What began as Dylan Baldi’s solo experimentation in staticy, lo-fi pop-punk created in his parents’ Westlake basement has evolved into a full band whose sonically mature, markedly polished 'Attack On Memory' ignited the new year and hailed Cloud Nothings as one of the most vital new acts to watch.
“…to come home after a two month tour and suddenly find that our hometown supports us just as much as anywhere else was inspiring.”
Created in 2009 as Dylan Baldi’s solo project, Baldi soon released a string of 7”s, a split cassette and an EP before putting out ‘Turning On’—a compilation spanning about a year’s worth of work—on Carpark in 2010. January 2011 saw the release Cloud Nothings’ self-titled debut LP, which, put next to ‘Turning On’, found Baldi cleaning up his lo-fi aesthetic. In the interval since the release of Cloud Nothings, Baldi has toured widely and put a great deal of focus on his live show, a detail that heavily shapes the music of his follow-up album, ‘Attack on Memory’.
The album, produced by Steve Albini, boasts features that, even at a glance, mark a sea change in the band’s sound: higher fidelity, a track clocking in at almost nine minutes, an instrumental and an overall more plaintive air. The songs move along fluidly and Baldi sounds assured as he brings his vocals up in the mix, allowing himself to hold out long notes and put some grain into his voice.
‘Attack on Memory’ set the internet abuzz, the album hailed as best new album and Cloud Nothings as an essential young band to watch. In a string of recent tour dates, Cloud Nothings played a sold out show at the Grog Shop in Baldi’s Cleveland hometown.
How did it feel to sell out your homecoming show recently at the Grog Shop? Great. We’d never even come close to selling out a Cleveland show before, so to come home after a two month tour and suddenly find that our hometown supports us just as much as anywhere else was inspiring.
What’s been in heavy rotation lately? The Tronics, The Stooges, Throbbing Gristle, Wire
If you could perform with one artist or band, who would it be? Michael Yonkers. Dude seems like one of the coolest people of all time.
What’s your dream gig? Egypt. Or anywhere bands don’t necessarily tour too often, if ever.
Give ‘em a listen:
Download a free recording of Cloud Nothings’ recent show at the Grog Shop here.
Follow Cloud Nothings on Twitter, check ‘em out on the web and keep up with the band on Facebook! They’ll be playing at the Saigon Plaza during the Fest.
Click here to order your tickets to WMC Fest today. If you’re interested in joining us as a sponsor for as little as $50, there are numerous packages available here.
*Photos pulled from Cloud Nothing’s Facebook
Preview more of this year’s line-up by downloading the free 22-track
WMC Fest 2012 Music Sampler!
