WASHINGTON, November, 28, 2011—Brooklyn natives the Loom represent the ever evolving nature of indie rock. They put their Brooklyn roots on display when they took the stage at the Velvet Lounge in Washington, DC.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Brooklyn became a pop culture touchstone in and of itself, but it’s been only recently. Brooklyn has garnered a lot of attention for a variety of things, especially music. This has forced the area to be different things to a great number of people, even people not living there.
Musically, it has developed a reputation for being a hub to anything from indie rock to alternative hip-hop. As far as indie rock is concerned, depending on the person, the label can be awfully restrictive and often avoided on the tag alone. Brooklyn underneath the surface doesn’t adhere to this principle and sports a more eclectic musical taste. Bands don’t get more eclectic than the Loom.
To call the Loom an indie rock band is basically to say they incorporate a guitar, bass, and drums into their band and play music outside of what’s normally considered mainstream rock. The term is broad and can be fairly limiting. It doesn’t do the Loom or their eccentricities any justice.
The first difference someone in the audience will notice about the Loom is their leaning towards unique instruments. This is most notable from the start with Lis Rubard alternating between the french horn and trumpet. She’s the main foundation for kicking off their unique and almost big band sound before the rest of the quirkiness of the band sets in.
As the night progresses every member of the band seemingly plays at least two instruments. Front man John Fanning brought everything ranging from a guitar to a banjo and keyboardist Sarah Renfro doubles as a second percussionist. Renfro along with Rubard, are the main proponents to giving the Loom a rather huge sound that overwhelms a small club like the Velvet Lounge.
The foundation for the Loom sound is definitely rock but there is underlying bluegrass and folk influence to them. This may be the most interesting aspect to the band. With their strong association to Brooklyn, to have that kind of connection to bluegrass and folk speaks volumes to their eclectic nature.
It’s not that bands from urban environments haven’t attempted to pull off fusing country, bluegrass, and folk with a rock base before. In fact, it’s something that happens quite often now. What sets the Loom apart from most other bands who try this fusion, is the organic feel the band brings to their set.
It’s hard to describe because calling something “organic” is more of a feel rather than anything technical. Despite the on target approach to their set and the precision put forth, the Loom are a very loose and laid back sounding band. A lot of this falls on the shoulders of Fanning’s vocals, which are deep but have a sensitive waver to them.
There’s also sense of togetherness with the Loom. Even though they sport a plethora of unique instruments, their sound is more melded than individualistic. There are no solos and the closest they get to singling out any instrument are the few pauses when only the percussion can be heard. The band is encompassing without ever sounding authoritative.
It’s easy to see why the Loom’s sets are generating a significant amount of buzz. Their specific sound is as unique as is their approach to creating that sound. If anyone likes an underlying feel of folk and bluegrass with an understated rock sound, the Loom is a band to keep an eye on.
Stephen Bradley is an avid music listener. Read more of his work in Riffs at the Washington Times Communities.
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