Monday, January 09, 2012
On January 27, 2010, the world saw the end to one of the best bands on the planet, Gowns, and we were there to witness it. We do have video of that show (held at McWorld, pictures below) but we won't be posting any of it and if you were there you understand why. Instead, we will post video of EMA performing "California" at Detroit Bar back in June 2011. This is our favorite video we shot in 2011 and one of the best performances we saw all year. Any Gowns fans know that Ms. Erika is a beast on stage. Her very presence demands your attention (at 6", she towers above most everybody in the audience). And with her new band EMA, she has taken that aura to a whole new level.
The most unlikely rap track of the year and perhaps perfect counter to 2Pac's "California Love" was EMA's "California," which begins with the scathing (and much-talked about line) line "Fuck California/You made me boring," a lyric so hurtful we start to bleed even before she sings it. Even so, we almost feel we deserve the jab because as good as EMA is, Gowns was absolutely untouchable. Anderson, Buchla, and Fogel (three of L.A.'s pure geniuses) in the same fucking band? Un-touch-able. So although we do love EMA, we feel partly responsible for the fact that Gowns will be relegated to poorly shot YouTube videos and understated recognition. We just never gave them the love they deserved while they were around. Alas, it is but one regret in a sea of regrets that we aim to recompense with incessant overflowing accolades of EMA (and soon, Ezra Buchla and Corey Fogel's projects as well).
We love you, EMA.
EMA's debut album Past Life Martyred Saints and new 7" "Marked" b/w "Angelo" single are available everywhere. She performs at the Natural History Museum on 3/2 with Zola Jesus.
EMA:
