Astrachan

In the organizer's words:

Astrachan is the solo project of curly-haired indie rock muscleman Ben Astrachan, whose exuberant and joyous rock 'n' roll blends the artisanal folk of old masters like Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) with the versatile indie of new-age artists like Daniel Romano.

On "Signs" (due out in October on Happen Twice), Astrachan dips his ladle into a big pot of mystical and political influences to serve up a kaleidoscopic brew of anti-Zionist, Bundist, diasporic indie rock that he produced himself in his all-analog basement bedroom studio by candlelight. "Signs" is a hymn to the madness of the Jewish prophets who railed against the nation's folly and were banished to the spiritual wilderness. It is about the apocalypse in the original sense (revelation, "unveiling") and asks: What does it mean to be drafted into a cosmic war? How do we walk the tightrope between justice and peace? And when God winks at us through the veil, are we ready to respond?