Astral is a
shoegaze
Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
group based in
San Francisco,
California, United States. Astral was formed by singer-guitarist Dave Han and drummer Shawn in 1999; bassist Amy Rosenoff joined them in 2001. Their vocals are frequently compared to those of
The Cure; other influences include
My Bloody Valentine and
Joy Division. Their music is of an ethereal, melodic nature; this ambient sound is created largely by heavy use of
distortion and
feedback effects in Han's guitar. Astral are also notable for incorporating improvisation into their live performances. In 2002, Astral released a self-produced EP, "Only Sometimes". In 2003, Astral released an LP, entitled "Orchids". Two songs from that album, "Raining Down" and the title-track
instrumental, were preloaded in the
Rio Carbon
The Rio Carbon is a line of digital audio players that was produced by the now defunct Rio from 2004 to 2005. It was similar in size, capacity, and cost with Apple's iPod Mini which debuted earlier the same year. This was Rio's second player to us ...
MP3 Players. In 2008 the band released their second album ''Sleepwalker''.
Current lineup
* Dave Han – Vocals, Guitars
* Gary Hews – Bass
* Mark Shriver – Drums
Original lineup
* Dave Han – Vocals, Guitars
* Shawn Nakano – Drums, Percussion
* Amy Rosenoff – Bass
Discography
*''
Only Sometimes
''Only Sometimes'' is the first EP from the San Francisco-based dream pop group Astral, released in 2002. The EP was self-produced and the first recording that the band released. The EP charted on some college radio stations. It is considered ...
'' (EP) 2002
*''
Second Stitch'' (EP) 2002
*''
Orchids'' 2003
*''
Transmitter'' (EP) April 2007
*"
Turn Me Around" (7" single) 2002
*''
Sleepwalker'' 2007
*"
A Lullaby from Amsterdam" (7" single) 2008
*''
Excerpts from Down the Rabbit Hole'' (EP) 2010
*''
Forever After
''Forever After'' is the second studio album from Christian musician and singer V. Rose. The album released on May 20, 2014 by Clear Sight Music, and it was produced by Lamontt Blackshire. The album currently has received three positive reviews, ...
'' 2010
References
External links
Official Website Myspace
Dream pop musical groups
Musical groups established in 1999
1999 establishments in California
{{US-alternative-rock-band-stub