Flavorful Reads

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Cloud Nothings: Here and Nowhere Else

It's not very often I get all hot and bothered about a new release in the music scene.  I support my steady arsenal of bands and definitely support new artists I like, but rarely will a underground band (or artist) come along and simply blow my fucking load.  In recent memory, a band that accomplished this feet was a punk group from Philly, The Menzingers.  Before The Menzingers, I was tipped off on a little band called Wavves and in my mind they changed surf-rock forever.  And even before that, I thought Macklemore was going to change people's perception of a white rapper in underground America; he didn't.

As you can clearly see, anyone can be right or wrong when predicting or fantasizing about their little well-kept secret becoming an even better known little well-kept secret... if that makes any sense.  Well, let me tell you that I have found a band that may not seem tiny to their fans and following, but to you, the Top 40 mainstream, Cloud Nothings are the fly on the wall of the new what's next.

I tried writing reviews on this blog some time ago and that just never felt appropriate.  I'm not pitching you a sale on Cloud Nothings' newest release, Here and Nowhere Else, I'm simply advising you not to miss out on the Eustachian Tube orgasm.  Imagine a faster version of The Whigs combined with The Strokes' frontman Julian Casablancas more strung out than normal.  What the boys of Cloud Nothings created is far from perfect and that is what makes it so wonderful.  Screaming howls mixed with raspy, soothing vocals laid over what always seems to be a distorted guitar turned up to 11.  The dreams beat like a Foo Fighters melody, minus the poppy alternative sound.  I can't describe this new album as punk because it's not.  However, this is as fringe as a band can get.

And hold on, I don't want to come off as this guy who just realized his dick was hard after his 24th birthday.  I came upon these guys recently, but I have no intention of pretending to make the Cloud Nothings seem like a new band.  With releases dating back to 2010 this band is far from new, but they have not exactly been around for awhile.  This is what gets me so excited about them... Their fuckin' potential, man.  Just like when I first heard The Menzingers, Wavves, and Macklemore for the first time, all of these vastly different bands held something in common; potential.  Now, in my astute personal opinion, both The Menzingers and Wavves have lived up to this "potential," but I think Cloud Nothings can go above and beyond.  Why?

This band really seems to give the littlest amount of shit possible when considering what is going to work.  Not that they say fuck off to the fans, it's actually the opposite.  Cloud Nothings know they have a fan base that appreciates the grittiness, the distortion, the lack of lyrical comprehension.  Each album has delved deeper and deeper into the fringe (my word this week) and with each release the band has gained more traction along the way.

Like I said, it's not punk.  I don't think they want it to be punk.  It's pretty goddamned close, though.  Go check 'em out.  And hey, if you don't like Cloud Nothings, it's not like you agree with me on most topics anyway.

Cheers!

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