New Beat Fund

Los Angeles outfit New Beat Fund blends electronic-tinged garage rock with rap in a loose, cheeky style. The group came together in 2011 and includes guitarist and lead vocalist Jeff Laliberte, bassist Paul Laliberte, guitarist Shelby Archer, and drummer Michael Johnson. Drawing from Southern California punk acts such as Green Day and Sublime, funk groups including Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fishbone, plus West Coast rap artists like Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, the band coined the term “G-punk” for its sound. Laliberte’s art-school background and Archer’s audio-engineering experience shaped a D.I.Y. approach that first drew notice through self-produced videos, among them the 2012 viral clip for “Scare Me.” An opening slot on tour with blink-182 broadened their audience in 2013. New Beat Fund issued its debut full-length, Sponge Fingerz, in 2015 and appeared on that year’s Vans Warped Tour lineup.