THE SPECTACULAR FANTASTIC
Consume (January 31 2008) truth to it, as the band have since
taken to only releasing their new music for free on their website. This EP is
their first proper release in three years, and finds the band still making the
same fuzzy pop in the vein of Elf Power, the
Resonars and fellow Ohioan heroes, Guided By Voices (especially noticeable on
the disc's opener, "Limitless And Free"). This five song EP clocks in under
twelve minutes, but manages to pack quite a punch in
that short time (though the closer, "Sympathy", was a bit too hard-rockin' for
my taste)! Let's hope they stay above ground for a bit longer this time!"
- indiepages "Mike Detmer and his great musical
project, The Spectacular Fantastic are back again with another installment of
great pop/rock tunes. Mike has been putting out music under the Spectacular Fantastic guise for at
least five years now and continues to impress. This EP is once again being made
available through local label, Ionik Recordings, but this they are partnering with 75 or less Records
out of Rhode Island as well. Mike has never been shy about getting the music
into your hands, making several of their previous work available as a free download on the web, and this is no
exception, but does have a creative twist. The Consume EP is for sale at all the
major mp3 sites, ITunes etc., while a “bonus” EP, of equal quality and
enjoyment, is available from their website for
free download. Of course, my suggestion is to purchase the Consume EP, then go
and download the bonus EP, titled Reward. Both EPs are highly recommended, and its another example of great
local music that is more than worthy of your support. Check out a free tune from
the Consume EP below." - EachNoteSecure "The Hardest working label in
showbiz, 75 or Less has released a quick little EP from Cincinnati's Spectacular
Fantastic, Consume, and it's one the label's strongest r eleases to date. From the opening
devolved Television riff of "Limitless and Free" the band is taking things back
to mid-90's American indie super-pop and the harmonized results are pretty great. With feet planted
firmly somewhere between Dinosaur Jr.'s too-often maligned but undeniably
awesome Green Mind and the more polished end of Guided By Voices, (which is still totally rough
compared to anything else) Consume stays sweet and guitar heavy throughout, with
chiming and sometimes dissonant solos, and again with the propulsive Dinosaur-esque euphoric drumming.
This is a great,msunny record to keep you kind of cheery through all this
miserable weather." Eric Smith Providence Music Magazine
Outer Space is Nothing but a Lie (July 2007) Goes Underground
(October 2005) "By now it should be clear that one
doesn't need to be from California to play pop that sounds like it's being
transmitted from a beach in the sunshine. The Thrills channeled the influential
Beach Boys from as far away as Ireland and now the Spectacular Fantastic — led
by the already prolific Mike Detmer — follows the trend via Cincinnati, OH. That's
not to say that the Spectacular Fantastic is rich in harmonies or even blatantly
rips off the Beach Boys. What demands a comparison is Mike Detmer's uncanny resemblance
to Brian Wilson's upper-octave vocals. "You've Got It" and "I Will Come Around"
are like early practice sessions from Pet Sounds, while "Did It for Me," with its
neo-psychedelic breakdowns, has the workings of the Elephant 6 collective.
There's also a subtle country undertone ("Living in a Dream" in particular) that pops up every now and again,
covering most of the bases for a decent indie rock recording - ALL MUSIC
GUIDE Why do we love Mike Detmer? Because
he'll fix your car, weld the broken gate, help you sheet rock and then go out
and play an amazing set of Wilco and Yo La Tengo-inspired indie pop. Some people
have to work to develop songwriting hooks, but they fall out of Detmer
consistantly and effortlessly- while remaining primarily a home based recording artist. This
time around he expands his Neil Young-influenced sound with organ and ELO-inspired
synths into his usual perfect power pop. - mark 75
or Less Reviews "On albums like Vortex of Vacancy,
Cincinnati's The Spectacular Fantastic have already demonstrated their ability
to make kick-ass home-made pop-rock albums, with big hooks that dig into your brain. On
their latest, The Spectacular Fantastic Goes Underground, one-man band
Mike Detmer and his pals have turned their instruments up a notch and made an album that's loud and
proud, ready for the car stereo. With wild rock energy and super-catchy
melodies, they come off like if the Apples in Stereo decided to pattern themselves after Crazy Horse. The
album kicks off like an unleashed wild beast, gigantic and moving fast.
Underneath are the same fine Beatlesesque melodies and Beach Boys harmonies, but the exterior is
tougher, ready to rock you out your chair. By the third, fourth, and fifth
songs, they're stripping things down to highlight the lovelorn ache inside; at one point "You've Got It" is almost
just drums and Detmer's voice, singing lyrics like "You're the girl inside my
dreams" to a classic tune. But these songs still have the tendency to hide an open hand until halfway
through the song, and then slap you upside the head with rock n' roll power. As
the album continues towards its end, they do end up toning things down, turning on the blue
lights to give everything a melancholy mood. Side 2 (if this were an LP) is
lonelier and sadder, yet played with the same raw feeling. There's heart, not just muscle, in
...Goes Underground, and much of the time there's a whole lot of both." -
Erasing Clouds "This is one of those discs that
comes as a very pleasant surprise. It starts off right with "Darkest Hour", a
wonderful pop tune with a bouncy Beulah-ish feel to it, and keeps up the pace pretty much all
the way through. Hailing from Cincinnati, the band is primarily the work of Mike
Detmer, who gets help from a few friends on several tracks. I can tell that he draws some of his
influence from the Elephant 6 sound (particularly Elf Power), but I can also
hear other elements, like the understated pop of later Butterglory (like in "Did It For Me" and the
intro and verse of "Living In A Dream"), the retro sound of bands like the
Resonars ("Harmony"), and even some straightforward rock and roll (as heard in "All In My Head"
and "Underground"). Full of catchy and melodic tunes, this record is a delight!"
-IndiePages MTQ=12/14
"Cool underground pop in the same
general vein as The Feelies, The Velvet Underground, and 1970s-era
Kinks. First impressions might lead one to believe that The
Spectacular Fantastic
is just another good underground
guitar pop band. But after hearing the group's songs over and over...the subtle,
distinct nuances of the music become more obvious. This band's tunes won't
blow you away immediately. The
inherent substance will instead grow on you over time. At least that's the
reaction we had to The Spectacular Fantastic Goes Underground.
Singer/songwriter
Mike Detmer has a casual
approach to writing, singing, and playing...making it sound so effortless that
you almost forget what fantastic songs you're hearing. This Indiana-based band
has
some of the best folky pop songs
around. Kickass tracks include "Darkest Hour," "Don't Hurt Me" (our favorite),
"Living in a Dream," and "Yesterday." Exceptionally tasty. (Rating: 5+)
" -BabySue Reviews Vortex of Vacancy (July 2004) There's always a bit of nervous
apprehension that accompanies a release crediting all performances, engineering,
etc, to one musician. Sometimes brilliant (see Prince),
other times grossly self-indulgent (see, uh, Prince), it's a time-worn recipe
for genius or disaster -- or perhaps it's just the mother of necessity
when you live out on a farm in Southern Indiana. Mike Detmer is the one-man band
behind the Spectacular Fantastic's recorded efforts and serves as
jack-of-all-trades on the delightful Vortex of Vacancy (recorded at
Detmer's "Funny" farm). The sophomore outing from the "band" is a candy-coated adrenaline
rush, complete with jangly rockers and simple, rootsy progressions. Previous
output has inked Detmer comparisons with the ragged glory of Neil Young
and the'60s BritPop movement, but take a slice of Raspberries' or Big Star's
sweet Power Pop ("Lullaby") and add a primordial mix of Pavement and Guided By Voices
("Eskimo" and "Obsession") and you're getting warmer. Bright Pop songs ("Just My
Luck") and fragmented experimentalism ("Freedom") make
Vortex a deceptively sweet song cycle of sorts that progressively tackles
love supreme, love unrequited and love's labor lost. What could get mundane
doesn't because Detmer has the craft and the chops to make it all work. Even
when he's bummed (the fragile, slide-tinged "Adore"), he scores major
points. (Sean Rhiney) Grade: A - Cincinnati CityBeat rock
was still young and all about the music." - Mish Mash "Soft synths ala The Anniversary
immediately jump out of the album opener “Eskimo”. It’s light fare throughout
with an emphasis on fun but with a bit of
deeper meaning behind that sheer veneer. And despite the unpretentious presentation there’s quite a bit of
complex songwriting and structure going on here by Mike Detmer who wrote,
produced, and recorded the full album
with the exception of one track. The Cincinnati music scene needs to prepare
itself properly for music of this magnitude even if
their alternative news weekly CityBeat already named him singer/songwriter of
the year. Experimental pop and lush
instrumentation dot the thirteen some tracks from this fun little indie rock
band with lots to say." - smother.net
"Hey, I was recently wondering whatever happened to this band! I first heard of
them a few years ago when I got their last album, "Goes Underground" - and it
appears that the title had a ring of
"You can always tell when summer is on its way, because pop (the music, not the drink -- and besides, it's "soda"!)
starts to sound so damn good. With the melancholy ballads of winter behind us, uptempo keys and ooh-ooh-ooh
choruses take on a new meaning, one which generally relates closely to driving with the windows down. And let's
just say that if Vortex of Vacancy were a person, he would be a Ray Ban-clad driver headed to a sunny beach with
ooh-ooh-oohs trailing out the window." splendid (read full review)!
"I don't really want to be without you baby/you make everything seem like a dream..." Common sentiments elevated by a
perfect melody, an honest demeanor, and a nice mix of rock and synthesizers, on "Eskimo," the first track of Vortex of Vacancy.
Like New Equations for the Simple Mind, the last album one-man-band Mike Detmer released as the Spectacular Fantastic, Vortex...
represents home-made music of the first-rate variety; basically it's an album filled with catchy, sharp, memorable pop-rock songs,
and what's better than that? The mood is generally cheery, the hooks get stuck in your brain, and there's not a song that clunks
or stalls the album. Reminiscent at times of the most pop of the Elephant 6 bands (The Apples in Stereo in particular), due to its
balance of sugary sweetness with rock and roll, and of groups like Sloan that have an anthemic reach, the Specatular Fantastic
also has its country and folk sides, particularly on a stretch of songs near the album's end. No matter the style, the songs stick
with you (...and that says something when your ears are as overloaded with music as mine are)." - erasingclouds.com
A very well done one-man band production, courtesy of the talented Mike Detmer. His primary motif is melodic rock that falls
between power pop and Elephant 6 style tunes a la Apples In Stereo. There are also a few songs that will have a great deal of appeal
to Shins fans. The prime moment on the disc is "Orbit". Here, Detmer successfully channels Village Green-era Kinks for a lilting ditty
perfect for afternoon tea. This track may be a bit too derivative for some, but he nails it so well, and we can't have enough great
Kinks tunes, even if they aren't written or performed by The Kinks, right? But Detmer is not stuck in the past, as evidenced by the dour
and captivating "Freedom", a reggaefied dirge with a drawn out melody and coolproduction tricks that enhance the atmosphere. Not that
he needs the tricks -- on the short and sweet "Obsession", with just a guitar and light percussion he crafts a Dylany nugget with a
vocal reminiscent of Peter Holsapple. Mixing with these creative high points are fine examples of punchy guitar pop, like "Just My Luck"
(in the vein of the late Possibilities and Young Fresh Fellows at their least sloppy),and nice mid-tempo charmers like "Lullaby",
which is highlighted by very strong lead guitar work. It should also be noted that this record simply sounds great -- the right balance
between high fidelity and immediacy is struck. - fufkin.com
Review at cincymusic.com & Mike's solo project Infinite August, A Loss so Dear.
New Equations for the Simple Mind
Indiana-based Mike Detmer, operating under the nom de rock the SpectacularFantastic, serves up an impressive assortment of tunes on his second solo album,
New Equations for the Simple Mind. Recorded in his living room, Detmer is an instrumental everyman, handling all of the instrumental chores with the proficiency
of a veteran band. "All Alone" launches the set with organ flourishes that evolve into a Beatles-derived lo-fi stomp, and as the disc progresses Detmer wears his
influences like a favorite shirt. "Dream Song" is a lilting, acoustic ballad reminiscent of Spring Hill Fair-era Go-Betweens, while "Baby" rocks along like Pavement
circa Brighten the Corners. Detmer's regular Joe vocals on tracks like "Depression" are far outstripped by his songwriting pen, but the guy's moniker is dead on
much of the time, with "Greentree" — a delightful but brief love song — serving as further evidence. All told, New Equations for the Simple Mind is a welcome collection
of adept indie rock. - AMG (All Music Guide)
"Under the guise of Spectacular Fantastic, Mike Detmer has released a collection of home bedroom recordings combining the best parts of
Neil Young, Uncle Tupelo and country and western singalongs ala Buddy Holly. The unofficial anthem of the album "Getaway", falls somewhere i
n the area of Anders Parker, Roy Orbison and a handful of sudafeds. These acoustic based and driving lo-fi songs cover a lot of ground with
dizzying catchiness and aside from one out of place drum machine track, remain consistent from start to finish." - 75 or Less Reviews
"Honest emotional _expression is at the core of New Equations…, along with the ability to take familiar musical styles and inject them
with life, showing how the classics can seem futuristic under the right light." - SponicZine
psychedelic tinge when the mood strikes. Awesome stuff. Highly recommended." - Cincinnati CityBeat
Strong writing, creative playing, it's in there. Mike's musicianship and studio skills will most likely make him sought
after by members of both the Indie-Psychedelic and Roots Rock scenes. But if it doesn't, channeling his talent into another
Spectacular Fantastic record would be just fine, too. - Cincymusic.com
Detmer doesn’t restrict himself to any particular genre though and that’s one of the most pleasing aspects of the album, the only constant
being the quality of his songwriting. Another reason to be cheerful is that Detmer has tons of stuff already recorded which is due to see the
light of day soon. For those of us already familiar with his work this is great news indeed, and as for the rest of you, it’s surely only
a matter of time. - Americana UK
copyright 2008 Ionik Recordings