Loma

  It was a little painful seeing this from way in the back. Its not how I pictured it in my head when I knew this was coming. Its my fault for arriving when I did. But, I did see the whole show. And I got to talk to Emily Cross after the show. She was so sweet and kind to remember me. Cross Record's Wabi Sabi is fucking brilliant! So the new Loma debut under Sub Pop is brilliance building on top of a foundation that I can't help but see. I see the Aztec temple under the Sub Pop cathedral. Like with Star Wars, some characters come with deep sub text, a greater back story. ......I'm glad for Emily, that Sub Pop has her back. All my Cross Record memories are sweeter now. The physical CD's of the double EP a treasured relic of the archive. Because now, I'm hearing the whole Loma CD. And I don't know how I would get the back catalogue that I do have. To work backwards from Loma and to find what I got now...hmmm. OK, I did dwell on that a bit much. ....I tried to kill it earlier. Alright....I'm staying on Loma...now. Loma was selling me already with some of the videos on YouTube. Dark Oscillations, Relay Runner, Black Willow, they all strike you without telegraphing the other. And now on top of that the videos are great. Hmm, well let me see. I can't really use my shoe gaze crayon. I'm still saving that for Lightfoils.  I got the CD and shirt. Now I can hear it in the car. And wow do these songs hit me. I Don't Want Children was deep and sweet, and actually romantic. Has a fleeting hint of Bjork's Pagan Poetry. Emily's voice floating delicately with the heaviest of words exploring romantically the what ifs of having a boy, a girl while stating clearly what is not to be. The music sometimes reminds me of one of them wind up musical boxes playing some sad shit, like on a harp. Emily in breathy whispers lays out plainly and beautifully over. That song just fucking took the wind out. It reminded me of Pagan Poetry and then it gets deeper. Relay Runner is fun. It shakes away the seriousness of the previous track, while still channelling Aimee Mann. The last time they were here as Cross Record, I could barely recognize what they played. In their hands their music is more fluid and flexible. I can hear in these new songs where the gears would permit some flexibility.
 

I'm really glad I got the lyrics to read and ponder on. The music really imprints that way for me, when I can read lyrics. With Relay Runner you also get these easy to catch phrases that work on their own as headlines. Dark Oscillations I like especially. The music reminds me of Bela Lugosi from Bauhaus only with Emily's wise words.....and its not fucking 9 minutes long. It has that tension of something slow with an impatient urgency behind. Perhaps I can go on about how deep and smart the music and all that. I can say that I'm sold on Loma, and Emily Cross! I was glad to see you back girl! I was not going to take pictures from as far back as I was so along with the painting I have found some pictures from Cross Record at Double Door.
  After seeing each of the videos, the songs rotate regularly in the mind. Not in a bad way. My mind gives the songs welcomed time and space. In a way you buy the merch to obsess less about it. I seem to obsess less intensely with something I did ultimately see. I may write still the same but without the obsessive streak. This Loma show has traces of both the unseen worlds where my mental German Expressionist set designers, directors of photography love to color, and the have seen world where they work with a real memory. The Julie Taymor in my head is gonna take over from here. For not having been right in the front, a part of me feels like I missed something, but I got a weigh it with what did occur and who I met. And Emily....she remembers me from when Cross Record was still in Chicago. I got to talk to her a bit. I had my moment when she recognized me as I orbit briefly past.
  The drive could not feel any fucking slower. Cicero has that construction at Midway, and the ever present traffic slow down by Ford City. I made it on time for Loma.....I was way in the fucking back. I did slowly creep closer up. I did not want to shove my way up like an asshole. At some point I noticed Venus from Moritat/Wyys in the audience. We would hang around at the bar later, with two of her friends. Schubas the bar and Schubas the music venue seem to be different places fused together. A neighborhood bar in front of a music venue. I sat with Venus and her friends. Its been a while since I've seen her. Next to us were the most frat boy stereotypical bros yelling "shot! shot! shot!" These mother fuckers, do they even know they play music up in here?
  Friday, 11 May was a busy night. And I planned on going to see my friends from Lightfoils at Sleepy Village. Loma was playing Schubas, both on Belmont. To see both seemed like something cool and doable. Emily did a painting in the middle of their set. I think I have seen this on some YouTube video as well. I took a picture of the painting she made in the middle of her performance. I captured less on camera that night. But I can go on about the music I took home. I was hearing it as I drove to see my friends at Lightfoils. I had no illusion of catching any of their set. I know they got another gig in June. But I was playing Loma in the car while driving on Belmont, to see my friends. I park right near the place by accident. Go in to say hi. Oh hi, y'all. I just saw Loma....right thar' at Schubas. Some of my friends from Panda Riot are into Loma. Rebecca had Black Willow down! By mistake I thought at the moment it was another song Joy...my mistake. So I ended the night chillin' and going on with my friends from both the Pandas and Lighfoils. I binged on whatever I could of Loma while driving to Sleepy Village, and then home, and...well now.
Zig