Praise For Wallflower.com | Indie Music Blog

MYSPACE: http://myspace.com/bostonafrobeat

Boston Afrobeat Society definitely qualify as an Afro-beat band, of which I have little to no experience as I'm confident is the same for you, but what's most intriguing about the band's sound is not so much the percussion or drumming, but the overall minimalism and rhythmic emphasis forged in each of their originals. For this reason, I wouldn't approach this band as anything but a group laying down a serious groove with excellent musicianship.

What makes each (very long) song so interesting are two things especially: First, the band induces this trance without being ambient. Instrumentation ranges from a very indie / funk sound reminiscent of The Mars Volta to a very Return to Forever Rhodes piano sound to a big-bandesque horn section but never to any padded synths, strings, or delay ridden guitars. Second, the band's atmosphere is populated namely by its huge roster of musicians, and is never dominated by any one member. Together the group creates a scape of intensely rhythmic audio that would collapse without their compromise.

BAS was cleverly based in Boston, MA and was nominated for the 2007 Boston Music awards. They took home the gold for best World Music act and began reevaluation.  The group reformed with different members and a different name - The Superpowers. Not only am I totally jealous that I'll now never be able to start a band call The Superpowers, but I've been all but wholly consumed by their most recent recordings. I'll be looking deeper into this more current project in the next few weeks, so be sure to hear more on them, soon.

Boston Afrobeat Society, while no longer together, still boasts some excellent and delicious recordings available for streaming on their MySpace. Let it move you.

THE SKINNY: Boston Afrobeat Society are a rather large group of fellows specializing in long, transient grooves. BAS is no longer together but the core members have reformed under the name "The Superpowers"
FAVORITE TRACK: Cosmic Spiral
FOR FANS OF: The Cinematic Orchestra, The Mars Volta