Aurora Newcomb

Sounds like: Magical folk-punk with airy acoustic guitar and ’80s-style garage band tones

Popular tunes: “Far From Fiction”

Aurora Newcomb may be just 15 years old, but she has the performance savvy of an old soul. The Booker High School Visual and Performing Arts Center student has always loved performing. She started ballet at age 2 and then did musical theater throughout her childhood. But she found her real calling—writing music—during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her recent singles, “Far From Fiction” and “Book of Tragedy,” are inspired by the sounds of Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift and Lucy Dacus, but her ’80s influence attracts young and old audiences alike. She plans to release an EP and album soon, but, for now, find her on Facebook (@NewcombAurora) or at huhradio.com.

Physical Plant 

Sounds like: Psychedelic funk rock with jazz and metal influences

Popular tunes: “Teleprompter,” “No Proposals” and “What’s Laid Down”
 
Spoon, Korn, Hole. It’s not uncommon for rock bands to name themselves after random things. That’s how Sarasota funk rock band Physical Plant got its name. Musicians Caegan Quimby and Josh Scheible formed the band for their freshman year independent study project at New College of Florida in 2011, and named it after the maintenance trucks on campus, joking that they would provide free advertising. Since then, the band has played on and off campus at local bars and has self-produced and recorded two EPs in their dorm and one album live.

Their latest LP, Hot Future, was released in August and recorded at Bradenton’s Burnt Orange Studios. The band gleans influence from ’60s and ’70s rock icons like Led Zeppelin, Steely Dan and, of course, The Beatles. Follow them on Instagram (@Physical_Plant) or download their music on Apple Music and Spotify.

DJ Shambala

Sounds like: Chilled-out electronic music with a Latin flair

Popular tunes: “Lotus” featuring Alan Watts, “Relaxing Dust” and “Chill House Set” 

DJ Shambala (real name: Andres Concha) is a Colombian-American DJ who moved to Sarasota from Pasadena, California, in the early 2000s and, over time, has pushed our electronic music scene forward. He mixes beats on turntables and computers and has been playing clubs, bars and private events for 20 years, blending his Colombian-Italian heritage with Latin beats and flair. While he enjoys attracting the young crowd with club music, he also hopes to play for sophisticated palates, claiming that chill house music serves as the perfect background for art exhibits, luxury rooftop bars and more.

Find Shambala weekly at Raffurty’s Bar and Grill downtown, where you can bring your favorite vinyl records once a month to have them mixed. Follow him at djshambala.com.