Well, hello lovers of music and culture. We are Under the Stars, a quasi-weekly column that stays on message with strong-ass opinions, presenting new music releases, upcoming shows, and other adjacent items. We keep it moving, hustling with the changes, thinking outside the margins. We’ve been doing this for five years… Spend some time with us…
LATE ASTER, CITY LIVIN’ (SLOW AND STEADY RECORDS)
Leave it to the band nerds to transform simplicity into thoughtfulness.
Just one listen to “Ctrl-F Discipline” by the San Francisco experimental electronic duo Late Aster—composed of Anni Hochhalter and Aaron Messing—and you’ll be hooked. The song name is a hat-tip to the magical qualities of the DIY-friendly recording device from the late ‘90s, the TASCAM Portastudio 414 MKII. It delivers lo-fi resonance characterized by an omnipresent buzz, creating this charming warm hiss that’s hard not to like.
Also understand this: Both landmark debut’s by Portishead and De La Soul were recorded on a TASCAM 242. Additionally, our local musician buddy Andy Pastalaniec, fave of the column, who performs as Chime School, recorded his maiden voyage drop on a four-track Portastudio device as well. So it’s safe to say that magic is built into the machine, no matter the project.
Late Aster’s debut full-length album, City Livin’ is said by the group to be “a nod to lo-fi ambient and hip-hop,” but I hear freestyle, bedroom dance-pop, and groove-based synth jammers that give an off-woozy type atmosphere: headnodding for days. The album’s title was chosen after the lead track itself was created, inspired by the song’s gravitation around a monochromatic core that represents active motion, the vibrancy of a downtown, and the inner workings that keep its inner mechanism ticking.
Keep an ear out for this as it drops next week here.
DAVE AJU & RODNEY, “WE STILL DANCIN'” (ELBOW GREASE)
Help us save local journalism!
Every tax-deductible donation helps us grow to cover the issues that mean the most to our community. Become a 48 Hills Hero and support the only daily progressive news source in the Bay Area.
Always unafraid to speak the truth, producer and musician Dave Aju has been that quadruple threat artist who can make a point through song/track, lyrics, artwork, or even by way of Vox.
Trust, I’ve seen things and folks called out by their damn name.
“We Still Dancin’,” co-produced by Rodney and Aju, sees the former Bay Area resident and now Elbow Grease label boss airing out various questionable corners of the dance music scene and humanity on the whole, because it really needs to be checked these days. With that realness production, late ’80s style, harkening back to when the genre didn’t have multiple gatekeepers to, let’s say, maneuver around.
Fully equipped and working with that high-test knocking 909 kicks, tree slapping snares, and a highly active call-and-response refrain, this communiqué to fortify the once-sacred underground dance space is right on time, getting that “image over actual skill sets” mentality swept down the skreets.
The dance floor used to be our little escape, people. And without that, well… it’s more than a bit tough.
That’s where Aju comes in with three fantastic versions, including a super uplifting Vibe Mix, a perfect option for anyone seeking ambient instrumental mode whenever the daily noise of the world needs silencing.
Grab it here.
STEREOLAB WITH JEREMIAH CHIU & MARTA SOFIA HONER, 10/22 AT THE REGENCY
About a month ago, I was at a show with a fellow music head, and we had our phones out. It was in between performances, we were running down dates in October and what shows were happening, and he immediately hit me, “Nope, October 22, I’m busy, it’s Stereolab.”
Which is respectable. It always feels like a loose San Francisco holiday/skip day when MF Doom (RIP) was in town or Stereolab is making the rounds in Cloud City again.
Completely different artists that somehow speak directly to this unique metropolis.
It’s always a pleasure to watch and observe, specifically how that Anglo-French avant-pop band moves through this world.
A couple of years back, Stereolab helped to curate Le Guess Who?, considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals around the world. So, upon their suggestion, the electronic music producer and friend of the column, Afrikan Sciences, was selected to perform at the festival that was held in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
He described the band, years ago, in ways I, too, have thought about. 1997 album Dots and Loops was my gateway portal, and at the same time, to larger concepts that I never considered:
“Discovering Stereolab’s music was the equivalent of taking what was once a picture frame with determined dimensions and being transformed into an infinite canvas of sonic possibilities. I first got on board for the ride with their fifth album, Dots and Loops; it was love at first listen. Actually, it felt like missing pieces of a puzzle I had been working out since my childhood. It filled in and solidified many of the strange musical shapes that had already gathered in my mind. The sonic imagery is beautifully complex yet simple. It made perfect sense to this follower/fan of Sun Ra, Zappa, Francis Lai, etc.”
So when Stereolab comes in, pay attention to their supporting acts too.
LA-based duo of synthesist Jeremiah Chiu and violist Marta Sofia Honer, who will be the opening act on 10/22, merge the interplay of acoustic and electronic sounds, blending the different audio shades that exist between the viola and modular synthesizer through improvisation, feel, and on-the-fly expression. This live sampling in the moment can be spectacular, especially as a buildup to the sound blankets coming from Sterolab’s performance afterward. Overlapping and spontaneous, this duo from Chicago’s improvisational and experimental music scene should be an additional treat on a night filled with variety.
Grab tix here.
ORCHESTRA GOLD, DAKAN ALBUM RELEASE PARTY, OCTOBER 18 AT 7TH WEST
It’s truly exciting to witness the Oakland-based psychedelic rock band Orchestra Gold steadily gaining momentum, respect, and a well-deserved reputation as a group on the verge of national recognition.
Led by the powerhouse frontwoman Mariam Diakite, they continue to captivate audiences as their popularity grows. Experience their cosmic swirl and Fela-like groove, complemented by Diakite’s raw, mesmerizing vocals. The music features powerful saxophone charts, steady bass lines, and an energetic rhythm, while expansive guitar lines pierce through the sound.
Join them to celebrate the release of their new album, Dakan, at their album release show.
More info and album purchase here.
OSEES, LIVE AT THE BROAD MUSEUM (DEATHGOD CORP)
So here I am, Netflix and chillin’ with the show “Black Rabbitt,” and about 50 minutes in, I start to get that sweaty, grizzled feeling. “If I Had My Way” by Osees is actively lightly cranking in the background, stealing scenes away from Jason Bateman, Ewan McGregor at what is supposed to be a busy New York City bar.
You can’t f…mess with OCS, The Oh Sees, Oh Sees, and now, OSEES.
They are everywhere. John Dwyer, leader of this 20-year epic journey of punk at its most elevated and twisted form, must laugh at the notion of sleep. Instead of resting, he’d prefer to take his 29 records of his genre of music into the hinterlands and back five times over.
Merging alt-rock ideas with scuzzed-out psyche, ambient jazz, noise rock, and whatever else that reading antenna whispers to your inner dialogue. Sleep? Kick rocks, Hypnos.
Osees’ new live album, LIVE AT THE BROAD MUSEUM, showcases a jammy, two-drummer setup of the band that provides an engaging glimpse into their current status, highlighting that punchy, rich world of live instrumentation.
Following the release of their heavyweight “let it rip” album, ABOMINATION REVEALED AT LAST, this live communique, along with a full video of a live set from the show, is boss-level impressive.
For those who haven’t yet experienced Osees live—they typically perform a three-date residency in The Bay every year around late August or early September—this video and album serve as the perfect introduction. It’s no secret that Osees has long set the standard for what an indie rock show, or any live performance, should be. Osees’ new live album, LIVE AT THE BROAD MUSEUM, grab it here, will make you run and see when they are playing next.
