What are vibes?
The term can be defined as an intention, a communication, or a shared atmosphere among a group, but musically speaking, it’s just an undeniable feeling. Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” from Pet Sounds—or, on the other side of the tracks, streets, and neighborhoods you find “Mind Power” by James Brown, whose lyrics “vibes/vibrations” have been repurposed into an unquestionable secret handshake: See “Stakes is High” by De La Soul for authentication.
For almost eight years now, a new band has moved into the vibe merchant house: Khruangbin, a power trio from Houston, has become globally admired for that new version of world music; it friggin’ slaps hard—a Venn diagram of fans that keeps swelling—if you make the statement “oh they have Khruangbin vibes,” people will whip out a sage smudge stick and start burning it.
On sight.
This means folks, the general public, have an idea of what you are talking about. I remain a devotee no matter how large and long that smudge stick burns.
But never mind the smoke. I’ve been obsessed with that budget presentation since The Police version of Sting started howling about “Roxanne” and then made my neck snap to “Voices Inside My Head.”
Sure, there are others: Broun Fellinis, Delvon Lamarr Trio, Rush, even catching up with the Bogotá, Colombia-based band BALTHVS a couple of weeks ago at Rickshaw Stop—the economics of three remain punk and futuristic in unison.
Yeobo, the Korean word for “affection for a loved one,” is the name of another quasi-local power trio.
This one was formed in Seaside, California, in 2024, consisting of guitarist-songwriter Kee Hyon Higgins, drummer/keyboardist Jenn Cain, and bassist-songwriter Glenn Bell. Higgins heard Khruangbin on NPR, and the idea was set in motion.
They’ve been described as a blended version of Khruangbin meets The Mermen. No matter your take, they are an instrumental tapestry that can soundtrack a day of walking the beach in Big Sur.
If you give a listen to their single “Danny’s Walk,” you’ll get the picture.
Speaking of which, the video was shot in The Flintstone House in Hillsborough, to further accentuate this consciousness-expanding…well… vibe.
They will be performing at Monterey First Theatre Fest on August 31, and you can get more info here.
But for now….It’s Under The Stars, babe: a quasi-weekly column that presents new music releases, upcoming shows, opinions, and other adjacent items. We keep moving with the changes and thinking outside the margins.
Vibes, vibrations, let’s get movin’.
ZG, OUT OF THE UNKNOWN (PACIFIC RHYTHM)
There is a particular style of ’90s house that seamlessly fits between trip-hop, downtempo, and minimal techno: It can even make the most picky EDM folk put their hashtag survival skills away. ZG, a collaborative effort from Zansika Lachhani and Grant (aka Tony from Frank & Tony), released, ever so quietly, back in July, a smashing collection of atmospheric chill-out landscapes, MPC-style arrangements, slower tempos—or what we used to call in the 415 that ‘slower-haight’ type of micro-climate.
Out of The Unknown, with its patient orchestration, angelic voices, and multi-hued meter is a reliable calm hand in an unsteady world. It hits just the right blend of UK headphone trips and US lush-driven house arrangements. Do your ears and soul a solid—Out of The Unknown will bring you peace and that yearning to hear and see the good that still surrounds us.
I can’t recommend this record enough. Kudos again to the Pacific Rhythm imprint.
But it now, here.
JEMS! “FLIGHTS”
Sometimes it’s the jams that hit real easy-like, that bang oh-so-harder. Such is the case for “Flights” by JEMS!, a collaborative duo melded on the strength of combining superpowers that knock and seduce simultaneously. Beatmaker J. Robb and singer-lyricist Elujay have made this summery anthem, couched in lush charisma and just enough R&B to keep this jawn on repeat till Halloween. It’s an Oakland-LA vibe, by way of Baltimore, that goes with any part of your evening for two.
Pre-order here here
RAW POETIC, WAYWARD SKIES EP
Raw Poetic (aka Jason Moore) and frequent collaborator-producer Damu the Fudgemunk are symphonious hip-hop troubadours, down for the struggle, up for the challenge, and in constant residence of the musicality wing of hip-hop. Meaning: All ideas are up for suggestion because blessed heads know HIP-HOP came from it all.
It was after a sold-out show at London’s Jazz Cafe, that the Washington DC-based artists realized a certain energy from those shows needed to be seized upon.
Wayward Skies EP is a prelude, according to the Bandcamp liner notes, to a full-length album due at the start of 2025. It’s a much more ‘live’ sounding album, its collective unit, already talented and special, finding deeper jewels in their discography.
Man, I’m biased. Raw P, in my opinion, is already one of the most melody-oriented emcees who can still give it to you gully. Then philosophically, the list goes on. But here we have an acoustic version of songs that feel loose and grounded simultaneously. Twenty years into the game, Raw P is still twisting ideas, creating new journeys of the Black poetic type.
And then the final five tracks get extra special attention from Damu the Fudgemunk, who gives it that Pete Rock meets David Axelrod type of shine. Psychedelic soul contemporary mastery on display. These Brothers deliver on project after project and so on.
I’m holding space for that full clip album in 2025. You should too.
But in the meantime get ready with this.
MILD UNIVERSE, EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE
There is a certain historical trajectory that some Bay Area bands adhere to; it’s the combo amalgam. That smattering of rock, funk, trippy dippy shit, disco, jazz, and that chef’s kiss of foggy collectivism—a combined calling amongst adverse thinkers in song.
San Francisco’s Mild Universe, the six to seven-piece combo outfit that formed in 2019 and is comprised of musicians who grew up in the Bay Area. They had their record release party at The Independent in late July, and yours truly missed it. Listening to Everything Must Change, their new release, I missed out.
This SF band pushes those bumping tempos with lyrics concerning interconnectedness, divine energy, and most definitely the sunny side of street perspective. It’s a self-produced record that bravely combines several different elements of dance tempos and half-time ballads under one giant bouncy umbrella. But the biggest upside to this group is that they are designed for live performance, and from what clips I’ve seen, they take a fun album and turn it up way past pleasure for their eager following.
Buy this record here (yep it’s on vinyl) and go see them in Santa Cruz at The Crepe Place on 8/31.
LADY OFLO W/ EASWAY, “DOWN BAD” (TEXT ME RECORDS)
The secret’s been out for a minute: In the Bay Area, pop your earbuds to everything coming from Text Me Records. They’ve got that juice. Lady OFLO aka Olivia Florentino has a 15-track full release coming in October called Showtime!—a title derived, according to press notes, from the age-old philosophy that even when times are impossibly difficult, we must persevere and continue to push forward with whatever aspirations, goals, and desires we are working towards.
This multi-talented Bay Area artist has released a bop for sure—pulling influence from dancehall with a Bay Area twist on “Down Bad.” According to her: “I was heavily inspired by the musical vibe and chemistry seen in ‘Work’ by Rihanna and Drake, and wanted to evoke a similar playful dynamic. On the surface, the song is about the giddy feeling of having a crush. It’s sexy, fun, and unserious, and plays into the dream of romance.”
It’s the flare in the sky foretelling an October release that you can’t do without.
Pre-order and go see Lady OFLO perform here.
