News Astronauts Etc

: Astronauts, Etc / Anthony Ferraro
Based: Berkeley
Listen: ‘Supermelodic Pulp’ EP, due out 8th September
Similar to: The Antlers

Last Friday DIY mentioned new dreampop artist Astronauts Etc for the first time, coyly mentioning that “Debut track ‘Mystery Colors’ is serene and eerie, awash with a gorgeous coat of musical textures and dreamy patterns.” This was momentous in a sense, in that for the first time in a while, the First On section of DIY refrained from spilling out every superlative floating around in our musical guts, because Astronauts Etc sure did get our pulses racing. Detached from reality, it’s high up in the floaty surroundings of space - quite fittingly when you consider Ferraro’s moniker. Something about it feels truly special.

We mention The Antlers as a calling point because Ferraro’s vocals would slot in perfectly within the band’s most recent, nautical extraordinaire ‘Undersea’ EP. Here’s a guy acting with complete restraint, rarely faltering outside of his soft falsetto; content on making something sweet and understated. The video, too, is a perfect fit for the debut track. Like a low-budget version of Radiohead’s ‘House of Cards’ clip, it shows Ferraro in an outer-space environment. Directed by XLVI, check it out below. Or do what over 10,000 people have already done and stream the track on Soundcloud.