Astari Nite's Static Interference Series Continues on Friday with Rimsky, Life of Seals, and Others

I wrote about shimmering local quartet Astari Nite -- and its charismatic frontman, Mychael Ghost -- recently for the Miami New Times, when the band was set to play its own occasional Static Interference event at PS14. While these usually happen once a month, on a Saturday at PS14, the turnout for Ghost's recent events has been so good that he's decided to up the ante a little. So here comes another edition of Static Interference, only a couple weeks after the last, and on a Friday, because, well, why not. (It's still definitely at PS14, though.)

Of course Astari Nite will take the stage -- it's their party and they'll play if they want to -- but a couple of other cool local up-and-comers on the bill are worth a close look.

* Rimsky, who also plays with Hialeah kings Humbert, has blossomed from a guy-with-a-guitar into a full-blown sugar bowl of crunchy power pop.

* Champagne Days rarely play out, but Ghost seems to be slowly coaxing them out of their bat cave. So yes, think the gloomy, grainy textures of the likes of Big Black, Bauhaus, and even Suicide, with an occasional sprinkle of Siouxsie-like, witchy female vocals. Delish!

* Finally, Life of Seals need to lose their stupid stage gimmick -- some kind of centurion-style masks when I saw them play recently at Jazid. However, under the silly hats is a serious, spaced-out joy ride into the more electronic reaches of shoegaze that, live, packs a far more serious wallop than the tracks on the band's MySpace page. Dull your senses a little first and enjoy.

-- Arielle Castillo