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Loomis is the reckless and impetuous son of Chicago rock; he boasts a hard-edged and resilient sound, a dramatic voice, and an almost impossible to ignore charm. Born from the multifarious musical abilities and influences of his members, Loomis' sound is grinding and complex, with pop-infused hooks blending with driving rhythms for an intelligent, and yet accessible sound. Composed of singer/guitarist Tom Valenzano, bassist Jay Lysaught, and drummer Alex Karan, Loomis has developed an intense and enveloping style that brings lyrical significance and technical aptitude to a time when popular music suffers from the cookie-cutter syndrome of the major-label sound factories. Tom’s experience ranges from the folk driven sounds of Ellen Rosner and Ripley Cain, the surf sounds of The Young Fathers, to the straight rock sounds of Choke Orchestra. He draws from this diverse background to write songs that stand apart from each other in style and mood. Over the years, Tom has refined his unique and engaging songwriting skills, merging driving power chords with intricate, sultry guitar work. Stylistically carving out a unique niche for himself in the band, Tom’s guitars are a truly identifiable signature of Loomis’ sound. Bassist Jay Lysaught (Pop Fiction) has been on the Chicago music scene for a number of years as well with his developing style following closely behind. Jay’s solid, low-end bass lines have built the foundation for Loomis and allows everyone else to play melodically around him. His less is more approach is a perfect match for Loomis and can be dominating or subdued - ideal for the band's eclectic styling. Helping to define the sound that is Loomis, Alex Karan’s seasoned and creative drum work has developed from years of work with a diverse lineup of musical groups. From the space-rock tinges of Mercury to local riot-grrl three-piece Blo-Pop, to the college-rock arena with Anyone’s Circle and Metzger’s Car, his self-styled drumming has been adding cohesion and power to any act he works with for over 16 years. His edgy, intriguing style helps to bring Loomis’ sound to the forefront of Chicago music today. Together, they have unified their years of experience, skill, and dedication to their craft, and have given birth to Chicago’s newest – and perhaps most alluring – musical offspring. They are up front and relentless, dramatically intense and emotionally seething, with a voice that stands up and demands attention. As disciplined as only the son of three established musical talents can be, Loomis is the impossible to ignore child, born of the influences of experimental, progressive rock and matured within the Chicago rock scene. And now, with a conviction, passion and intensity that rock music hasn’t heard in decades, Loomis is speaking up. Loomis' first full length release is entitled "Heavy Balloons Are Laughing At Us." It is a 13-song LP produced by Mike Hagler (Wilco, Neko Case, Mark Eitzel) and was released independently in June 2003. Accomplishments • Garageband.com ranked Loomis as #1 band of the Top 200 Chicago bands listed (June 2003). • The song It’s Too Hard was ranked #1 in Alternative out of over 8,000 songs submitted on Garageband.com (October 2003). • The song Ember was featured as Garageband.com “Track of the Day" on June 14, 2003. • The song It's Too Hard was featured as Garageband.com “Track of the Week" (November 2003). • The song Page was featured on 94.7 The Zone - WZZN-FM on James VanOsdol’s Local Zone show (2003). • "Heavy Balloons Are laughing At Us" was reviewed favorably by Richard Milne and featured the track What For? on his show "Local Anesthetic" (September 2003). • Loomis was featured on WXRT’s "Local Anesthetic Capsule" (September 2003).
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