Get to know the artists of Aura Music & Arts Festival 2015
With no regard towards towards stylistic boundaries, the sound that emerges from Dopapod both live and in the studio is as varied and diverse as the many influences that they adapt from. Their approach and commitment to complementing a distinct genre bending sound to top-notch musicianship has set them apart from many of their contemporaries and keeps music lovers eagerly returning to shows.
Dopapod has been touring nationally playing 150+ shows a year for the last three years. Their rigorous tour schedule has seen the young, yet seasoned group make appearances at numerous festivals including Rootwire, Gathering of the Vibes, Bonnaroo, Mountain Jam, Burning Man, Bear Creek, The Big Up, Camp Bisco, and more. Their electric live showcase has been cultivating a fast growing and loyal fan base.
Their third studio effort ‘Redivider’ was release on December 21st 2012. Having been recorded and released less than a year after the band’s last record Drawn Onward came out, recording was done at Tyrone Farm, a scenic and completely solar powered farm in the small town of Pomfret, CT. Opting to take a different route than recording in a studio, the band brought their own to the barn of the farm and produced it by themselves. Redivider displays a drastic evolution in the band’s songwriting skills as well as marking the first time ever that the band has added vocals into songs. The added texture serves as yet another dimension in what allows the band to look in multiple directions at one time while remaining focused on a cohesive blend of sound.
Proud to be firmly installed in the new-funk movement, KUNG FU is quickly popularizing their unique sonic contribution, blurring the line between intense electro-fusion, and blistering dance arrangements. Making fusion music “cool” again, the band draws on influences such as early Headhunters and Weather Report, and merges those ideas with a contemporary EDM informed sensibility. Imagine 70’s funk-fusion meets a modern dance party! [Bands bio]
The Heavy Pets (THP) are an American jam band based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida who perform rhythm and blues, jazz-funk and reggae fusion with rock and roll. Officially formed in 2005, they appear regularly at music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Langerado, the New Orleans Backbeat Jazzfest, Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival, and their namesake PetZoo. Currently the group is composed of guitarists Jeff Lloyd and Mike Garulli, keyboardist Jim Wuest, bassist Tony D’Amato, and drummer Jamie Newitt. Vocal duties are shared by Lloyd, Garulli and Wuest. In 2010 they released their second studio LP The Heavy Pets. The album was dubbed a “Top 10 Album of 2010” by The Huffington Post. [Wiki]
https://soundcloud.com/theheavypets/sets/the-heavy-pets-sampler
Self-described as high performance rock n roll, RAQ has been touring as a four piece band for over a decade now. Their unique sound featuring complex song structure and quirky-yet-accessible lyrics has their older fans wishing the band was still full time and the younger generation wondering what they have missed. There is little doubt after the first reunion shows that RAQ still delivers tremendously when it comes to live improvisational rock.
The band met in Burlington, Vermont, where they first called themselves “Shadraq”, but decided to shorten the name to RAQ before cutting their debut album “Shed Tech” in March of 2001. In 2002, the band saw original keyboard player, Marc Scortino, leave the band and replaced by Todd Stoops. Stoops joined Chris Michetti (guitar), Jay Burwick (Bass) and Greg Stukey (drums) to make up the band for the remainder of the decade. The band went on to release “Carbohydrates Are the Enemy” later that year and set out for their first national tour. In 2006, RAQ released their third album “Ton These.” In 2013, Adrian Tramantano replaced Greg Stukey to comprise the band’s current roster.
One of the reasons behind RAQ’s highly successful tour past is due to their compositions being grounded in solid song structures, but still being malleable enough to go in infinite directions in the live setting. This keeps the quartet’s devout following and first time listeners yearning for more as the audience is taken along on the collective journey. Their extensive repertoire of original compositions and eclectic selection of covers give the band the freedom to create a unique set list for every show.
Indie rock, jam, 90’s electronica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7N811w_4qE