On The Meaning of 8, gears are switched from the distorted hip-hop pop of the last Enon-flavored, Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus to a less scatterbrained, more glossy indie-rock album. While it may be a tad disappointing to have Craig Minowa downshift from his expertise of mishmashing styles, it's remarkable to hear how capable he is at creating songs in this specific genre. In fact, the start of the album feels driven by a musical chameleon totally intent on replicating the tunes of his peers (most blatantly Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, the Flaming Lips, and the Polyphonic Spree.) Despite a more formulaic style and a reduced amount of experimental whimsy than before, the majority of these songs succeed. Where songs bubbled and blipped before, now they puff, bulge, and explode. The pieces are lush and well crafted, and often, as a songsmith, Minowa achieves a more poignant result than his immediate influences. The lovely and ripe-for-spring-fever single, "Chemicals Collide," features a Montreal indie-rock chamber pop formula that focuses on the build -- a guitar part slowly propels from finger-picking into a militant strumming over orchestral swells until the bottom drops out and then returns with a grandiose tom-fueled chorus. This new structure works especially well on the three songs that are the most somber and epic: "Hope," "Thanks" and "Dance of the Dead." They build skyward from lullabies to fourth-quarter supreme climaxes and contain the album's most heartbreaking and finest moments; especially upon realization that the conceptual overtones, saturated with philosophy and mortality, are inspired by Minowa's loss of his son. At the album's weakest moments, bits feel half-finished and almost like afterthoughts with a scattering of minimal instrumental jams and the whinier "2X2x2" and "A Good God" obstructing the view of an otherwise inspired and unusually focused vision. In most cases, the melodies are powerful, painful, and embellished with a potpourri of headphone candy -- xylophone, glockenspiel, piano, music box, vibes, and cello, combined with a variety of distorted synths, guitars, basses, and Bonham-esque drums. Ultimately, the shining moments outweigh the weaker ones (despite the exceptionally long running time), and, when Minowa hits his mark somewhere between the direct homage and the overly abstract, the results are sublime and engaging.
One band I cannot plug enough is Minnesota's Cloud Cult. The music is just amazing - thumping drumbeats, haunting strings, driving guitars, and front man Craig Minowa's impassioned vocals merge seamlessly into infectious tunes that defy both categorization and comparisons.Although the lyrics explore heavy topics like the meaning of life, death, and loss, the overall mood is one of hope. In fact...
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CLOUD CULT WAS FUCKING FANTASTIC (even though they didn't play Alien Christ. Tear.) It was really nice to see a band that I didn't have expectations and previous knowledge of. It was cool. Cloud Cult's album "The Meaning of 8" is by far the album you need to go buy right now. They're utterly mindblowing. They are my top pick of 07. It will remain that way unless, oh, 07 doesn't end? I can't for...
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oh man where do i begin...at the beginning?we (being me and my friend vanessa) arrived at about 9, missing the opening act (jeff johnson...i think). rewind...first of all, we went to sonic boom for cloud cult's in-store acoustic performance. they were half an hour late because they were doing sound check at neumos. while we waited, we spent our time looking at album art for a bunch of obscure b...
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CloudCult.commyspaceI saw them Sunday night at the Mercurary lounge, the show of that didn't sell out of the 2. Of course it was awesome. I had seen them previously at knitting factory, but that time the violinist was missing, and so were the two painters that usually accompany the performance. however, this time everyone was there! Overall i'd have to say they are solidly my favorite band even...
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after a couple more listens straight through, my enthusiasm hasn't waned a bit for cloud cult's new release, the meaning of 8. upon further investigation, the packaging contains an interesting explanation of "the meaning of 8", in which the meaning of the actual number 8 is explored as used in various cultural and religious contexts. it's quite interesting, but too long to reproduce here, and i...
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Do go to one or both of Cloud Cult's NY showdates?Seriously! Cloud Cult!
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Since 2000, the little-known, self-produced "Cloud Cult":http://www.cloudcult.com/ has released five albums. The band's sound truly began to come together in 2004 with Aurora Borealis. Then in 2005, Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus finally showcased the insane genius of singer/songwriter writer Craig Minowa. Now 2007 has shown that Cloud Cult is continuing its upward trajectory with the stunn...
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We've got seven video sessions up over at The LaundroMatinee now! More coming this week and every week following! Today we share Minneapolis, Minnesota's Cloud Cult . This session is also from our early days in the 91.7 WEEM Pendelton Heights High School radio station...classroom-style once again! Cloud Cult - Everybody Here Is A Cloud (Live on MOKB/SIRIUS Blog Radio at the 91.7 WE...
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Craig Minowa and Cloud Cult performing Chain Reaction live in-studio at The Current 89.3...Perfect for a Sunday morning and for listening to whilst you read a few words of catch up from ZR before I head off to yet another airport... I hope so.....I have been in Phoenix (visiting a dear friend who is also a camera buff)) for the last few days and its been wonderful... for the first time in 6 wee...
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When I made my Top 10 (actually 11) list for 2007 I left two albums which I only discovered in January of this year. The first was Menomena, which I posted on earlier... The other was the brilliant band from Minnesota, Cloud Cult.When I first heard this album, it made almost every other album I was listening to seem trivial.The quick back story: Cloud Cult is basically Craig Minowa, musician an...
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oh man where do i begin...at the beginning?we (being me and my friend vanessa) arrived at about 9, missing the opening act (jeff johnson...i think). rewind...first of all, we went to sonic boom for cloud cult's in-store acoustic performance. they were half an hour late because they were doing sound check at neumos. while we waited, we spent our time looking at album art for a bunch of obscure b...
More >
Sorry for the very impersonal post, but 'tis another overly busy day at my place of employment, Wu-Tang Financial. This song is getting a lot of love on my iPod lately, so I figured I'd put it up for all to enjoy... that is all, carry on.
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after a couple more listens straight through, my enthusiasm hasn't waned a bit for cloud cult's new release, the meaning of 8. upon further investigation, the packaging contains an interesting explanation of "the meaning of 8", in which the meaning of the actual number 8 is explored as used in various cultural and religious contexts. it's quite interesting, but too long to reproduce here, and i...
More >
so i've only listened to the first five songs off cloud cult's latest release (as of today) "the meaning of 8"...suffice it to say i'm ecstatic. i haven't heard a song that i don't like...even just a little bit. i love it that it still sounds like cloud cult, but it doesn't sound like every other song coming from them. craig minowa is a super musical genius that's for sure. also can't go wrong wit
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Have you spent much time thinking of the environmental impact of your listening habits? Sure, the "environmentalist" attitude is growing more hip & maybe slowly mainstream.... with the likes of Radiohead & others becoming conscious of their Carbon footprint in touring. But what about the rest of the process in the industry? Minnesotan group Cloud Cult have taken their action a step or giant ...
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One band I cannot plug enough is Minnesota's Cloud Cult. The music is just amazing - thumping drumbeats, haunting strings, driving guitars, and front man Craig Minowa's impassioned vocals merge seamlessly into infectious tunes that defy both categorization and comparisons.Although the lyrics explore heavy topics like the meaning of life, death, and loss, the overall mood is one of hope. In fact...
More >
CloudCult.commyspaceI saw them Sunday night at the Mercurary lounge, the show of that didn't sell out of the 2. Of course it was awesome. I had seen them previously at knitting factory, but that time the violinist was missing, and so were the two painters that usually accompany the performance. however, this time everyone was there! Overall i'd have to say they are solidly my favorite band even...
More >
CLOUD CULT WAS FUCKING FANTASTIC (even though they didn't play Alien Christ. Tear.) It was really nice to see a band that I didn't have expectations and previous knowledge of. It was cool. Cloud Cult's album "The Meaning of 8" is by far the album you need to go buy right now. They're utterly mindblowing. They are my top pick of 07. It will remain that way unless, oh, 07 doesn't end? I can't for...
More >
Do go to one or both of Cloud Cult's NY showdates?Seriously! Cloud Cult!
More >
Since 2000, the little-known, self-produced "Cloud Cult":http://www.cloudcult.com/ has released five albums. The band's sound truly began to come together in 2004 with Aurora Borealis. Then in 2005, Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus finally showcased the insane genius of singer/songwriter writer Craig Minowa. Now 2007 has shown that Cloud Cult is continuing its upward trajectory with the stunn...
More >
I don't know what it is about this song, but it stops me dead in my tracks whenever my iPod shuffles over to it. Then I go back and listen to it again, along with the rest of the record. Something magical is happening here. Is Cloud Cult on tour? Is the band coming to Baltimore?
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If I was a pitcher in the majors, this song would absolutely be my theme as I walk from the bullpen to the mound. That would replace "Note to Self: Don't Die" by Ryan Adams.
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Chain Reaction |
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| 2 Please Remain Calm |
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| 3 Chemicals Collide |
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| 4 Pretty Voice |
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| 5 Brain Gateway |
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| 6 Take Your Medicine |
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| 7 Your 8th Birthday |
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| 8 Dance of the Dead |
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| 9 Everywhere All at One Time |
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| 10 Purpose |
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| 11 A Good God |
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| 12 Shape of 8 |
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| 13 The Girl Underground |
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| 14 2x2x2 |
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| 15 Thanks |
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| 16 Alien Christ |
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| 17 The Deaf Girl's Song |
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| 18 Hope |
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| 19 [Untitled] |
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Click to purchase…
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "The Meaning of 8")
