REVIEW: Loomis - Vellocet EP

I may have moved to New York two and a half years ago to try and achieve my life long goals, but I think all my girlfriends that I have had up here can attest that the New Orleanean in me has never left. Though, as I think for many people like myself who were born and raised there around the same time, my memories of New Orleans are kind of skewed. Having gone through a traumatic event like Katrina has my mind playing tricks on me. What was life truly like before the storm musically? I know what my memories are, but what were the realities?

Some of my fondest memories are that of seeing the Teeth open up for Of Montreal in the side room at Twiropa. That side room to me has so many great memories. The first time I ever saw TV on the Radio was there. I also remember seeing so many CRAZY bands at the Mermaid Lounge. Names that to this day when I think about them makes my head spin. But, do you know what is another memory? I usually remember no one being there. With a few exceptions (Interpole well after their critical album selling out the main room at Twiropa with Blonde Redhead and Band of Horses opening up for Iron and Wine come to mind), most of these shows had more space to dance and move around than you could imagine. All the music that I knew that did well were punk shows and rap concerts.

Maybe this is all a farce. Maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me. Just perhaps I am perceiving the past as a time with no problems, and my current adulthood as a world where there is nothing but work and bills.

What does this have to do with the current Loomis work, you ask? Well, a little. Smiley With A Knife's Patrick Bailey's most current solo EP, Vellocet, is a solid piece of bedroom producing work that was done in a moment, and captures it magnificently. It has very nice soundscapes along with solid production that fits in the vain of a lot of the 'Chillwave' stuff going on these days: from the likes of Toro Y Moi, Washed Out and Panda Bear to name a few. But, you can go listen to his work on Band Camp to find all that out for yourself.

The thing that blows me away are the sounds that are coming out of New Orleans. I mean, if no one was at these said shows before Katrina, how did it all come about? No disrespect to the fore fathers of New Orleans rock, but I think the scope of what is being done now a days is fantastic. What this Loomis effort by Patrick is an example of is that music coming out of New Orleans now is striving for more intelligence. Before, it felt like a lot of party music. Which, I feel like has a time and place, and that no one does it better than New Orleans; but, it is nice to see musicians striving for more.

Ever since Katrina, the transplants have brought outside influences and energy to the 'Big Easy,' which I felt had been stagnent for years. These were people who came to New Orleans with a goal to help, fell in love and have now stayed to try and really make a difference in a place that is appropriately called "the city that care forgot."

When I moved back from Austin, where I evacuated to, I set out to make a difference. I wasn't going to move back, and just be a part of the problem of stagnation. But, what did I know? I couldn't build houses, or fix rooftops, or even console people. Being young and fresh out of Loyola all I knew was that I had a degree in television production (BRING IT BACK LOYOLA), and a passion for music. So I started Static Television with the help of a lot of great people and consequently I feel like what we created has helped shape the music scene of Southern Louisiana along with amazing artists like Loomis, Caddywhompus, The Generationals, Hurray For the Riff Raff, and The Givers, just to name a few, in a new direction that it has never been. It's been an amazing feeling and I hope everyone one that is a part of the scene down there totally is aware of the amazing energy being felt from all the way up here in Brooklyn. Keep doing it, so you can inspire me to keep doing Static. And, go out and support the musicians around you!

For more on Loomis go to his Band Camp. Here is the single off Loomis' Vellocet EP