issue of the AURA Music & Arts Festival newsletter that I have been writing. This issue features Aquaphonics, Fusik and J2K and an overview of the festival site Forever Florida Ranch.
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NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 2 |
Included In This Issue:
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Know Your AURA: Forever Florida Ranch in St. Cloud, Florida |
 A return to the 4,700 acre eco-ranch and wildlife conservation area will set the tone for the foundation of the third installment of the Aura Music & Arts Festival this coming March. The remote location boasts nine unique ecosystems ranging from pine flatwoods to marsh and cypress domes. The feel of a real, almost untouched Florida environ is in full effect when roaming the festival grounds. The drive into Forever Florida builds the isolation theme as the dirt road takes you deep into the natural surroundings before reaching the retrofitted festival area. The region is home to countless varieties of flora and fauna including alligators, black bears, nearly 200 species of birds and even the endangered Florida panther. Small lakes sit right in the middle of the concert area and provide a natural aesthetic facilitated by the terrain. Beyond that, there is also the presence of streams, forests, pastures and wetlands. The scenery is really the perfect backdrop for a music getaway free of distractions and hell bent on emphasizing the most natural thing in the world - music. Geographically speaking, the Forever Florida location could not be better at serving as a central point for Floridians traveling from all over the state. If you're driving, it is just 2 hours from Tampa, 3 hours from Miami and Jacksonville, and 5 hours from Tallahassee. In addition, Downtown Orlando is only a short 30-minute drive for any out of state folks that want to fly in. |
Artist Spotlight: An Interview With Jessiah Weston of Aquaphonics |
 Aquaphonics have been hard at work making a lot of noise in the South Florida region. With the release of their new Headline EP and a string of shows opening for bands like Perpetual Groove and Cope, the dance-fusion rock trio has solidified their status as a local gem with the potential for fueling much more in the way of success. I caught up with drummer Jessiah Weston amid his busy schedule of relentlessly playing all the Southeast Florida venues the band can get their hands on. A certain level of being enigmatic, from a sound perspective, seems to be something you guys have embraced. What is the proper way of describing the collective sound that Aquaphonics aim to produce? I think for the most part we want to make feel good dance music. But that is just the canvas for what we are really trying to achieve, which is a connection point, the energy exchange that takes place between audience and the band. Personally it is my church, it's a realm that I will never be able to explain with words. As of right now, you do not have a true bass player, yet you creatively fill that role. How do you pull that off? We have the talent of [keyboardist] Alan Martinke to thank for filling that role. His ability to independently play the bass with his left hand and the rest of his key parts with his right still blows my mind to this day. Do you foresee adding in a full time bass player in the future? We have had sit-in guests, as well as a full time bass player from time to time in the past, but for a permanent situation it is going to take the perfect fit. With our location, which is in the middle of nowhere, it might take some time to find that person, but yes it is something that we would like to eventually have. Aquaphonics are returning to AURA this year. What are your thoughts on having a hometown festival that features lots of Florida bands and brings together the local fanbase? We truly love AURA! It was the first festival we ever played, so that is always going to be dear to our hearts. Daryl is one of the first people to ever help us out. He does an amazing job with AURA, and we are blessed to be a part of the third year. Lyrically it seems you guys are inspired, or motivated, by progressive thinking and even revolutionary/activist themes. How important are these things to you personally and in reference to the creation of music? I'm probably most to blame for that. I have always been somewhat of an activist, and I've always seemed to incorporate my views into my music even before Aquaphonics. I have come to realize it is all about subtlety. I have to stop myself at every gig from going on some kind of rant because I know my ideas do not represent the band as a whole. My approach is to send the message subconsciously through the energy I put into the music and with that, the lyrics have more meaning. Given recent events relating to that and musicians that joined in efforts such as Occupy Wall Street, how important do you think it is for music and artist to play a role in movements such as this? Musicians and artists can reach and affect a lot of people. I think this can be good and bad in theses situations. I think if the message is peaceful and positive, then it could be used in a powerful way to unite the people. The sound of music is more important in this movement then most might think, whether it's the beat of the drum that the protesters march to, or the soundtrack of that amazing video that inspired you. I personally would like to be more involved with the Occupy Wall Street movement and take part in the dialogue, but my location prevents me from doing that. I do my part locally by choosing carefully what I spend my money on and what company's I support. You recently released an LP of live staple tracks. What is the writing process like for you guys? Do you have any new material that you are testing in the live setting? We don't write as much as we should, and the process changes from time to time. Sometimes we write as a two-piece with just myself and Steve [Elmore], or myself and Alan, and sometimes we write as a three piece. One thing for sure is the songs we write are never done, and that's the beauty of it. We are still developing as a band so we try different things to see what people respond to. Every Aquaphonics show is a test in a sense. Any plans for future studio releases? Nothing for 2011 but we really want to spend some time in a studio and hope to do so in 2012. Are there any charities or philanthropy that Aquaphonics are involved with? We have some great ideas for when we get to that point, but currently we are limited to just playing free shows or a benefit for a cause that we believe in collectively. We look forward to getting more involved in food and water quality awareness. It is one of my biggest passions and so very important worldwide. The near future looks bright for you guys, what would you say we should expect from you guys between now and AURA? We really want to tour! I know these things take time but our goal would to do a Southeast run before AURA so more people can get familiar with our music. We also have plans to write a lot more new music.
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Local Love: FUSIK |
 Originating as a goal driven project with the sole intention of restoring the artistic integrity of hip-hop, the quintet known as Fusik has evolved into their namesake - a fusion of music. With the sharply honed trade tools of high-energy beats, funked out rhythms, polished solos and intricate compositions, these guys bring a totally unique sound that was built for danceability. Early 2011 saw the band traveling across the pond for performances at international BBoy events in Nates, France and Warsaw, Poland. The globe trotters didn't stop there directing the mometum to Calaya, Mexico for a break out show that drummer Daniel FelixGarcia describes as one of our best internal performances.From there, a spot at the Outbreak Hip Hop Festival in Los Angeles punctuated an impressive touring rap sheet and secured them as the favorite live band for break-dancers worldwide. Right now, the guys are translating that energy from their touring success to the City of Progress studio in North Miami. Their third album will drop in early 2012, and the first single, On The Fly,will come out on a 7 inch 45 RPM vinyl in December. The AURA veterans will ice a huge year with the Outbreak Hip Hop Festival World Finals before bringing their dynamic, homegrown fusion of hip-hop, jazz and funk to St. Cloud, Florida. |
On The Radar: J2K |
 Coming off an official after-party following Bassnectar's performance in Gainesville this past weekend, the trio choose to self-describe themselves as what took eons for quantum particles to align to construct the glorious trio of doom.J2K might be a progressive rock band with dance music tendencies and fusion accents, but they are more sonically inclined than these descriptors. Clean, deep bass rhythms, ethereal synthesizers, driving drums and smooth guitar work have earned these guys stage sharing rights with everyone from Dumpstaphunk to Big Gigantic, as well as AURA veterans Papadosio, Zoogma and The Heavy Pets. Right now they are in the studio putting the finishing touches on their first album, which will feature fan favorite selections Spaghetti and Meatballsand Like Your Face.In November, they support Archnemesis at home and in St. Petersburg before bringing in the New Year with a slot at Bond Fire Music Festival. Look out for these guys on the front lines at AURA! |
WHERE CAN YOU SEE OUR FEATURED BANDS? |
Aquaphonics
FUSIK
J2K
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Thursday, October 13, 2011
3rd Annual AURA Music & Arts Festival Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 1
Reposted from the AURA Music & Arts Festival website found here.
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NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1 |
Included In This Issue:
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Enter The AURA |
| Hello and welcome to the brand new AURA Music & Arts Festival Newsletter. This will be your bi-monthly connection to all things AURA, including artist profiles, up to date information, insight on special events and maybe even a few surprises along the way. Noah Webster and his Merriam counterpart’s dictionary define the term aura as “a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source.” In paranormal studies an aura is subtle luminous radiation, in mythology Aura is the goddess of the fresh air, and in music culture aura is not just the name of a Miles Davis album. It is an appropriate term for describing a person, place or even a feeling that is bigger than itself by achieving the exponential sum of its parts. On an isolated farmland just inside central Florida, the annual event brings together the chronically music obsessed of the Sunshine State, and beyond, for a weekend boasting symptoms of experimentation, exploration and commonality. Bands of musicians travel respective distances through the rugged topography of marshes and tropical vegetation for a chance to contribute. Patrons gather in large numbers to establish temporary communities, and revel in the experience of migratory relocation for a common intention. In effect the aura of AURA is created when all of these things coalesce at once. |
About Your Writer: Adam E. Smith |
| Adam E. Smith is a music enthusiast and journalist living in Delray Beach, Florida. His progressive writing endeavors have been featured in publications ranging from The NewTimes Broward/Palm Beach to South Florida magazines Barcode and WeMerge. Employing a hands on approach to building a narrative, Adam can be found haunting local music venues and festivals in the state of Florida and abroad. To contact him directly please send all questions and comments to adam@auramusicfestival.com. |
Know Your AURA: An Interview With AURA Founder Daryl Wolff |
 The founder and creative mind behind AURA is Daryl J. Wolff. His contributions have allowed the festival to expand to a sold out event in just two short years. Now as he goes for a threepeat, Daryl sat down to discuss the history and future of his successful brainchild.I've been obsessed with music for a long time. I've been to alot of different festivals ranging from one day events in the area with less than 100 people, to Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN with 80,000+ people. The music festival industry has always excited me. I'm an active musician (keyboardist) playing in multiple bands in the area as well. The idea originally came to me after Brother Bean, a band I was running sound for at the time, hosted a yearly party coined "BB3" at Rancho Relaxo, a deep in the woods party house in Mico, FL back in 2008. Creating an event where regional, and up and coming bands could get a chance to showcase their skills, and where all of my friends could get together for a special experience was in the works. I asked Brother Bean to headline our first years festival, along with Papadosio and The Malah, and they happily accepted. We expected a turnout of 400 people, but after over 850 showed up, we realized that something special was on the horizon. And as they (you know... THEY!) say, the rest is history. Where was the first AURA held? The first AURA was held at the Sertoma Youth Ranch in Brooksville, Florida in January 2010. Midway through the first years festival, we quickly realized we had already outgrown that venue, and immediately following the end of the festival I began the search for our new home. Who were the headliners the first year? Who has returned to play multiple times since then? Brother Bean, Papadosio, and The Malah headlined our first year. Papadosio, The Malah, Cope, Aquaphonics are just some of the repeat offenders that have become part of the AURA family. I'm personally really excited to have Brother Bean coming back this year after taking a two-year sabbatical to pursue things in their personal lives. Tell me about the new festival site, Forever Florida, and why you choose it as the new home for AURA? Finding Forever Florida was an amazing day for me. After months of looking I finally found somewhere we could properly produce the event that I had always dreamed of. I happened to find the property while doing extensive research on properties. I wanted to find somewhere central to the state, while also keeping in mind the importance of nature, environment, and a feeling of seclusion from the world. AURA is known for its long days of live music, so I made sure we would be able to host the event with minor restrictions regarding noise ordinances. While we may not be able to have live music 24 hours a day, the 4,700 acres of protected land surrounding the festival site allow us to produce AURA without disturbing any of the surrounding population. Osceola County has been very generous by allowing us to bring our event to their area, and we do everything we can to give back to them. We heard a rumor or two of the convenience store seven miles from South of Forever Florida sold out of all their products midway through AURA this year. What kind of green or charitable efforts are associated with AURA? At AURA 2011, we recycled 120+ 40-gallon bags of bottles, cans, and other recyclable items. Our recycling program will return this year in full effect. Upon arriving at the festival, you will be given both trash bags and recycling bags. As an incentive you can redeem your properly sorted recycling items for gifts such as band merchandise, prizes, magazine subscriptions, and even tickets to other AURA Music Events shows. As far as charitys go, we work with a few different ones and are always open to hosting new ones! Why the shift away from incorporating DJs into the festival this year? While we all love the DJ's, and lord knows we've had some amazing ones perform at the previous two festivals, we've decided to shift our focuses towards our live band lineup. We are sticking to the original plan for the festival to showcase the best up and coming acts in our little underground music scene. We have 30+ bands performing at the festival this upcoming year, both old and some new alike. What the future holds, I can't say, but for now that is where our priorities are focused. What are some new things AURA is doing this year? That’s a good question! My favorite addition this year is the Campground Stage that will be showcasing some of my favorite local acts from Florida. We've got bands like Ketchy Shuby, Fusik, The Resolvers, Nick Noyes, and many more who will be performing sets throughout the weekend on our new Campground Stage. |
Artist Spotlight: An Interview With Keith Allen of The Mantras |
 How would you describe the music The Mantras are currently making and playing live? The music is a high-energy collaborative of funk-rock, electronica, metal, world and fusion that will shake your knees and rattle your toes. What are some of the techniques you have used to hone your improvisational skills? We are always trying to improve our ability to improv. The melodic side of the band – guitar, keys and bass – all have jazz degrees and strive to bring much of the ear training we received from that into The Mantras improvisation. We have a handful of exercises and games that we have developed over the years that we work on in rehearsal. The games have pretty strict rules and range from really simple to very difficult, but they all focus on the same thing – listening to each other. The better you listen the better you can react. Give me a run-down of who is currently playing in the band now? On drums is Justin Loew, behind the keyboards and adding vocals is Justin W. Powell, bass and vocals come from Brian Tyndall, Brent Vaughn is our percussionist and also vocals, and I play guitar and sing as well. What are your thoughts on AURA as a gathering of Florida music fans supporting musicians from here and abroad? More importantly, how has the reception been for The Mantras when entering into the Florida music scene? We are newer to the scene down there, but have already had some great times in Florida. We just got done with Suwannee SpringFest and are about to do MagnoliaFest. Everyone we've met has been incredibly receptive to the music and wonderfully supportive. We are looking forward to getting down at Aura! Besides other music sources, what influences The Mantra’s music, lyrics and philosophies? Our music is influenced by everything around us. Our lyrics range from being about events happening in our lives to universal consciousness and downright silliness! It is usually a positive and uplifting message. We strive to inspire and want the fans to leave the show feeling like anything is possible. Describe the band’s writing process? Do you develop songs on the road or do it all when on breaks from touring? Do you have any plans for studio releases? We are always writing and developing songs. Most of the writing comes from when we break from touring, but the arranging and tweaking can go on for years before it gets "perfect". We now have the ability to make high quality multi-track recordings of our live shows available to the public. In 2011 we began compiling a large archive of these recordings via a new mobile tracking unit, lovingly named R2. Our sound engineer Matt Gordon set out to build this archive so that MantrasLive.net will be made available to the fans in early 2012. This site will allow fans to purchase every show recorded by the band. Copies of the night’s show are now available to fans in attendance for free. Do you have any charities or philanthropy you work with? If so, what do they do? Not directly, but we have done many benefit's for various charities like Toys For Tots and we have donated profits from shows and merchandise to Red Cross drives for tsunami and tornado relief. What should we look out for in The Mantra’s near future? We are going to be doing a lot more touring in the next year, combining forces with bands across the country. We also have our own festival here in Ferguson, North Carolina starting next summer called Mantrabash 2012. It will be a 3 night event with 2 stages and no overlapping sets.
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Local Love: COPE |
 These Tampa-based harbor rock crusaders specialize in southern funk and island blues. Momentum has been the name of the game for the West Coast Florida crew following the release of their second studio installment See. Rigorous cross coast and Northward touring ventures has paid off with headlining slots at local festivals like Orange Blossom Jamboree this past May, and the upcoming Big Jammalamma. In addition to that they will share co-bills with The Heavy Pets in Atlanta and Tim Reynolds in Tampa this October. To cap off the big year, Cope will be featured at Bear Creek Music Festival and The Bond Fire Arts & Music Festival as contributing artists.The success has not been in vain, and fans of the band rest easy knowing that the evolutionary progress that has defined the quartet is moving forward at an exponential speed. The already smooth live delivery of Dennis Stadelman (guitar, banjo, vocal), Kenny Stadelman (bass, vocals), Dave Gerulat (drums, vocals) and Juan Montero (saxophone, keys, vocal) grows tighter with each show. As the latest addition to the group, Montero's horn and ivory efforts have finally recessed into the total sound, and offer a texture that compliments and organically encourages new auditory destinations. Throw in some stellar new material in jam launch pads "What Goes Up" and "Bear With Me," and it’s evident that pieces are in play for the quartet. Cope will be filling gaps between festival appearances by doing shows from St. Petersburg to Jacksonville throughout the next three months.
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On The Radar: Newton Crosby |
 The multitalented five-piece live electronic band from Rutherford, New Jersey is among a select few that have been chosen to transplant their sound down to St. Cloud. Assembled from various bands in the New York and Jersey area, the theme of keeping the crowd moving has been a cornerstone for the tri-state repping quintet. Not limited to the confines of a genre, the group balances a mix of funk and jazz to form a hybrid, high-energy sound that has gained them notoriety among fans in the North East. They have shared the stage with moe. and Conspirator. This past summer Jake Cinninger of Umphrey’s Mcgee provided some validation for Newton Crosby. He sat in with them at the Stone Pony for a take on Phantom of the Opera - cleverly dubbed PhantUM of the Opera. Jennifer Hartswick , famed horn player for the Trey Anastasio Band, also did a special sit in with them at Sullivan Hall in New York City. The tour side isn’t the only place the band is making strides. Chris Cartelli (guitar and vocals), Stephen Minn (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Paul Apicella (bass), Alizie Sisco (drums) and Eric Mitchell (keyboards and vocals) are currently writing and recording in the studio for an upcoming album release. According to them, what you can expect is “climatic peaking jams backed by breakbeats and thumping bass lines.”
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WHERE CAN YOU SEE OUR FEATURED BANDS? |
Cope On Tour
The Mantras On Tour
Newton Crosby On Tour
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