Moon by You's Final Album of Psychedelic Space-Pop Proves They Just Weren't Meant for This Planet

"You Are an Alien" combines '70s acid rock, psych, surf and extraterrestrial soul.

By Mark Stock

Moon By You, You Are an Alien (Self-Release)

[MARTIAN ROCK] Moon by You isn't just a soulful five-piece space-rock band, it's a micro-culture. In the past six years, Sarah Q and company have dabbled in otherworldly themes from their headquarters, the aptly titled practice space and house-show venue the Moon Base. Unfortunately, that culture is coming to an end as the band dismantles, but not before one last release. The outfit's latest extraterrestrial creation, You Are an Alien, pulls from the dramatic acid rock of Iron Butterfly and Jefferson Airplane while flirting with elements of surf, soul and doo-wop. Despite the disparate elements, engineer Cameron Spies of Radiation City makes them all cohere. As a result, it feels like a concept album, both in terms of sonic narrative and repeating lyrical symbolism stressing things beyond our earthly confines. Tracks like "Insatiable Alien" remind of the British psych rock of Temples, while the cocktail of hyper-rhythmic guitar and vocal crooning on "Intergalactic Fumes" is reminiscent of Foxygen. It's tough to see Moon by You go, but then, the band was never really meant for this planet anyway. 

SEE IT: Moon by You plays Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., with Weeed and Reptaliens, on Sunday, Dec. 18. 9 pm. $5. 21+.

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