Biography
Guitarists Jeff Allen and Aaron Mader, both members of the Plastic Constellations, first crossed paths during seventh grade in Hopkins, MN, a Minneapolis suburb. Their mutual passion for indie rock prompted them to start composing and performing songs as a duo. Two years afterward, they assembled the full group—later known fondly as the Consties—with drummer Matt Scharenbroich and bassist Jordan Roske. In December 1997 the band secured a prized opening spot on a holiday bill at Minneapolis’ historic First Avenue, where Duluth’s most prominent musical act, Low, topped the lineup. The next year they issued their debut 7" single through their own Pretentious Records label. This atmospheric two-track effort attracted enough notice to earn rotation on the University of Minnesota’s influential AM station, Radio K. Regular appearances at the now-defunct Foxfire Coffee Lounge, an all-ages punk venue that helped cultivate emerging local acts, soon established the Plastic Constellations as one of the Twin Cities’ most dynamic live performers. Their growing regional following welcomed the 1999 release of the We Got the Movement EP, which heightened their profile further. That recording captured the band’s increasing assurance and sharpened songcraft while revealing an unanticipated rhythmic and conceptual alignment with hip-hop alongside familiar indie-punk influences. The Consties’ debut full-length, Let’s War, appeared in summer 2000 via Modern Radio and Blood of the Young Records, only weeks after the members received their diplomas from Hopkins High School.
Albums