“In the Trough of the Wave,” the new, acoustic-driven album by The Stars of Disaster out June 11.

New single “One Woman Man” available May 21

The Stars of Disaster will release our second full-length album, In the Trough of the Wave, written and recorded while in quarantine in Ohio between April and August 2020, on June 11, 2020 on Railroad Ave. Records. It will be preceded by the singles “Hey Dorkmeyer” (out Feb. 17) and “One Woman Man” (out May 21).

“The Stars record just came out, had a run of shows lined up, then this terrible pandemic,” frontman Anthony reflects, “I think a lot of artists were at square one, which for me was back in the basement.” Working with longtime collaborator, the musician and composer Kevin Vespaziani “we made something very different.” Schiappa then goes on to explain how the was completed while distanced, emailing tacks back and forth until they were complete.

In the Trough of the Wave is raw, vulnerable, humble, and real. The lyrics peels back the layers of anxiety, loss, longing, death, and the sleep-deprived drudgery of everyday life to create comfort and catharsis that boldly explores the fragility of our emotions in isolated times. With influences like Bob Dylan, Vic Chesnutt, Neil Young, Ween, and Amanda Shires, The Stars are joined by drummer Jeff Ryan (St. Vincent/The War on Drugs), and the album is mixed by John Dufhilo (Apples in Stereo/Corner Suns).

What started out as a way to keep busy became an audible ode to fragility and perseverance. “The title is kind of a nod to The Sun Also Rises - framing a rather bleak subject matter what a variation on the phrase, ‘This, too, shall pass.’” In the Trough of the Wave will be officially released through Railroad Ave. Records on June 11th, 2021 and available for streaming and download online through all major platforms.

Hi, we’re The Stars of Disaster

The Stars of Disaster started playing together in February 2019, in Pittsburgh.

The songs started coming in 2014, when Anthony Schiappa returned home after making a go of it as an airline baggage handler in upstate New York, an academic in NYC, and an exile in Scandinavia. Back in his Steubenville, OH basement, trying to stave off the terrors of clock-punching and memory, Anthony rediscovered his childhood love for playing music and writing songs.

Anthony started recording the songs in Pittsburgh, with friends old and new. They were recorded guerrilla style: in friends' apartments, in Anthony’s sister’s house, in clubs during off-hours, wherever they could. Eventually, they had a record: Love Won’t Save You. Preview the record here.

To come alive onstage, the record needed a band, and it got one: Anthony is joined by Kate Daly (the hi-frequencies) on bass, David Brockschmidt (Benefits) on drums, and Chicago native Jesus Geoffrey Martinez (Burning Luck) on lead guitar.

Anthony’s main influences are Guided by Voices, early R.E.M., and early Ween. Amid these touchstones, you will hear Anthony’s own style. It’s a blend of claustrophobic themes and non-stop get-down that Kate calls “composed mania.” Mike Baltzer of Benefits calls the aesthetic “Rust-Belt garage psych.”

" ... a solid collection of wry power-pop ... Love Won’t Save You offers a nice dose of unfakeable rock ‘n’ roll energy." - Margaret Welsh, Pittsburgh Current  

"Replacements-meets-Supergrass vibe ... It is killer." - Jeff Ryan of Motorcade & Baptist Generals

“It’s got janglers and it’s got rockers, and it’s tied together by an acid-fried recording ethos that skews voices and instrumentals all topsy-turvy, fun-house style ... catchy, psychedelic, and subversive." - Ben Gibbons, Bored In Pittsburgh

“The soothing chaos of The Stars of Disaster's Love Won't Save You will drag you in and hang on until the end. This album feels like all of my teenage desire for emotional revenge collided with my (slightly) more mature desire for apathy and closure.  It's a well-crafted roller coaster of pandemonium one would expect from a grownup garage band.” Hannah Mull, Black Bear Magazine

And here we are.

Contact us as thestarsofdisaster@gmail.com