Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Millenarian Rock from Pleadian Youth-Fancy Space People EP (StarTone Records)


As American society crashes and careens through History, we often seem to find ourselves at points of spiritual crisis. Winter of 2011 seems like a particularly trying time to be an American. The Hope and Change that was promised in 2008 has hit the walls of harsher, harder world realities. People seem pensive at best, bitter at worst. In Disaster Amnesiac's opinion, the current mood in America is one perfect for cult leaders' opportunistic entree into the lives of those who may feel particularly let down and/or lost.
Thankfully, there's a cult in existence that will only ask for a few bucks towards purchase of an eponymous  white-vinyl three song release. That cult's name is Fancy Space People.
All cults need some kind of Revelation, some Knowledge to impart to the seekers who find them. Fancy Space Peoples' Revelation comes in the form of a glorious mixture of Rock and Pop styles, primarily mid-1960's-the present, all mixed together to Blissful  Perfection. The three tunes on this EP are seriously well written and arranged. One hears echoes of early Psychedelia, Glitter, Avant-Garage, obscure Soundtracks, 1990's Big Guitar, Art Punk, etc, etc. The kind of ambitiousness on display here would in less Adept hands result in an ugly mash-up of "eclecticism". The presence Space People Mainman Don Bolles, a decades long veteran of creative music making, assures that the tunes are expertly arranged. Every twist and turn sounds spot-on, occurring at the exact right time.  Do you think that Father Divine or Rael had bad timing? Their messages depended upon hitting the right note at the right time, and the music of Fancy Space People is no different.
All of this aural deliciousness supports the Mystical and Loving lyrics of Nora Keyes. As she's credited on the jacket, No-Ra's distinctive, unselfconscious warble sends messages of Love to greater Humanity from Fancy Space People. The main messages seem to be: Fear Not! Create! Have Fun! Love! How can one really argue, especially at such a psychically delicate time for the New Age?
As for the overall sound of the EP, it's big and booming. While it has been released on the independent Star Tone Records, it benefits from the seemingly substantial resources available to the label's founder, Billy Corgan. Disaster Amnesiac read a Rolling Stone interview with Corgan last year, in which he lamented his treatment at the hands of the New Media Wing of the Music Industry. To Billy, I say, Fear Not, Brother. Your Good Works within the Fancy Space People camp are more than enough to redeem you, as if you ever needed redemption from the likes of Pitchfork et al. Perhaps a 7" release of Fancy Space Peoples' 2007  Spectacle Electric would assuage your hurt feelings even further? Just suggesting, one Member to another.
Millenarian-ism is nothing new in the world. In America, it has been honed and refined to a fine point. Fancy Space Peoples' Millenarian Pleadian Scriptures, well within this continuum, should come as welcome messages to any Rocker who may feel distressed in these psychically trying times.




2 comments:

Pig State Recon said...

Great post, Mark.

"Psychic distress" has been thee fire under my ass throughout my entire journey through life, and by extension, my love of rock and roll. I can't be the only one. Glad to hear the good folks in FSP are up to the task of saving my soul, if I'd just let em.

Mark Pino On Drums said...

Give in, Seeker, give in!