Deastro

Moondagger (Ghostly International)

By Callye Morrissey
Published: June 23rd, 2009 | 7:01am

There’s a lot to like about Deastro. For one, the man behind the music — 22-year-old Randolph Chabot — has publicly expressed that “feminism is sweet.” Secondly, he makes stringently important and exceptionally catchy electro-pop. It’s hard to believe that the barrage of well-crafted songs in Deastro’s catalog is the work of a single person, but it only adds to the intrigue.

The Detroit native has been making music since he was a kid (as a choir boy), and has been in bands here and there, but his work as Deastro is his standout effort thus far. Recently named “2008 Artist Of the Year” by Real Detroit Weekly, Deastro seems poised to spread his infectious tracks to a wider audience.

Moondagger boasts titles such as the sweet synth track “Daniel Johnston Was Stabbed In the Heart With the Moondagger By the King Of Darkness and His Ghost Is Writing This Song” While the title is a mouthful, the song is a mythical journey. Other standout tracks include “Biophelia” and “The Old and the Treacherous.”

A recent video clip of Chabot appeared on Rolling Stone’s website, featuring him walking though a used bookstore and noting that he always browses the women’s studies sections, hunting for titles by Simone de Beauvoir. If that isn’t enough to give Deastro a listen, then I’m not sure what is.

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