Under the Stars is a quasi-weekly column that presents new music releases, upcoming shows, opinions, and a number of other adjacent items. We keep moving with the changes, thinking outside the margins. OK, let’s get it!
We are pretty damn stoked for the Grammy-nominated and three-time Latin Grammy-winning artist Carla Morrison‘s performance at The Fox Theater in Oakland on October 29, and just as geeked for the chillwave musical project Brothertiger by singer, songwriter, and producer John Jagos at Bottom Of The Hill on November 9. Both shows promise to be grand—but they’re not the only things on our radar this week.
KENDRA MORRIS, “THIS LIFE” (KARMA CHIEF RECORDS)
Let’s acknowledge some beauty from the current year. Kendra Morris’ voice, openness, and stage presence completely captivated me when I saw her perform live at The Independent in September. Total electricity. In February, her fourth studio album Nine Lives was released on Karma Chief, a division of Colemine’s experimental soul-funk label.
Gold is still being slept on here, people.
“This Life” is already a standout on the album. But an abridged version of the ballad from a session at the label’s Tupelo House studio, featuring Whitney Pelfrey of Colemine on Wurlitzer and engineered by Leroi Conroy, displays pure star power from an artist who is finally surrounded by the proper framework, and engineered for success.
Purchase Nine Lives here.
THEON CROSS AT THE INDEPENDENT, SUN/23
Theon Cross, a South London award-winning tuba player and composer, remains one of the most intriguing young jazz musicians of his generation. His heady brew of sub-bass frequencies, combined with strains of jazz, dub, hip-hop, soca, grime, and other sounds from the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, transcends genre conventions.
His 2019 album Fyah broadcasts the kind of culture he’s pushing, and from which he has created a jazz record of the moment.
Cross’ most recent album, Intra-I, is an exploratory and uplifting celebration of Afro diaspora music. It includes songs that address self-development, the value of history and heritage, and the resilience displayed in the face of adversity by the first generations of post-World War II Caribbean immigrants to the UK.
You won’t want to miss the Bay edition of what promises to be among today’s best depictions of jazz in the present, when Cross opens up for Makaya McCraven this weekend.
Get your tickets here.
THE STONE FOXES AT GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL, NOVEMBER 18
Sometimes, my man, you just want your rock ‘n’ roll big and loud. With huge vision and enormous in scale, similar to a vintage 70-millimeter film print or an IMAX presentation that uses every 1/16 of an inch of the screen with a colored splash. The Stone Foxes, a San Francisco-based rock band formed in 2005, have made their recently-released single “Time Is A Killer” that kind of big-room earworm that will have Great American Music Hall’s most spirited crowd. They’ll be interspersing Spanish horn flares between fuzz-tone guitar riffs and over-the-top backing vocals.
“The lyrical theme came from the idea of Mother Nature being a character—a stone-cold killer—which she is,” says TSF’s Shannon Koehler. “Mother Nature doesn’t play games. Mother Nature will auto-correct our foolishness. And after a certain amount of time, Mother Nature will move on without us if we don’t get wise. It’s not complicated by any stretch, but it’s one of the first songs I’ve ever written on piano. However, I am very aware that it’s Spence’s guitar, the horns, and the backup singers—Emilie, Zola, and Kelly—that really make the track go to another level. We tried to make a big soup out of Spence’s guitar, a little early Wu-Tang beat influence, and some Ennio Morricone.”
Having co-founded TSF with his brother Spence, Koehler pushes his sneaky-snarky, wispy lead vocals into new commentator settings. Trust, this ain’t no podcast either.
The upcoming TSF album On The Other Side, the first full-length album recorded by Shannon (lead vocals, drums, harmonica, producer) and Spence (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, pedal steel, bass, producer) in over six years, is due out on November 18. The track rings all the modern rock alarms—you know, Jack White, The Struts, and Black Crowes—which makes it a piece of local music for which you should most definitely be checking.
Pre-order music and tickets here.
METRIC, “BLACK SHEEP [GLOOMY JUNE COVER]
Some people didn’t need to wait 10 years to realize that the 2010 action romance Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was eternal. Proof of its superiority lies in its scathing portrayal of vegans as the ultimate food elitists (which is true) and its whirlwind casting, which introduced tomorrow-meaning-today’s stars like the brilliant Aubrey Plaza, Kieran Culkin before his ascension, and the wonderful Mary Elizabeth Winstead. It possesses edge that fantasy comic book stories require, plus a sense of style and humor that was realistic and weird.
The film’s soundtrack reflects that sentiment. Even the most ardent Pilgrim supporters cannot help but nod their heads along to every performance of these excellent songs.
Gloomy June, a self-described California moody pop band with a San Francisco base, heard the same thing. This four-piece group’s rendition of Metrics’ “Black Sheep” creates your own ear-pod soundtrack as you sprint to catch the 49 Van Ness during a boisterous Fleet Week.
Buy the single here.
BRYAN BIELANSKI AT SIMPLE PLEASURES CAFE, SUN/23
If you want to spend a night out in the avenues sipping a hot beverage while listening to a unique musical aesthetic, this Bryan Bielanski café show may just be your speed. He’s influenced by the greats to give you a trip back in time that seems carefully curated to make your innermost thoughts happy. For the past 10 years, Bielanski and his project, Bryan’s Super Happy Fun Time, have been touring the US and other countries. On October 23, his upbeat and alternative music is unquestionably the perfect thing to keep those foggy streets bustling.
Purchase his music and RSVP for the show here.
