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.
Let’s hit the rave. Bring some water and shades for the 6am sunrise set by the beach.
BETWEEN THE BEATS
A new documentary about San Francisco’s early rave scene—Full Moon Parties, DJ DAN playing every weekend, everywhere for those who remember that phase—was released earlier this month.
Between The Beats, which features interviews with Sharon Buck, DJ Dan, Garth, DJ Harvey, Doc Martin, Miguel Migs, and more from that wave of artists, presents the city’s rave history by documenting that Bay Area DIY stubborn inventiveness and how that helped to create the brazen attitude that gave way to the foundation tech culture picked up, stole and ran with.
That’s right, the dancers, the DJs, promoters, and the entire shadow culture around that made it so much easier for the puffy jacket, self-driving cars, infiltration.
Don’t get me wrong, the city is big enough for complaint rock, the definitive ranking of clowns and hey, we all love it when people talk about podcasts and back pain in the same breath.
But it’s the dancers, dreamers, and their music who set this whole thing up—-that’s what’s correctly communicated in the documentary—before the bad quarterback prom era took over.
Directed by Martin O’Brien and produced by both O’Brien and Mike Koeppel, the documentary, completed in 2022, took years and over $420,000 to make, due to issues with music licensing and the challenge of tracking down the key players from the ’90s scene. This, along with the hyperlocal fave “Groove,” could be the ultimate San Francisco-based double feature.
Between The Beats is currently available on streaming platforms like Apple for purchase or rent.
BLACK STAR, NO FEAR OF TIME
So it was recently announced that the hip-hop duo of Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli, aka Black Star, self-released No Fear of Time, their first album in 24 years, would finally be available on vinyl later this month. It was originally available through the Luminary App a couple of years ago.
You don’t question the Gods when they choose certain methods to be heard; you just feel blessed that they are back. That gravitational pull? Black Star’s steadfast modus operandi of self-determination, assisted with production by none other than Madlib, especially on the vibe-heavy masterclass of emceeing “Freequency” with Black Thought, I’d personally wait another 24 years; the knowledge is worth it.
Pre-order here.
KOKOROKO, GET THE MESSAGE EP (BROWNSWOOD RECORDINGS)
There’s buzz, serious frenzy, surrounding the London-based eight-member band Kokoroko’s latest EP, Get The Message. Released as a precursor to a full-length album expected in 2025 this collective has crafted an impressive mix of funk, psychedelic soul, and Afro-rock, showcasing their exceptional musical talent.
One whiff, of the swirling, broken beat meets the Nigerian glide arrangement of “Three Piece Suit” and you’ll be immediately alerted to jazz platforms and modern producers such as Ash Lauryn: This is Afrobeat, in its most elevated form.
Pick this EP up here.
37 HOUSES, 37 HOUSES
Pandemic art will always keep flowing. Although the specific moment has passed, those emotions and feelings stay hidden beneath the cool, calm exterior. Available to be triggered now and again. So, 37 Houses’ situational origin story sounds like a ’90s coffee house-created indie flick premise; being quarantined together after four months of marriage is intense. Bearing an emotional forcefulness through lyrics and song, Jeremy Rosenblum and his wife, vocalist Erin Samueli, have some moody ear candy popping off on this project. I’m particularly obsessed with “Jealous Love,” fully tricked out with that Joy Division-like bass line and the searing, gritty vocal caterwauls Samueli rips off like it’s Tuesday laundry. Another great record from a local band in our midst proves pain begets the most vivid art.
Pre-order the self-titled debut here.
STRANGE MEN
This year’s edition of the San Francisco Public Library’s, streaming site called Bay Beats, will offer the city’s 460,000 library card holders local music for streaming and downloading. It will include the SF indie punk-garage snarl of the band Strange Men. Their latest single “All the Pretty Houses,” filled with shimmering guitar, lo-fi fuzz, and singular vocals, can be purchased here starting November 1.
They are also releasing two bonus songs exclusively to the Bay Beats platform. “Ungrateful Town” is an ill-fated love story set on the battleground of SF politics, and “This is Certain” explores the emotional toll of the city’s hostility to everything that isn’t capital, according to the band. Both will be available on Bay Beats after November 2.
But why wait? You can go see them, RóisÃn Isner on drums and bassist Ashley Clayton live at The Knockout, performing a Blur cover set on Halloween, Thursday, October 31.
CINDY, SWAN LAKE (TOUGH LOVE RECORDINGS)
Another local band, Cindy, led by the quiet yet captivating lead singer, Karina Gill, is in the midst of a UK tour at the moment. I’ve seen their name on various SF/East Bay bills alongside acts like Red, Pinks & Purples, or at Vesuvio Cafe’s outdoor space. They’ve made the rounds, but I’ve never had the chance to witness them live and experience that unique blend of Mazzy Star and Velvet Underground mystique they’ve manifested.
If you check out the visual for “The Bell. ” You’ll catch a glimpse of that specialness—a band gathering in a living room filled with friends and strangers, sipping Three Buck Chuck wine, delivering an intimate performance you probably didn’t have to pay for.
The atmosphere puts the performance in that joyful, lo-fi, clouded haze. When Cindy makes it back to the Bay, hold space for this band before they become too well-known to enjoy as a local gem.
Grab Swan Lake here.
CYMANDE AT NOISE POP FESTIVAL, AUGUST HALL, FEBRUARY 26 2025
Can’t believe it. Noise Pop 2025 is set to bring this unbelievable group to the Bay Area.
According to the August Hall website, Cymande (pronounced “Ceemande”), the extraordinary ’70s British funk band revered by American hip-hop, will perform in San Francisco during the 32nd annual event.
For those who appreciate the legacy of this band or recall the scene in Spike Lee’s film *25th Hour*, where the director features the often-sampled dynamite track “BRA” the opportunity to see them live in 2025 is simply mind-blowing.
Here’s a bit of background for those who may be unfamiliar. Cymande had the depth and brilliance to be the British equivalent of Earth, Wind & Fire. With their impressive horn section and intricate jazz licks, they combined genres into lengthy compositions while effortlessly delivering breezy funk. They were fortunate enough to headline the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, USA.
However, despite their talent, no UK television station would showcase them, reflecting the racism they faced at the time. Eventually, the band disbanded.
In the 80s and 90s, hip-hop artists like De La Soul and The Fugees began sampling their music, leading to increased visibility. DJ Nicky Siano also played their tracks in New York clubs, sparking a growing fascination among younger generations for this Black-British band.
In any case, this development gives us hope that Noise Pop is curating a spectacular lineup, by bringing this one-of-a-kind group to the festival.
Grab tix here.
