OK this is a first on my site,  I have not yet photographed Cloud Cult but man do I want to. These are not my photos, they are just screen shots I took from their video below. I am just so blown away by this band.,I heard them for the first time this Sunday morning on a great free streaming radio station called ParadiseRadio.com, and I just wanted to run out and tell the world about them. Watch this music video below of their beautiful song “Energy”, then leave me a comment about your take on this great new/old band. They have been around for decade.

Within an hour of hearing them for the first time I downloaded their album form 2007 "The Meaning of 8" and then went right back and purchased "Feel Good Ghosts" from 2008.

I am quite sure the next two albums will soon follow. I hear so many influences in this band like, Yes, the Cure, Supertramp and Peter Gabriel. And speaking of Mr. Gabriel on the next page is a rare candid interview with the man himself.

Below is a Peter Gabriel interview by Neon Indian,who I did photograph once at the 2009 Monolith Festival at Denver’s Redrock Amphithere .

Band Origin: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Genres
Art rock
Experimental
Indie pop
Baroque pop

Years active
1995—present

Labels
Earthology Records

Website
http://www.cloudcult.com

Members

Craig Minowa
Arlen Peiffer
Shawn Neary
Shannon Frid
Sarah Elhardt
Connie Minowa
Scott West

Past members

Martin Begue
Eduardo Vaz
Mara Stemm
Matthew Freed
Dan Greenwood
Sarah Young

Cloud Cult is an experimental indie rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota led by singer/songwriter Craig Minowa. The name originated from the ancient prophecies of indigenous North Americans.^\

Contents

• 1 History
• 2 Awards
• 3 Band members
• 4 Discography
  • 4.1 Studio Albums
  • 4.2 Films
  • 4.3 Best Of, Live, Remixes
• 5 References
• 6 External links

History

Cloud Cult developed in 1995 as Craig Minowa recruited several other artists to contribute to his solo recordings. The band’s early work earned Cloud Cult several offers from record labels, but all were rejected in favor of self-publishing.^[2] As they began to play live, one of their show’s most distinctive features was the live painting by Connie Minowa and Scott West: over the course of a show they each completed a painting to be auctioned off at the end.

In 1997, lead singer Craig Minowa formed Earthology Records on his organic farm, powered by geothermal energy and built partially from reclaimed wood and recycled plastic. This nonprofit label uses only recycled materials and donates all profits to environmental charities.^[4] The band also tours in a biodiesel van.

In the year 2002, shortly after the unexpected death of his two year old son Kaidin, Minowa wrote over a hundred songs to deal with the loss.^[2] Another Cloud Cult album came in the summer of 2002, titled Lost Songs from the Lost Years, a ten-year anthology of previously unreleased work from Minowa. They Live on the Sun was finished in 2003 and went to #1 on college radio station charts across the country. In January 2004, Cloud Cult added Mara Stemm on bass and released Aurora Borealis just six months later. The album was nominated by the Minnesota Music Awards as “Album of the Year” along with Prince and Paul Westerberg. With a van covered in solar panels, the band began touring nationally. In 2006 Cloud Cult released Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus, which Pitchfork Media called “insane genius” and rated the album with an 8.3. The Denver Post ranked the 2007 release The Meaning of 8 as one of the top ten albums of the past decade, along with bands like Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips and Radiohead.

Cloud Cult released a new album entitled Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) on April 8, 2008. The album was recorded and produced at Minowa’s small organic farm in Northern Minnesota. "The place is so far out in the boonies, you can barely find it, because it’s not on the maps," said Dan Montalto, an MTV Producer who brought a camera crew to the farm to film a short MTV feature on the band.

Craig has said that this might be the final Cloud Cult album: "I don’t think there’s going to be another Cloud Cult album for a while. It could be never, I don’t know."^[6] The band’s website says that "the band plans to take a short respite to focus on family in the latter part of 2008 and into 2009."

In October 2008, Cloud Cult was featured in an animated Esurance commercial. The band is shown playing the song "Lucky Today" while floating on clouds. This and other songs are available for free downloads on the Esurance website.

In the spring of 2009 Cloud Cult released "No One Said It Would Be Easy" a full length documentary about the band.

At Coachella 2009 Craig revealed that Connie would not be performing because she was "not feeling well…. she’s pregnant."^[8] They continue to tour and recently appeared for the second year straight at the "St Johns Block Party" outdoors in front of over 7,000 fans in Rochester Minnesota. There are several other upcoming dates set for the summer of 2009. Connie continues to perform while very pregnant.

The band announced a break beginning August 23, 2009 for Connie and Craig’s baby. They will resume playing regionally in late spring 2010 and nationally in fall 2010.

In the spring of 2010, Cloud Cult became a contributing artist to Think Out Loud, a compilation album serving the homeless in the Twin Cities.^[9]

In early 2010 the band announced that it will release a new album entitled Light Chasers, due out September 14, 2010. Despite these plans, the album in its entirety leaked to the internet in early July 2010. The lead single for the album, "Running With The Wolves" was released in April 2010 and has received local and national radio play. The band is planning a nationwide tour in support of the album.

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Elvis Costello

Just a quick post to let you know about other sites that are using my photos;

The Denver Post article below (Live review: Elvis Costello, Black Eyed Peas, Doobie Brothers, Allman Brothers Band @ Jazz Aspen Snowmass) is the sixth review of a musical event that they have used my photos in: http://blogs.denverpost.com/reverb/2009/09/09/live-review-elvis-costello-black-eyed-peas-doobie-brothers-allman-brothers-band-jazz-aspen-snowmass/

GrooveMine.com is a festival oriented music website out of Seattle that has used many of my photos in the last few months:

http://www.groovemine.com/audiofile_mward

http://www.groovemine.com/musicfestivals

I still have tons of photos to post from last weeks Aspen Jazz Festival so please be patient, this includes;

Elvis Costello seen above.

The Allman Brothers

The Doobie Brothers

Michael Franti and Spearhead

Drive By Truckers

Citizen Cope

Umphrey McGee

More of The Black Eyed Peas

Also have some great shots of one of the most unique bands ever, Railroad Earth!

Tomorrow I’m off to the Monolith Festival at Redrocks, over 70 bands, should be intense.

Take care.

Lewis

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Chris Hickey

Chris Hickey makes beautiful lyrically rich, wonderfully simple music. I had never heard of him before this morning, he sent me an email it said:

Lewis

I recently wrote and recorded a song, each day, for about three weeks. The result is “Razzmatazz” – 16 songs, just vocal & guitar, recorded in my bedroom on a hand-held voice recorder. The record is available now on my website and will be widely available in September.

Here’s a link to listen to or download “Kerouac” from the new CD:

http://chrishickey.net/jack-kerouac.htm

Thanks! – Chris Hickey

Chris Hickey has three previous solo records, was a member of the bands “Uma” and “Show of Hands”, and has appeared on records by Joe Henry, Michael Penn, Indigo Girls, and more.

I replied to his email:

Chris

I woke up late this morning not normal for me. I opened my email and found an email from you talking about your new album. I wondered how you got my email, I l almost deleted it, I’m so busy these days, no time for unsolicited email. But I didn’t.

I clicked the link in your email to listen to your song titled “Kerouac”. I must have had it running in two ways for a bit, overlapping vocals, I really couldn’t  understand the song the words were all jumbled. But instead of bagging the whole thing and going on with my morning cup of coffee, I tried again, this time I was successful. I listened to the song, I was drawn in by the phrases, the mellow and spacious nature of the tunes, the simplicity, and the sweet yet thought provoking lyrics, “Good times love and and fun frolic, Buddhist loving alcoholic”, now that is a fine bit of poetry/songwriting. I too am so very grateful for Jack opening the door to the East for us Westerners. I enjoy reading about Eastern religion but really admire J. Krishnamutri’s wise words which I think say it best for me, “Follow no Dogma, No Religion nor Guru”, “Truth is a Pathless Land” .

Next I went to your MySpace and listened to Kitchen and Lay Your Body Down, after one listen I then promptly bought your album “Razzmatazz”.

All I can say is, I hear you. As I was listening to your music I scrolled down through your comments and saw some from your daughter, I have a daughter too, her comments really hit home. I am going through a divorce after 15 years of marriage and really have a tough time when it comes to my kids, that damn attachment thing you know, seems like I am pretty good about all the other attachments issues but with my kids its different, so much harder then all the rest.

Anyway sorry to go on and on about non music related stuff, are you touring, I shoot concert photography and would love to photograph you. Would it be OK to embed your videos and a brief write up on my website?

I want everyone that have the ears to hear to hear your music, I feel your music is unique, heartfelt and authentic.

Take care and thanks for the email and beautiful music.

Lewis

Chris emailed me back a few minutes later and said I could embed his video and do a brief review of his album, this is what I am doing now. Check out Chris’s music out and if you like what you hear, buy his latest album, it’ll be the best $5.00 you very spent!

Here are a couple videos of Chris’s videos:

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