Cloud Cult will begin a two-month tour here in Madison in support of their sixth album, Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-partying Through Tornadoes). You may not be familiar with this band – but their last album, Meaning of 8, was selected by KEXP (Seattle) as one of 13 Great Musical Discoveries of 2007:

“. . .another intensely personal set of expansive songs that blend elements of orchestral pop, folk-rock, psychedelia, electronics and more. At times, it recalls The Flaming Lips, Arcade Fire and even Modest Mouse.”

And the New York Times called it “…a sprawling, kaleidoscopic invocation of the life force, with songs that veer from jubilation to simmering, prayerful meditation.”

Founder Craig Minowa wrote, recorded, and released the first Cloud Cult album in 1995 using his small Minneapolis apartment as his recording studio. But what started out as a solo project has evolved into a collective that currently includes cellist Sarah Young, violinist Shannon Frid, painters Connie Minowa and Scott West and bassist Shawn Neary (formerly of Tapes N Tapes).

Feel Good Ghosts is scheduled for April 8th release on Earthology Records - the not-for-profit environmental record label established by Minowa in 1998. One of the pioneering “green bands” of the modern indie-rock world, Cloud Cult has backed up their songwriting with green action for over a decade. Earthology studios is a small organic hobby farm in Northern Minnesota that’s heated and cooled by sustainable geothermal energy and powered with wind energy.

This should be a fascinating performance. Hope to see you there!