Space Camp by Loomis and the Lust, 2010
Website: Loomis and the Lust
Home Base: Santa Barbara, CA
Genre: Pop, Rock, Funk, Pop Rock
Compared To: Rooney, The Cars, Talking Heads, Band of Skulls
Influenced By: Johnny Cash, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Prince, The Cars
Bio: Embracing classic pop hooks, throwing in a bit of soul, Brit pop and California sunshine, Loomis & the Lust has created a top notch pop rock sound that swirls with a light-hearted, fun-time attitude that conjures up visions of palm trees and good times. After releasing a batch of clever, catchy songs in their first EP last year, Loomis and the Lust quickly started making waves, being named one of the “Top 25 New Bands in the Word” by MTV Iggy, winning an MTVU “Freshman” video award, appearing in an online ad campaign for Subway. All their songs are danceable and contain so much energy that if you don’t move a body part while listening, you most likely don’t have a pulse.
“I’ll put it to you this way, within about thirty seconds you’ll be reeled in and singing into a hairbrush”, wrote one reviewer about the band’s single “Bright Red Chords”. They have been described as taking the best parts of rock & roll from the past, adding a little funk, a little Cali surf and molded it into something modern that still captures that same feeling as listening to Beatles or the Rolling Stones for the first time.
The band is currently writing a popular blog for MTV Iggy. They live in a house that doubles as their studio in Santa Barbara, writing new songs constantly when not on tour. Most recently their tenacity paid off to the tune of a $25,000 prize via OurStage.com and the New Music Seminar, winning the coveted title of “Artist on the Verge”. Critics praise the band’s “top shelf music that should make the band a household name” in the near future. “Loomis and the Lust obviously perceives-and possesses-the recipe for colossal success.”
My Review: I did a review on Loomis and the Lust on the old Gulf Coast Music Review and I have to say, they have only gotten better! I see a lot more “polish” and “professionalism” in this album over their original EP. Both the EP and Space Camp contain their hit single, “Bright Red Chords” and I can see the difference just in this one track. I’d say Loomis and the Lust are definitely “coming of age” in the music profession.
You know, they remind me a lot of another California band. Clean cut guys, playing clean cut music that everyone likes. The other band? Oh, I think their name was The Beach Boys! I hope they find the success that The Beach Boy’s did.
As the Bio. Mentions, their music is full of good “hooks”, whether you “sing into a hair brush” or play “air guitar”. “Bright Red Chords” has almost become their signature song. Another track I particularly like is “A.D.D.”. I don’t have ADD my self, but I understand Loomis does, and I’ve known families who have had children with ADD. The lyrics couldn’t ring more true! “A.D.D.” should become the anthem for anyone with attention problems.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Track 1, “Good Time Lover” tells the story of being in love with someone who is a “party girl”, someone who wants to be your girl as long as the money is there and times are good, but when things get rough, she’s gone. Track 2 “Barbarella” finds Loomis dreaming about his ideal girl. I find it interesting that he invokes the name Barbarella for a song title. Barbarella was originally a French comic strip and in 1968, heck, Loomis wasn’t even born yet!, Barbarella became a movie starring the then sexy, Jane Fonda. She plays the part of a 41st century astronaut, Barbarella who travels to the planet Lythion to capture the evil scientist Durand Durand ( that has a familiar ring to it too)! Anyway, Lythion is like a futuristic Sodom and Gomorrah, so you get the idea. If you have a minute check out the link! We than find Loomis struggling to “Move On” from his “Good Time Lover” and finally turning to the “Bright Red Chords” of music to help him “Move On”. Finally, in “A.D.D.” We see the difficulty he has when he does meet a new girl! As I have said in the past an album should tell a story in music and Space Camp certainly does. I’m sure the rest of the album is as good as these first four tracks.
Overall, I found “Space Camp” to be a great little pop/rock album. Plenty of “catchy” tunes that I didn’t grow tired of listening to. I rate “Space Camp” by Loomis and the Lust 10 stars and a “thumbs up”! Great job, guys, best of luck!
Get the Flash Player to see this content.
Thank you so much for the review, It means a lot to us!
Check out our new music video at the link below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Mxti91Coc
Good blues to you,
Loomis and the Lust