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Cloud Nothings Release New Album

CLOUD NOTHINGS
RELEASE NEW ALBUM
FINAL SUMMER OUT NOW

SHARE COMMON MISTAKE MUSIC VIDEO

“…the kind of melodic, hard-hitting, no-bullsh*t indie rock that has become Cloud Nothings’ calling card — a sound that has helped them endure through several hype cycles to become one of the most consistently rewarding bands in their scene.” – Stereogum

“Whenever there’s a new Cloud Nothings record, you can rest assured that it will be great.” – Uproxx

“…at their most anthemic.” – BrooklynVegan

“The band’s energy level never slackens throughout Final Summer, and the entirety of the record’s half-hour run time sounds massive…” – FLOOD Magazine

Cloud Nothings‘ highly anticipated new album, Final Summer, is out now from Pure Noise Records! The record has already garnered attention from the likes of Pitchfork, NPR, Stereogum, Rolling Stone, Paste, BrooklynVegan, Uproxx, FLOOD Magazine, and more, and continues the band’s nearly 15 year streak of unimpeachably fantastic guitar rock music.

Final Summer is the kind of album that’s so assured, so instantly satisfying, that it forces you to pause and realize you’re listening to one of the great American rock bands in their prime. Now listeners can hear the record in full and experience the inventive riffing, effortless hooks, and earthshaking guitar tones that prove exactly why every Cloud Nothings release is downright essential. To celebrate, the band have shared their new music video for Final Summer‘s triumphant closer, Common Mistake.

Cloud Nothings – made up of vocalist/guitarist Dylan Baldi, drummer Jayson Gerycz and bassist Chris Brown – have evolved from scrappy lofi upstarts into a guitar music institution, churning out incredible songs at a rate and level of quality that few can compare to. Recorded with Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War On Drugs, Torres, Purling Hiss), mixed by Sarah Tudzin (boygenius, Tim Heidecker, Pom Pom Squad), and mastered by Jack Callahan (Ryley Walker, Merchandise, Wolf Eyes), Final Summer offers their finest set of songs to date, perfectly capturing the mix of melody and noise that makes Cloud Nothings so special. Clocking in at a lean 29 minutes, the album is bursting with the unbridled joy that comes from playing guitars and drums loudly. This is not the work of a scrappy new band cramming all of their ideas into a debut album or grizzled veterans grinding through another release: it’s one of the tightest and most invigorating rock bands active today, driven to make the best version of themselves. 

Cloud Nothings will be touring extensively in support of Final Summer, starting with a lengthy North American headlining tour in May.

Stream Final Summer here
Order Final Summer here

FINAL SUMMER TRACK LISTING:
01. Final Summer
02. Daggers of Light
03. I’d Get Along
04. Mouse Policy
05. Silence
06. Running Through The Campus
07. The Golden Halo
08. Thank Me For Playing
09. On The Chain
10. Common Mistake

 

ABOUT CLOUD NOTHINGS:
Some bands never miss. This rare breed consistently puts out great records every couple years, avoiding the lengthy hiatuses or egregious sonic missteps that often come with achieving longevity. It’s an often unsung reliability, as few realize how truly remarkable it is to put art into the world at this rate without letting the quality slip. For nearly 15 years, Cloud Nothings have continued to hit the target, steadily becoming a part of the fabric of modern indie rock as we know it with a run of fantastic albums. This streak continues unabated with their latest full-length, Final Summer–an album that’s so assured, so instantly satisfying, that it forces you to pause and realize you’re listening to one of the great American rock bands in their prime. 

Formed in 2009 by guitarist/vocalist Dylan BaldiCloud Nothings evolved over the years from a one-man lo-fi project into a finely tuned unit also composed of drummer Jayson Gerycz and bassist Chris BrownCloud Nothings, over so many years and so many records (nine or ten “depending on how you look at it,” laughs Baldi), have existed long enough to witness all sorts of musical moments come and go, but the secret to their endurance isn’t about savvily navigating trends. “We’ve just never felt inclined to stop,” Baldi explains. “It’s not like this makes us millions of dollars, but it’s a great gig, it’s what we love to do.” Gerycz adds, “It’s just still so fun every time we do it, every time we go get in the basement and start writing.” 

And it shows. Recorded with Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War On Drugs, Torres, Purling Hiss), mixed by Sarah Tudzin (boygenius, Tim Hiedecker, Pom Pom Squad), and mastered by Jack Callahan (Ryley Walker, Merchandise, Wolf Eyes), Final Summer is bursting with the unbridled joy that only comes from playing guitars and drums loudly. This is not the work of a scrappy new band cramming all of their ideas into a debut album or grizzled veterans grinding through another release: it’s one of the tightest and most invigorating rock bands active today, driven to make the best version of themselves. “I just like making things,” says Baldi. “I love having something that I’ve made by the end of the day, even if it’s just one song. It’s like proof that my day happened. I’m just always trying to refine the thing we do, which is to make songs that take you from one place to another.” 

Very few bands take listeners on that kind of journey within a hooky rock song as effectively as Cloud Nothings, and the album’s opening title track proves exactly why. A wash of crackling synths sets the scene before the band roars to life with a cutting riff and Gerycz’s driving beat. From there, it’s layer after layer of interlocking melodies and guitar lines, all rising action while Baldi lays out the album’s overarching lyrical ideas. “It’s about feeling alright in the moment,” Baldi says. “A lot of these songs sort of ended up being about getting by or trying to keep improving despite everything.”

His lyrics often take on a mantra-like quality, using repetition and a one-of-a-kind delivery to dig something deeper out of observations about the mundane or frustrating parts of life. On early Final Summer standout I’d Get AlongBaldi repeats “if something would happen with me…” over and over, each time adding to the tension before the track’s truly massive chorus explodes with a cacophony of fuzzed-out guitars and a howling “I’d get along.” Throughout the record, Cloud Nothings strike their trademark balance of inventiveness and accessibility, with every track full of hooks but also the kinds of details and twists that reward repeat listens. The Golden Halo feels like a two-minute-long chorus, hook after hook careening forward with a motorik beat and ever-growing sea of voices, while elsewhere songs like Mouse Policy or Running Through The Campus take very literal ideas and spin them into something else through walls of thick bass and thunderous distortion. 

On Final Summer closer Common MistakeBaldi sings, “This is your life, it’s a common mistake. We’ll be alright, just give more than you take.” It’s the kind of deceptively direct lyric that he excels at, a clear and real sentiment filtered through a melody that’s stuck in your head before the end of the first chorus. The line could almost be an accidental mission statement for the band itself: a group that creates with a workman-like commitment, providing listeners with something authentic and artful at an unflinching pace. Cloud Nothings don’t miss, and you won’t want to miss them either. 

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Gig ReviewsReviews

[Review] Daydream Festival @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne 22/04/2023

Review By Tammy Walters

Whilst the last minute cancellation from Slowdive bummed out a bunch of fans, it certainly didn’t dampen the events of Daydream. A reshuffle of the existing lineup and extension of sets meant we received more songs from the stellar music company consisting of Melbourne’s Majak Door, Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings, Brooklyn’s Beach Fossils, our city’s favourite rockers Tropical Fuckstorm and Washington-birthed, Portland-based Modest Mouse

Setting the score for the jam packed evening we’re local Lo-fi indie six piece Majak Door. As the masses drip fed into the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and cascaded down the stairs into the amphitheater, they were greeted by a sound reflecting the event title; dreamy surf rock waves crashing down on the stage. They swam through a set of songs from the self-titled album and dropped in their latest track ‘Borderline’, filling out a solid opening for the festival.

Cloud Nothings hit the stage next. The three piece offered a twelve track set, with a focus of their 2012 standout, Attack on Memory. Wasting no time they launched in with ‘I’m Not Part of Me’ excluding a casual coolness prevalent in the indie rock identity. The high octane set of trim, quick-whip songs that are over in 3 minutes, was underpinned by animalistic drumming of Jayson Gerycz, elevating the energy on the stage. Whilst ‘Hey Cool Kid’ didn’t make the cut, subbed out for fellow Turning On mate, ‘Can’t Stay Awake’, the set was still a stellar run, ending in transcendental fashion with the nearly 9-minute building-block ‘Wasted Days’.

A whole decade since their last show, Beach Fossils knew they had to pull out all the stops for the Daydream debut. Though half the song selection of their Cleveland predecessors, Beach Fossils made double the impact for a set of old and new across their titular debut, Somersault, and their highly anticipated upcoming release Bunny. They launched in with double-d’s, ‘Down The Line’ and ‘Don’t Fade Away’ before hitting the triple on new tracks. “This is a BBCOne Triple J exclusive,” guitarist Tommy Davidson commented before ‘Be Nothing’, the final third debut live play of their set, with a shoutout given to the unruly boo-er in the crowd. More shoutouts were offered, multiple of which were directed at Anton Hochheim, Beach Fossils drummer, who was in Australia for the first time. Subbing out their originally intended manifested closer ‘May 1st’, they date they were due to fly home, for the equally appropriately related ‘Daydream’, Beach Fossils knew the assessment and delivered an A+.

Modest Mouse frontman Issac Brock said it during his set- “Tropical Fuck Storm are one of my top three favourite bands- they’re insanely good” and they are! There is no band like TFS; the explosive brainchild of Garrett Liddiard, Erica Dunn, Fiona Kitschin and Lauren Hammel. With albums Braindrops and A Laughing Death In Meatspace hailed as compositional genius by critics and crowds across the globe, the live translation is a ferocious full-bodied frenzy. Erratic drones of the guitar, feverish swirls of the keys, a gyrating body of beats and bass, and a primitive vocal power encased their seven song set. Inclusion of The Stooges song ‘Ann’ and Lost Animals ‘Lose You Baby’ went down a treat, becoming synonymous with their catalogue. There is a reason for countless Live Musician of The Year awards and the Daydream crowded witnessed it firsthand.

The piece de resistance of the festival came from indie figureheads Modest Mouse

From ‘The World At Large’ right through to ‘Trailer Trash’, the two-tiered positioned performers put on a show. ‘Dramamine’ made an early appearance coming in at 3rd place, with ‘3rd Planet’ shortly thereafter. Only months after the passing of mainstay drummer Jeremiah Green, the band came together for a full celebration of their career, touching on all of their albums. 

Though the set did not go without a hitch. Following the highlight of high-energy ‘Dashboard’, Brock took a tumble during a crowd interaction. He took it like a champ though commenting “Have you ever thought you were stepping onto something solid and it was just air? It was awesome,” turning to the audience member to joke, “I regret our interaction. A cautionary tale for any cell phone interaction. Write it on a napkin. That’s what God would have wanted.” No hard feelings as they continued through ‘Lace Your Shoes’, the mammoth ‘Float On’ and ‘Spitting Venom’ to close out the main set.

Minor technical issues throughout the set saw some guitar pedal confusion for Brock, making song transitions less than seamless and saw an extended wait between main set and encore where the crowd was divided between waiting patiently or make an early escape. Unfortunately a large number chose the latter option but to their own loss. Removed from the final set list were ‘Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine’, ‘Perfect Dis or Out of Gas’, ‘Whale Song’ and ‘Ground Walks’ – perhaps the stage fall was more serious and required medical attention. We’re not to know but what we do know is that the 19 track tally was epic in proportions with each song cementing the mastery of Modest Mouse. 

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FeaturedNews

Discover the latest addition to Australia’s indie rock scene: Daydream festival.

Indie music enthusiasts can look forward to some great times with the arrival of Daydream, a festival that is set to tour Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane this Autumn. Featuring renowned alternative acts such as Modest Mouse, Slowdive, Tropical F*ck Storm, and others, this indie extravaganza is not to be missed. With a one-stage format, you won’t miss any of the heavyweight indie performances, including Modest Mouse, who will be headlining the show, marking their return to Australia after a hiatus since 2016. Other acts such as Slowdive,  Beach Fossils, Cloud Nothings, and Majak Door (not appearing in Brisbane) are also set to rock the stage with their unique sounds.

Modest Mouse, in particular, is set to perform hits from their impressive discography, including tracks from their latest album, The Golden Casket, which explores the degradation of America’s psychic landscape through the lens of smartphone screens. Slowdive, known for their ambient-rock infused gems, will also grace the stage, performing some of their classic tracks such as “When the Sun Hits” and “Sugar For The Pill,” among others. Tropical F*ck Storm, Beach Fossils, Cloud Nothings, and Majak Door will also be bringing their distinctive sounds to the festival.

Daydream promises to be a must-attend event for discerning indie music lovers, providing a solid fix of the indie-rock goodness they have been dreaming of. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to catch some of the most revered alternative acts in the industry. Sign up for presale now!

DAYDREAM
Saturday 22 April
Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Melbourne, VIC

Saturday 29 April
Hordern Pavillion
Sydney, NSW

Sunday 30 April
Riverstage
Brisbane, QLD

TICKETS
Early Bird Presale:
Thursday 2 February, 9am local time
$129.90 + BF

Sign up for presale here.

General On Sale:
Friday 3 February, 9am local time
$129.90 – $149.90 + BF

Tickets available via Destroy All Lines website here.

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