Over the winter break, my house rekindled our love affair with an exquisitely rad film known throughout the land as “The American Astronaut,” a space-western musical perpetrated by the band The Billy Nayer Show. Starring, written and directed by the BNS front man, Cory McAbee, the film chronicles the misadventures of Samuel Curtis who must bring a 16- year-old boy to Venus so that he may be the stud for the planet made up entirely of women. Since the film’s debut in 2001, Cory McAbee spent the majority of his time working on another film, a book and another album, which never seemed to come until now. He emerges again triumphantly, changing the band’s name from The Billy Nayer Show to The American Astronaut and releasing two new EPs “Goodbye California” and “Reno” as well as a new film, “Stingray Sam” that will debut this month at Sundance. This brings me to my review of American Astronaut the band.
“Goodbye California” and “Reno” tread a slightly more mature ground than projects undertaken by the band previously. As The Billy Nayer Show, songs seemed more concerned with love, sex and how magically tragic they inevitably become. In fact, I can’t think of an early song that doesn’t reek of the sappiness between honeymooners or the shit that covers the broken hearted. That’s why I got into them in the first place. But, now Cory McAbee seems to have left all those joys and disappointments behind him and now roams the world looking for his place in it. The two EPs seem to be the product of a middle-aged man leaving a dead end job without having anyplace to go other than a filthy bar to ask if they need the bathrooms cleaned. It’s awesome.
In the title track “Goodbye California,” Cory McAbee grunts an explanation for his self-imposed exile from the laid back douche-baggery of our state. It’s simple really. The lyrics and the music are unimpressive and cranky. But as the EP progresses, things get better. In “Twist and Shout,” the band dances out their angriness in a seedy bar to crunchy guitar riffs accompanied by a very clean and simple piano. The next track “Two Flies” reminds me of watching your ex hook up with some guy at said bar. The worst part is as they make out, she watches the expression on your face because your agony gets her off. But, things get better because now he isn’t in California, he’s on Mars. Things are better. It’s a fresh start but “everything you ever knew is turned into something new to you.” It’s the same old bullshit with new people, kind of like the band.
In short, I’m all about this band and their films. They are worth a listen and a watch. Beginners should start out with their first feature film “American Astronaut” and allow themselves to get sucked in that way. If that doesn’t work out for you, then you are some sort of square with healthy living habits and I don’t want to know you.