Shakori Spotlight: The Brand New Life

The Brand New Life performs on Thursday, Oct. 10
on the Meadow Stage at 5:00 pm

I can barely contain my excitement over how close Shakori is. It seems like just yesterday I was packing up my mud-covered belongings and saying goodbye to the farm, but here we are just under a week away from the fall festival. One of the things I love about Shakori Hills is the simultaneous focus on local and international artists, and thankfully sometimes we can get a little bit of both wrapped up into one badass outfit. Take The Brand New Life for example, though the band is based out of Greensboro for the time being, they wonderfully encompass a new brand of Afrobeat styling. Though their rhythmic focus is rooted in West African traditions, they've got a dance-oriented groove that makes for an irresistible live show filled with soaring horns and funky guitar lines.

The Brand New Life is comprised of a crew of self-described "band kids" that cut their teeth in an educational setting, but quickly developed an addiction to rhythmically focused music. "The band started off as this conglomerate of sounds that we had all picked out independently," bassist Seth Barden claims. The group would get together for improvisational jams at their friends house and all of a sudden these various influences would morph into something special. Though they describe their music as Afrobeat-Fusion, there's clear elements of jazz, funk and dance music that shine through in different elements of their songs. While Barden was off studying jazz and European Classical at school, other members found their way into different genres. But The Brand New Life aren't a band that defines themselves by titles, they're clearly about the music.

Show Preview: Reptar w/ Casual Curious & The Brand New Life

Reptar will headline at Kings Barcade in Raleigh
on June 18 w/ Casual Curious & The Brand New Life
opening. Tickets are $10 in advance

Ah, summertime shows. The perfect escape from the sweltering blanket of humidity known as a North Carolia summer. It feels a bit like the end of a hibernation, bands are touring like crazy and shows range from a cool welcome oasis to a tightly packed sweatfest in an overcrowded room (hey at least you're in it together). Either way, summer shows are quite simply delightful--especially when they're filled with as many talented bands as this one. On June 18 Kings Barcade will house some of the most exciting live acts in the Southeast.

Reptar's name may throw you off, especially if you're not fond of the early 90's cartoon from which it's inspired. Quite frankly the first time I saw it I was expecting a shitty screamo act, but I was more than pleasantly surprised when I heard the dancy psych-pop that emanated from my speakers. I was immediately enthralled with their unique blend of countless musical stylings, you can hear the group dabbling into Afro-pop rhythms, exploring their sonic depths with expansive synths and evoking passionate emotion with pseudo-shouting vocals. Reptar is the type of band that you simply have to experience live, their energy is practically pouring out of the stereo. Closing your eyes you can envision the band bouncing around on stage with droves of adoring fans and you simply WANT to be there. The band commands your attention by combining entrancing polyrhythms with robust vocal melodies, making for an astounding listening experience.

Around The Triangle: Tame Impala, Virgins Family Band, Frontier Ruckus and Brand New Life

Photo by Agatha Donkar

2013 has proven to be a busy year for shows in the Triangle and it doesn't look like that tradition will be going anywhere soon.  While it's been some time since we've posted an Around The Triangle, this influx of incredible music can't go ignored!  So alas, Around The Triangle has returned once more with another stack of awesome photos from recent shows around the area.

Thanks to contributors Agatha Donkar and Emily Ritter, we've got some fantastic shots from the last few weeks of shows in the area including a sold-out Cat's Cradle show from Tame Impala, an incredible outing from Virgins Family Band for their album release, and a magical Valentine's Day performance from Frontier Ruckus.

Tame Impala w/ The Growl @ Cat's Cradle
February 21, 2013