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!
MIIDO, “COLOURBLIND“
When you hear it, you know it and can’t shake it.
In three minutes and change, you see, feel, and enjoy the sweat, the humidity, and basslines from San Francisco producer J. Midori Kobayashi aka miido. This Bay Area electronic music producer and DJ illustrates the undeniable power of swing with her latest single “Colorblind.” It’s a skittery, vocal-splashed, heavily influenced UKG aka “garage” ripper, sure to give off late-night vibes by way of low-frequency indentations.
Keep your eye on this producer. Pick up the track here.
THE TELEPHONE NUMBERS RECORD RELEASE PARTY AT MAKEOUT ROOM, FRI/24
The Telephone Numbers, the latest project to come from that Slumberland Records imprint, whose members play in The Reds, Pinks & Purples, and The Umbrellas, is doing something a little bit different than the previous wave of jangle-wranglers and shoegaze-hustlers the imprint is known for. Scarecrow II, which dropped a couple of weeks ago, feels like The Cure’s lyrics made a detour into rock circles blossoming in Athens, GA, and Minneapolis circa mid-’80s, and ran their emotions meter through that college rock prism to wondrous results.
Recorded by Alicia Vanden Heuvel at SF’s Speakeasy Studios, these songs blend styles from ’60s folk twang to ’70s post-punk and ’80s power pop. Core band members include Morgan Stanley (The Umbrellas), Phil Lantz (Neutrals, Chime School), and Charlie Ertola, supported by a lineup of SF indie stalwarts such as Anna Hillburg (trumpet), Andy Pastalaniec (organ), K. Dylan Erdich (violin and mellotron), Tony Molina (guitar), and Lewis Gallardo (slide guitar), with Vanden Heuvel as well on bells.
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The plainspoken middle-America cover art that just shouts “remember when album covers had great impact”—and the sweet and fleeting melody-loaded “Ebb Tide” is just as atmospheric as the visual packaging. Plus the backing vocals (ahhhhh-ahhhhhh) and slipstream guitar twang makes you want to jump in the time machine and have Martha Quinn, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson, and Nina Blackwood take you through the afternoon (before and after Yo MTV RAPS hits all your golden-age hip-hop joints). Nostalgic without mimicry, wistful without cheapening techniques, The Telephone Numbers live up to their credo “pure pop for sad people.”
Pick up the album here. Catch them at their album release party, more info here.
DIRECTIONS IN STEREO: HALLOWEEN EDITION X CRITTERS & CRYPTIDS GROUP ART SHOW AT 540 BAR, OCTOBER 31
It’s a two-headed monster of sound and vision that lands on the last Friday of this month in the Outer Richmond. 540 Bar has curated a Samhain-themed art show that opens on this special evening. DJ Circuit73 will be contributing a piece as well as providing the howling sonic backdrop for the night. Guests on deck will bring all the ghoul-tastic audio treats that perfectly accompany the Pumpkin Spice Latte season.
I actually hate Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but you’re picking up what I’m putting down. Dust off your favorite costume and come down to one of the most fun and lively happy hours in The Bay. It starts at 7pm, and the music will keep going all night. Well, at least until 11pm. More info here.
STYLOLIVE, “PALMA5” (SUCCO SOUNDS)
LA based producer-turned-solo-artist Stylolive has been creating all kinds of Global Latinx-influenced hip-hop, Afro, soul, and electronic dance music for a few years now. I’m always curious to see where his ear and sensibilities will go with each release. He’s very inclusive, producing music with a sensitivity that leaves threads untied, so even if you are not current on Latin music trends, you can still find a way in.
That’s talent.
So hearing his most recent single, “PALMA5”, was a joy. Inspired by a trip to Colombia and the verve with which Carlos Santana (who rose to ascension right here in San Francisco’s Mission District) plays guitar, it’s a combination of thumping house with strawberry-hued vistas in the background—and then an ending coda that really does pay tribute to Santana’s electricity.
Pick it up here.
T.T. MEETS M.E., “THE RAIN (DJ SEP DNB REMIX)“
There is nothing quite like when a popular song pops up in the midst of a fast-paced jungle set. It’s as if the sun has cracked the sky open, allowing you to see for miles. Everyone’s ears align in a shared, beautiful pause that leads to exhilaration as you finally get to sing along to lyrics you know.
DJ Sep, a long-time DJ and producer from the Bay Area and founder of Dub Mission (one of the longest-running reggae clubs in the world, which operated from 1996 to 2019), has created an exciting drum and bass remix of “The Rain,” incorporating Tina Turner’s vocals and Missy Elliott’s poetic style.
With sparse production, relying on the voices to carry the idea across, which it does, this is that type of track that adds energy to the floor.
Buy it here.
BRIAN AUGER & THE TRINITY, DEFINITELY WHAT! (STRUT RECORDS)
In the mid to late ’60s, jazz musicians realized that recording a Beatles cover, or even an entire album of Beatles covers, could help sustain their careers. During that era, nearly every jazz musician incorporated some form of Beatles music into their repertoire. “A Day In The Life” by Brian Auger & The Trinity feels grand, reminiscent of John Candy walking down the street with a cigarette in hand and a smile on his face. It is vivid and resilient, yet still emotive, anticipating everything that comes before it. The piece has a quality similar to a David Axelrod chart, gliding and striding with a sense of coolness and magnetism. From the gentle drum hits to the smooth strings blowing in the background.
I found a scratched-up copy of Definitely What! long ago, I picked up from some thrift shop in the Mission on a Saturday morning record dig, and it just gave me all the feels whenever I’d play it out. Like clockwork, I’d run that Beatles cover and somebody, either buzzed on cocktails or something else, would badger me about it. Such an odd duck of a track, it always commanded attention.
“Bumping On Sunset” was written by the brilliant jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, known for his signature style of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which creates a distinctive sound. Montgomery told his wife that Brian Auger’s version of his song was his favorite. Auger incorporates patience and an engaging bass line along with melodic organ lines, keeping his rendition in a single mood for almost three minutes before advancing the song. This approach gives it a more symphonic feel, IMAX large and pulverizing once it releases tension.
Listen, Definitely What! remains elevated; Auger adds what was happening in the culture of the late ’60s, such as open-minded design, masterful organ and piano skills blended up jazz, R&B, psychedelic influences, and soulful grooves like no one else did. With one foot firmly planted in the styles of Montgomery and Jimmy Smith, combined with rock and a touch of James Bond coolness in his arrangements, it’s captivating at first listen. Then, you realize it’s Brian Auger enjoying himself, hoping the audience does too.
Pre-order the reissue here.
SWEATER FUNK AT THE KNOCKOUT, NOV 1
You’ve been waiting a month, practicing your poppin’, your lockin’, your top rockin’, your booty shakin’, and expect the Sweater Funk crew to assist in helping you work it all out this Saturday.
Sweater Funk, the iconic San Francisco night that celebrates boogie, two-step, and modern funk—strictly on vinyl, mind you—is having two, count ’em, two killer guests this month: Martin Haddock and MAMABEAR, who, by the way, always get this party crackin’ so hard, it’s an extra-packed dancefloor all night.
Plus, depending on the direction of the night, three or 17 other DJs will show up with record bags and blow your mind. I’ll keep my words brief. I talk about this crew a lot because, in some respects, they are like an extended family. They are really nice people with that authenticity lacking in the world right now. You can hear how much this crew loves the music they play in their DJ sets. That’s all you want from a DJ night.
This year, I think we need a little love in our Halloween, ya know?
Let Sweater Funk make that happen.
More info here.
GAWTHROP, KUBOA (SENTIENT RUIN LABORATORIES)
The Sentient Ruin Laboratories, an imprint based in Oakland, California, is introducing something unique: Korean sludge metal, “death and doom-scarred.” Just in time for Halloween, right?
To be honest, I don’t know much about death sludge or doom metal, but I do understand what creates atmosphere. And Gawthrop, from Seoul, is fully immersed in the genre, with vocals impersonating digestion gone horribly wrong, accompanied by a slowed-down, Sabbath-like heaviness that feels almost lethargic. These mudflappin’ riffs are schleprocking at a snail’s pace, remaining seriously intense and creating a sense of blackout darkness that can leave you feeling completely consumed. Think if Mad Max: Fury Road was running at a quarter clip speed, just as dark and apocalyptic, but vastly slower and dirgy.
While I have no idea where this ranks for that sludge metal genre, one thing is for sure: I can’t get the smell of crude oil out of my nostrils, so I guess that’s a win for the band. If metal is your getdown, give this an ominous spin.
Buy it here.
