Justin Zamarripa
Cloud Nothings are set to release their third studio album early next year. Why should you care? Well, simply put, Cloud Nothings are one of the best bands out there right now. Their most recent album, Attack on Memory, was one of 2012’s best and saw the group take a huge step forward. What follows is a brief primer of Cloud Nothings for those who want to get some exposure to the band before their new album drops.
Cloud Nothings are a rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Originally a solo project of lead singer and guitarist Dylan Baldi, Cloud Nothings’ early recordings were comprised lo-fi rock songs in which Baldi played every instrument. The ‘band’s’ first major release was 2009’s Turning On, an eight song compilation that was later re-released with an additional five tracks recorded around the same time. After that followed the release of several EPs, including the great Kevin Greenspon + Cloud Nothings split and Leave You Forever, which featured improved sound quality compared to Baldi’s earlier music. 2011 saw the release of the Cloud Nothings’ full-length debut. The self-titled Cloud Nothings furthered the direction of Leave You Forever into a more power-pop sound and featured crisper production. Attack on Memory, however, was a complete 180. Released in January 2012, the album was darker and heavier than anything Cloud Nothings had released before. Baldi made a deliberate attempt to move away from the power-pop sound that defined Cloud Nothings by enlisting Steve Albini to produce the new album. Also, it wasn’t until Attack on Memory that Cloud Nothings became a true group endeavor; Baldi was finally joined in the recording process by his touring band of guitarist Joe Boyer, bassist TJ Duke, and drummer Jayson Gerycz. All of this added up to a fuller, harder sound and the results were spectacular.
Below are some highlights from Cloud Nothings’ work up to this point.
“Hey Cool Kid” from Turning On
“Can’t Stay Awake” from Turning On
“I Apologize” from Kevin Greenspon + Cloud Nothings
“Didn’t You” from the Didn’t You single
“Leave You Forever” from Leave You Forever
“Understand At All” from Cloud Nothings
“Stay Useless” from Attack on Memory
“Fall In” from Attack on Memory
“Wasted Days” from Attack on Memory
Today Cloud Nothings re-launched their website and uploaded a teaser video for their yet untitled new album, which I’ve included below. The website and video seem to confirm that the band is now a 3-piece, with guitarist Joe Boyer no longer in the picture. Regardless, the short song clips included in the video sound great and indicate that the new album will expand upon the sounds heard on Attack on Memory. While there’s no specific release date yet, I’ll be sure to post any updates as they’re released. For now, head to the revamped cloudnothings.com for more information on this great band.
