All I Ever Wanted Was A Happy Happy Heart
*EDIT: THE PERSON CLAIMING TO BE DAVID NEWFELD
IS INFACT AN IMPOSTER–BUT STILL A JERK*
IS INFACT AN IMPOSTER–BUT STILL A JERK*
You might recognize the title of this post from the current "subtitle" of this blog, which can probably be seen right up there at the top of your browser window! Well, as some of you may be aware of, that line comes from the song "Popkids of the World Unite!" by Horowitz – surely one of the finest pop songs of the past year. The song appeared on the band's Tracyanne single on Cloudberry in early 2007, which has long been sold out. So, the band have decided to reissue "Tracyanne" b/w "Popkids of the World Unite!" (the two best songs from the Cloudberry single) on a nice thick slab of transparent yellow 7" vinyl! You should probably make very sure that you own this immediately, because Horowitz are amazing amazing amazing! And, yknow, since they are so amazing, if you're just not into 7" records you can just download both songs on their MySpace. However, if you do like 7" records, then their MySpace is also where you want to be, because thats where you can order it! Did I mention there's only 200 of them?If you never have, now's a good time:
[MP3]: Horowitz :: Popkids of the World Unite (Most Surely Recommended!)
Horowitz have also just put together a virtual box set available for download, through Thee SPC. Apart from I Need a Blanket and It's Better To Eat Twinkies...(both from the Frosty Cat Songs LP) there is Animal Soup from the sold out Cloudberry single. There's also the video for "Blanket", which is completely fantastic, virtual badges, a postcard and an online Humbug Special zine, containing interviews by Kieron from In Love With These Times and Roque from Cloudberry Records. And it's all FREE!!
You can get it all HERE!
Labels: Cloudberry, Glo-fi, Horowitz, Thee SPC
Stumble It!
posted by Matt at 7:22 PM
110 Comments:
There are waaaay too many Cloudberry affiliated posts on this site. Are you on their payroll? Their bands really aren’t that great… they’re ok, but certainly not worth the attention you give them. What’s the deal?
I somewhat agree. The Apple orchard, Stars in Coma, Astrolab, Strawberry Story, and Summer Cats eps have been stand outs, but for the most part the Cloudberry catalog has missed the target in my opinion.
um guys, yknow, horowitz released an entire album before their cloudberry single even came out. calling them a "cloudberry band" is just dumb. but im sorry, i love almost every band on cloudberry regardless... its a bummer you guys dont, but thats not really my problem.
I don’t think anyone called Horowitz a "Cloudberry band,” but rather this a Cloudberry affiliated post….. which it clearly is. You still didn’t explain why you carry the torch into battle for Cloudberry Records so often. It just seems a bit strange.
i just really love what theyre doing for indiepop right now. roque's doing more for pop music than anyone's done in a while. when looking back, ten years from now, cloudberry is gonna be pretty legendary.
i support all my favorite record labels very heavily, this should be pretty obvious. i mention slumberland a lot, too.. no one complains about that... or that ive made a bagillion posts about the pains of being pure at heart...
plus, i love almost every release cloudberry has put out this past year, i play them all the time and theyre some of my favorite songs in recent history.
It's important to support the things, causes, and places that you love and value. If not, who will? Unfortunately, neglected and unappreciated things oftentimes fall by the wayside.
Dan & Matt,
Your hippy speak is all good and well, but Cloudberry Records? Really? Looking back ten years from now, Cloudberry is going to be pretty unmemorable... actually. Has even one of these bands cracked the top 200 on CMJ? Even bands on Sarah got radio play! Come on guys! No one knows these bands outside of the the small club you've created... which is fine, but don't pretend it's anything more than that. Cloudberry will not be remembered as a Slumberland because Slumberland had bands that made that label famous (i.e. The Aislers Set, Stereolab, Small Factory...). If Slow Down Tallahassee become the White Stripes then I guess I'll eat my words, but as it stands Cloudberry Records will be long forgotten.
well, by you, perhaps. also, that was a different time for music, it made sarah bands likely candidates for heavy radio play. also, there are an extremely large amount of people who dont even know what sarah records was, let alone slumberland, and at least 60 to 75% of the people that did know about them, were probably devoted fans of the labels anyway... meaning, anyone who loves and cares about cloudberry right now will likely never forget them, theyve made a huge mark, albeit on a small community.
Sarah Records used to do a minimum run of 1000 and sell them all. That's amazing. But there was no internet, no mp3s, no free downloads. It's a different time! I don't understand what the anti-Cloudberry argument is. You don't agree with what they do because their bands are not going to be famous? There wouldn't be any indiepop if everyone thought like that, surely! The history of indiepop, daft as that sounds, is full of people who do things because they feel like it and because it's fun and they want to share their passion and enthusiasm.
This comment has been removed by the author.
I am with Matt, Dan and Marianthi on this one just for the fact that Roque did more for indie pop than anyone else in 2007 with Cloudberry.
It's not a label that will sign band to five album deals or has a desire to get airplay. It's a label giving unsigned bands or those from countries other than the US or UK, some exposure via a limited edition CD/7" single run just for the love of it.
This is just the same as bloggers blogging about their favourite bands or writers put together fanzines/e-zines.
Indie pop since the 1980's has always been a cottage industry and if that equates some sort of club then so be it.
I have noticed Cloudberry getting stick elsewhere on the net - is this a new sport?
I see no harm at all in supporting small indie labels like Cloudberry Rec. I love Cloudberry as well as YAY! Rec - those two are possibly my favourite indiepop labels right now. Roque has released 75 cd-rs- the majority of which are really brilliant! Matt makes all these postss about cloudberry out of pure love for indiepop music.There is nothing shady about this at all.
Christos
Roque did more for indie pop than anyone else in 2007? That’s a bold statement. Did WXCU in Columbus, OH, WXVU at Villanova, WHUS in Storrs, CT, WHRB at Harvard play any of his records even once?! Guys, a movement doesn’t count if no one knows it exists. I hate to break it to you but you all know Heavenly, The Softies, The Field Mice, The Magnetic Fields, and The Wedding Present because they were all on labels that got them radio play and promoted their bands. You can all pretend Cloudberry is the next Sarah or K Records but it is not.
I think sales and radio chart success (especially in the internet age) and size of the "scene" are poor indicators of the importance and legacy of the music. Lots of blogs, such as Littlehits, Garage Hangover, etc., provide good evidence that even music that's not largely appreciated the first time around can certainly become known, and loved, by a larger audience over time, as well as grow in terms of its influence. It's rather upsetting that someone like Roque, who I highly doubt is making any sort of monetary profit from his label, is being so harshly criticized for working so hard for something into which he obviously puts a lot of time and effort.
you just dont get it. radio play has nothing to do with movement. nothing at all. and im sorry, but radioplay has nothing to do with why i love most all of the bands i love... its awful ridiculous to assume so, too. no one is saying cloudberry is the next sarah, or the next k, but it means a lot to us, and it means alot to everyone that roque would hope it means a lot to... and that is all that matters. period. also, yes, roque did do more for indiepop in 2007 than anyone else.. i highly doubt anyone deeply involved in the world of indiepop would disagree with that statement. it's a bold statement, but it also happens to be 100% true.
You can keep saying that Roque did more for indiepop in 2007 than anyone else, but Cloudberry won’t even be a footnote when the chapter on indiepop is written about 2007. Los Campesinos, The Shout Out Louds, Bishop Allen, Voxtrot, Tullycraft, Vampire Weekend, Pants Yell!, and Jens Lekman will all probably get some notice... but guess what? All of those bands were promoted and received radio play. Huh? Funny how that works isn't it? I'm sure the blogs did their part as well, especially the "important" ones like Littlehits & Garage Hangover, but you can't underestimate the machine that has been in place for more than 40 years. Labels that spend money on their bands make money on their bands, it's that simple... and in-turn make a name for their label. At best Cloudberry could be The Bus Stop Label, but they've got no Rocketship, Apples in Stereo, or Orange Peels to get them noticed.
yeah, but i dont really like any of those bands, aside from py!, jens lekman, and tullycraft... i could really care less about the rest of those bands. were not saying YOU are going to remember cloudberry. were saying WE are, and it's quite silly to accuse of just pretending that we will. and dan wasnt talking about those blogs helping out cloudberry bands, he was talking about those blogs giving old forgotten records a new audience... and bus stop, yes the rocketship singles are amazing, but if you look at bus stop as being definied by apples or the orange peels, than youre sadly mistaken. how about the mayfields "deeper than the ocean" single? quite possibly the best thing that label ever put out, or what about bag-o-shells, or veronica lake. i like those bands because theyre good bands and theyre records were great, not because they made the label famous or because the label promoted them well...
Bus Stop wasn’t defined by The Orange Peels? Without Allen Clapp there may not have been a Bus Stop label. You’re obviously over your head here.
Matt,
These were your words: “When looking back, ten years from now, Cloudberry is gonna be pretty legendary.” – and that simply isn’t true. Even you will have moved on to more interesting things in your life. No one will remember this record label... including you Matt.
I like a lot of the cloudberry stuff because it's good and- better than that- some of it's essential and life-affirming... that's all I want from a label, really
it's pop music, it's disposable, it matters in the moment and if it matters enough it remains with you and stays with you
even to a tiny few it matters and that's enough
breaking the CMJ 200 is all very well but, if I may, who gives a fuck?
cloudberry is punker than many of the dreary careerist whitebread bands david newfield mentioned previously because it ain't about shifting units and getting on college radio, it's about doing something because it matters enough
find a band that means something, put a record/cd out to show just how much, hope some other folks feel the same way and find the next one
romantic? idealistic? hell, yes! and why not??
popkids of the world unite... and do it yourself for yourselves because nobody else will
if you can't hear the vitality, open your heart and adjust your ears, because it's there
maybe you'll catch up in ten years time and you can backpedal to your heart's content then
"Did WXCU in Columbus, OH, WXVU at Villanova, WHUS in Storrs, CT, WHRB at Harvard play any of his records even once?!"
Who?
You also seem fixated that Cloudbery should have a roster of bands to get noticed. It doesn't as it has all ready been noticed world wide. You seem to forget the label has only been going for eight months.
IN that time Cloudberry has got airplay on internet radio stations such as Radio Dandelion (UK) or UV BRAZIL (erm Brazil!) to name a couple. It has also captured the imagination of most of the indie pop world bloggers/e-zines from UK, Sweden, Germany, Philippines - you know other places that exist outside of the US of A.
I guess we will not be seeing you at the Cloudberry gig in London on 29/02.
This comment has been removed by the author.
yes david, allen clapp, his orchestra (as it were), and the orange peels were all undeniabley important to bus stop and the american indiepop scene in general in the early 90s. but bus stop defined itself in the way it released records... one or two bands dont just define a label, perhaps to onlookers, but anyone who really loves a record label, remembers more than who was talked about the most and who got splattered all over college radio stations. bus stop was more than rocketship, allen clapp and apples in stereo. just as sarah records was way more than the field mice and heavenly.
Sorry to break this to Mr Newfeld. Cloudberry will be remembered. It will be remembered by people like me. Also it is the most important thing to happen to indiepop in 2007. It's been a beacon against the shift units, get airplay career bands that you seem to think are indiepop. I think their is a problem with genre definition here.
Sarah Records hardly received ANY airplay that I can remember in the 80s and 90s, it was a scene that was shunned here in the UK. The press coverage it often got was mocking and not at all positive. It was a word of mouth small scene. It is remembered now as legendary because of the bands it released and the way it decided to end. Cloudberry, in my opinion, will be the same. It's a label that someone like John Peel would have picked up on. He's not here now, rest his soul, so we will never know for sure. But just because Cloudberry is small doesn't mean it doesn't matter. It does. Airplay. Charts. The 'Industry'. All pretty much irrelevant in 2008.
The scene, as it is, is punk DIY in ethos. Fueled by small collection people in love with this indiepop sound. Labels like Yay! Atomic Beat! and Lavender have sprung up because people out there are interested in this stuff. We don't care whether the songs are in the charts. We don't care whether some lame US college radio plays the singles. We care that labels like Cloudberry are making these releases happen because they love the bands. They love what they are doing. That's enough for me.
Cloudberry defines the DIY ethos that underpinned scenes like Sarah, Punk, C86 etc. Sure the labels will come sniffing around a few years too late. But this is something that matters now.
trev you took the words right out of my mouth!
Sarah Records had UK chart success with The Orchids, The Sea Urchins, Another Sunny Day, Boyracer, Heavenly, East River Pipe, Secret Shine and many others. So to say that they didn’t get radio play is just wrong.
Are you calling Jens Lekman, Los Campesinos, Tullycraft, and Pants Yell! careerist bands? I doubt it. Are you also calling them dreary and whitebread? These are all bands that did it themselves and had the good sense to seek a wider audience thru promotion and radio. That’s DIY! These aren’t major label artists. They are indiepop bands who are wonderful and smart… and in turn will be remembered for it. Cloudberry is punk? Name one Cloudberry band that is punker than Tullycraft or Los Campesinos? Name ONE!!! Cloudberry is so NOT punk! Name one band currently on Cloudberry that will be remembered as long as any of these so called “careerist bands.”
Define chart success? As far as I am aware non of these bands had UK hits. I was in the UK at the time. Into the music. It didn't get much, if any, airplay. If it got any - it was on late/graveyard shows that were for specialist audience. And like I said most of the airplay these band received was at the whim of one man - John Peel. He's not here now. Radio stations like Dandelion are taking the baton on from him - but you seem to miss the point - airplay is not what defines something. Nor is chart success. The Velvet Underground? Sold naff all when they were around. Radio play? Unlikely. Remembered? Most definitely.
I am calling the bands you define as indiepop - not DIY in ethos. They got real labels and such. Indiepop/Punk/C86 is as much about anyone can do it. And guess what - Cloudberry just did.
Define PUNK for me, please Mr Newfeld? I suggest you have no clue what punk is. PUNK means just that. It's not a style of music. It's an attitude. Green Day are not punk. Punk was the start of the fanzine scene in the UK. That scene grew and changed down the years taking in c86, sarah etc. This fanzine scene is now bigger than it ever was thanks to the internet.
Sorry but no Sarah band ever broke into the UK charts. I am guessing you mean the UK indie charts which really didn't have much standing in the UK once Pete Waterman dominated it with Kylie, Rick and Jason which was around the time Sarah Records existed.
BNo one have said they didn't get airplay. Sure Peel would have played them but who else on a UK national radio station? There may have not been the internet around then but you has also missed off the UK fanzine culture which helped to promote bands in the same way as bloggers do today. No mp3's but certainly a load of flexi discs to promote labels with even less of an output that Cloudberry. And they are still remembered today.
I’m still waiting for someone to name one of your precious Cloudberry bands that will be remembered in ten years. If you can’t name ONE, then I’m sorry but Cloudberry Records will NOT be remembered. It’s true… and you just can’t seem to admit it.
I honestly, truly, really find it hard to believe that Los Campesinos are going down in Indiepop history.
They're hardly the new answer to the Orchids, are they?
It's not upto me to say who will be remembered in ten years time. That's called guessing. I'd imagine that at least a couple (probably more) of bands given a leg up by Cloudberry will be remembered in 10 years time. I'll see you here in 2018 to tell you who.
My current favourite band have released a record on Cloudberry and that suggests I might remember them in 10 years time.
I'll see you here in 2018? You don’t have enough faith in any of these so called “wonderful” bands to pick one?
That’s just rubbish!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Oh deary me. Pick one? Why should I pick one? Tell me what defines how something is remembered?
I'll give you an analogy. You've heard of those 60s compilations like Pebbles and Nuggets made up or largely unsung bands that only hardcore collectors had heard of before these compilations were issues. Or the Leamington Spa ones that remember the deep underground of 80s indiepop. They feature bands that are now loved by a few. These bands are therefore remembered, 40,30,20 and 10 years on. That's a little like how some of these Cloudberry released bands may be remembered. I'd guess after 70 odd releases a few of these bands will slip by the wayside. Some will probably go onto bigger indie labels and fit nicely with your idea of an indiepop band. Either way both sets of bands the ones that fall away and the ones that get a wider audience will both be remembered.
If I was to pick one act from Cloudberry that would just give you another band to scorn. It won't achieve anything and I therefore shan't give you the satisfaction of naming a band.
It seems you have no clue about the indiepop scene that Matt writes about. It's small in size and DIY in nature. That is punk. People doing it for themselves because they can.
In ten years will anyone remember: "Popkids of the World Unite!" Certainly not. Will they remember: “C is the Heavenly Option” My guess is yes. Why do you suppose that is?
p.s.
Matt,
Please don’t feel sorry for me.
david, i only personally know maybe 20 people who even know that heavenly even exists, let alone know that that is a song by them. but that song is remembered by the people that love it, and a song like "popkids of the world unite" will too be remembered by the people that love it. who gives a fuck if it gets played in college dining halls across the U.S.? i wont forget it, i can guarantee that. you dont understand the indiepop we speak of, dont try to.
David, how do you listen to music? Do you pick a record, listen to it and think "Will this be remembered in 10 years' time?" and then decide whether you like it or not based on this objective criterion?
And why are you so obsessed with radio play? Elton John gets played on the radio all the time: do you like him? Does that make his songs any better? I haven't heard any Orchids songs on the radio and yet they are my favourite band of all time. I doubt I'll hear any Horowitz either but I love them to death.
And ultimately, like most people on here have said, who cares what will be remembered and what the value of something will be in 10 years? Indiepop is not a collector's item that will improve in value. Love a popsong now and love it a lot, because in 10 years you might have forgotten what fun is.
Hang on! Did you produce that Los Campesinos thing? Are you that David Newfield? You sly dog. I'm tossing my BSS records into the bin tonight.
dude, what's with all the hostility? seriously? i don't understand why you're spending so much energy hating on a label that is putting out some great bands that a lot of people like and that make a lot of people feel happy and excited about music.
what's so horrible about that? who cares if they don't get radio play or aren't in the charts? is that how you measure the worth of a band?
maybe you don't like the bands, which is fair enough, but i don't see the point in directing so much bile towards a label that is putting out music for the love of music.
It must be that David Newfield and then it all makes sense. College Radio is so dead and no one cares about the CMJ Top 200 but label flunkies and the "indie" scene that they support (producers, engineers, Ad rep guys etc).
It's so weird that the guy closely associated with all these bands (ie they paid him) would be speaking up for them and that's the difference between him and Matt. Matt does it for the love and the other guy does it for the $$$$.
I don't know about this David Newfield guy but I like Shout Out Louds, Voxtrot, Tullycraft, Pants Yell!, Jens Lekman, and Los Campesinos. There's nothing wrong with these bands.
i like vampire weekend
The point is this, David Newfeld is trying his absolute hardest to be a man of sturdy principle when all he is acheiving is that of a man of simple condescension.
In other words, David Newfeld is a dick.
Matt genuinely loves the music that Cloudberry is so kindly extending to us and Roque's ethics with which he handles Cloudberry and obviosly so do many others, so naturally Matt writes about what he likes, wouldnt you?. It's ridiculous to insinuate something like he is on Cloudberry's 'Payroll". Irrelevant statistics like radioplay and chart ranking dont even come into the equation.
I will remember The Airfields, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Faintest Ideas, and the Manhattan Love Suicides for all of my life, and it will be for the same reason any true music lover remebers a band or a song, because it spoke to them in some way not because of any type of rank it held. Not that it matters to you David, just like it doesnt matter to me at all that you won't remeber them. Good for you. I dont give a shit. And for the record I know Andrew from Pants Yell! personally and know for a fact that he likes and respects people like the Faintest Ideas and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart just like the rest of us. And im sure that his reasoning has nothing to do with thier rank among college radio shows or chart lists.
Matt was right. You just dont understand. You just have a different perspective on it. which is fine, in fact more power to you. But for you to oppose someone like Roque for doing so much to get bands and music out for people to hear and us for supporting those bands is simply petty and ugly and comes more from the heart of PR rep than a music lover and enthusiast.
Its people like David that kill the soul of Punk. People should be allowed to do what they feel is right and not be scrutinized by people like him.
I fucking hate Coldplay but i dont waste my time on thier message board trying to belittle them. To do so woud be near idiotic.
It's as simple as this. If you don't like the bands then dont listen to them and don't remember them, the bands won't miss you. If you don't like the blog then go look at Vh1's top 50 list, Matt won't miss you. If you dont like the communnity then dont interact with it, noneone will miss you.
There is no point to antagonize with these fruitless agruements. You have your opinion. I have mine. You wont make me think like you. And i dont know you David but from what I gather about what you've said, I dont want you to think like me. Anything said past that could only be from David's ill-disposed will to argue.
PS- To Mark Delaine.
You said,"You still didn’t explain why you carry the torch into battle for Cloudberry Records so often. It just seems a bit strange."
What i find strange is that you were refrencing a battle. Where is there a battle? Who's fighting? What are you talking about? The only battle is the one you've created by showing such stern resistance to something without any reason. This is all so unnecessarily rediculous.
what you talking about willis?
i remember 18 wheeler and king adora ten years on put it doesn't mean they were anything other than terrible.
if you are los campesinos man then you're just providing more fuel to the fire for people who think they're a bunch of careerists and tosser magnets.
I'll definitely remember The Deirdres in 10 years- I've spent a bunch of time dancing to them and singing their songs on the bus.
"Did WXCU in Columbus, OH, WXVU at Villanova, WHUS in Storrs, CT, WHRB at Harvard play any of his records even once"
that is a largely imprenetrable sentance for me. I do know that here in the suburbs of a town not reknowned for indiepop I sit in my room and listen to records that were put out buy some guy thousands of miles away on a label called Cloudberry. Some of the band are from countries I've never been to, some of the bands are from just a few miles away. I'd say that Cloudberry is important to a number of people at the moment.
I don't call burning 3" CDRS and printing some inserts of MySpace bands and then letting the same group of people buy them for $5.00 running a record label. You might as well give them out for FREE.
thank you david!
no here seems to understand the mastermind at work behind these posts. don't you see that he is single-handedly taking on the role of the entire (and entirely backward) british press that made sarah records legendary? he's made you all come out and proclaim your love for roque and cloudberry more eloquently than you've ever done before! if i didn't know better, i'd think it was roque's pseudonym...
but the sad truth is that it's probably just a grey-haired american sitting in his collage radio studio pushing the repeat button for a record he remembers from ten years ago - back when music had the same vitality and precariousness as his now declining life, spent pressing keys in return for money.
it's not for me to say, but maybe a certain person missed out on the desperate bicycles? after all, not everyone WANTS to be remebered in ten years time.
forever in your debt,
kris
I see both sides of this. Someone said:
I don't call burning 3" CDRS of MySpace bands and then letting the same group of people buy them for $5.00 running a record label.
And I think there may be some truth in that.
And someone else said:
Anyone who loves and cares about cloudberry right now will likely never forget them, they’ve made a huge mark, albeit on a small community.
That is also true.
In the end. Who really cares?
so what makes them "myspace" bands? please do tell me.
it seems to be much the same argument that major indies would make of sarah way back, that by putting out material that might be 'here today, gone tomorrow' on an apparently cheap and easy format wasn't as much effort as making five year plans and signing contracts and making the business of music seem terribly important and lasting and desperately authentic and businesslike
sarah was derided throughout much of it's lifetime, it's definitely more highly regarded and namechecked now than it ever was then
who'd a thunk it way back when?
well, some of us actually, and some of us (like me) were rather touched that something that mean't so much should be picked up by new listeners who then felt these things (the genuinely important things that music makes you feel rather than remembering radio plays and units shifted like baseball scores) as much if not more than we did...
here's three bands who've put a cd out on cloudberry that people will remember as fondly as they do any of the most significant sarah bands in this 10 years time you're so fixated on:
1. the pains of being pure at heart
2. the airfields
3. the deirdres
4. the mighty horowitz
5. the manhattan love suicides
6. oh hang on, I said three, didn't I?
well, I can go on if you like- it's easy! but it is just my opinion, I can't convince you because that's not why you're here
anyway, you seem to have skulked off, mr n
good, let's get back to POP! and matt's rather splendid blog...
Those bands weren't "discovered" by Cloudberry Records. Some of them such as The Pains of Being Pure At Heart was working hard by themselves and have put music out themselves before Cloudberry came along. I would rather give them all of the credit in the world rather than Cloudberry. They work hard.
i'm sorry anonymous, but you are quite wrong there. the first pains of being pure at heart release was on cloudberry records. they self released their ep after that cloudberry ep had been sold out.
roque works very hard, too. do you own any releases, whter theyre cdrs or not, he's handmaking them all, and spending a lot of time on something worthwhile. i dont see you doing shit for the music you like except coming on here to complain. so until you've got something to show for yourself, dont come here bashing others.
i don't think you can argue that cloudberry has release good releases. they have. but 60 bands in a year? there is a lot of mediocrity there. i just think the disposablity of the releases is their downfall. a 3" cd-r of songs that will end up on the band's next release just seems to confirm it. this horowitz 7" for example has two songs from their cloudberry release. what was the point of their cloudberry release to begin with?
sorry, anonymous, but I didn't say they were 'discovered' by cloudberry, that's your inference, I was responding to this statement: 'I’m still waiting for someone to name one of your precious Cloudberry bands that will be remembered in ten years'
It seems like a lot of people here are worried about their memories. I'm more concerned if people legitimately like a band NOW. Who cares about discussing a band's future memorability? It seems completely spurious to a very heartfelt post. Let Matt write about the bands he wants to write about and start a new blog of your own if you want to trash him or support other bands.
Having said all of this, I don't know much about Cloudberry...and having a label and not really promoting your artists (and I'm not saying this about Cloudberry necessarily because I don't know their MO) is not punk or DIY. It's either naive or wrong-headed in this day and age. You start a label to release music you like AND support it through various means, often (mostly?) monetarily. If not, the band can do it themselves, no? THAT's DIY.
In response to Word Up asking what was the point of Horowitz' Cloudberry release in the first place, as two of the songs have now been released on 7", the reality of the situation is this: When Roque asked us if we wanted to release a three track single, we recorded three songs specifically for Cloudberry. That cdr, to us, was a bona fide release and we were very proud to be on the label. It was only when it sold out of it's 100 copies that we thought of re-issuing two of the tracks on a 7" single. We state on the insert that that the vinyl record is a re-issue of the Cloudberry single.
'having a label and not really promoting your artists (and I'm not saying this about Cloudberry necessarily because I don't know their MO) is not punk or DIY. It's either naive or wrong-headed in this day and age. You start a label to release music you like AND support it through various means, often (mostly?) monetarily. If not, the band can do it themselves, no? THAT's DIY.'
and nobody's suggested that, it's not true of cloudberry, imo, and I'm not sure why you need to make this point, who's suggesting otherwise?
How on earth could a little label like this properly promote 60 (?) rereleases in a single year? It's ludicrous and irresponsible! If I were in a band and this Roque guy asked to put out a CDR of the songs that I had worked hard to write and record, I would tell him to fuck right off!
well thats good because there's plenty of other bands that would be honored and utterly flattered if roque were to ask them if they'd like to release a record on cloudberry. i know i would feel that way, and i'm sure plenty of others would, too.
it all keeps coming down to the fact that those of you opposed to cloudberry just do not and will not ever understand the function and point of it.
is cloudberry really selling cdrs?
do you really care?
obviousy you dont own any of them...
im just trying to get a handle on this thread. im wondering if cloudberry releases real cds or homemade cdrs?
Lucas said "having a label and not really promoting your artists... is not punk or DIY. It's either naive or wrong-headed in this day and age."
I was just thinking the same thing, Lucas, btw, I loved that full page Blak Thor ad you put in SPIN this month ;-)
By the way, folks (unless squashed chimes in with some sort of chemical compound breakdown), you want to know what difference is between a CD and a CD-R? A manufactured CD gets stamped from a master mold. A CD-R gets burnt by a laser. They sound the fucking same. Who gives a flying fuck.
yes they release cd-rs. kind of like tape labels back in the day. only burn a hundred or so and no overhead. I think HHBTM and shelflife did this too. it isn't that hard of a concept to grasp. i just don't get why you would want to own them if the good ones you will have to buy again if they put it on a 7" or master it and put it on an album. no reason to be up in arms about it though i don't see any reason to think this label is
king shit either.
hhbtm doesn't release cdrs. why are the cloudberry cds not manufactured? is it a matter of cost?
But what about the spirit of things? You forget the bloody *spirit* of things which is what Cloudberry is all about. It's not forcing anyone to release their songs. Most indiepop bands will happily share their songs freely on the internet or contribute to the output of a label (any label, not just Cloudberry) which is trying to promote indiepop and get people to notice what's out there. It's not a competition about who's working harder, I am sure Roque would rather spend more time in bed instead of burning cd-rs and cutting up sleeves. The bands who participate in this are doing so because they care and they want to be part of something. It's something *nice* and sweet and in the spirit of making things happen instead of going crazy over royalty payments and who's promoting whom and how many reviews you get. It's called FUN!
yes hhbtm release cd-rs go to their releases page.
I fully agree with Marianthi. Also, here's the other thing. These are bands that are young and having fun, and they sound great for it. They're part-time musicians, surely with dreams of being autonomous, but that's pretty darn hard. Roque is giving these bands a platform to try their music out, and if it sticks, then yay.
Point 2: someone said that it's irresponsible to 'promote' or something: I think that one of the things is, with the amount of releases out there, obviously from the response here, Cloudberry has made a pretty big name for itself. That in and of itself is an important thing. A label's role is to build trust so that new bands on the label get recognition by association. It happens at every label from Merge to K to Sarah to... um... Teepee records to... Italians Do It Better and Kompakt. It crosses all lines. By being Cloudberry and making this controversy even happen, Cloudberry and Roque has done justice to the bands he represents.
Point 3: All that hooie about radio play and chart success dictating what bands we remember is fucking fucking fucking bullshit with a capital fuck you. Don't tell me what bands I will remember. Idiot.
It's about the music, doi.
Maxwell | Hugpatch
meh, i can't believe some of the negativity...or maybe i can. what i don't get is this idea that everything in clouberry has to be fantastic...of course it's not! every label i've ever loved in the pop word has had the treat and the trash: cloudberry, bus stop, slumberland, summershine, sarah, creation etc etc... what is great is the diy indie pop world. and i remember all those reviews in the nme and melody maker ripping the sarah releases...they hardly ever got a good review nor could they have sold much with the amount of each release. and the fact that indie pop has always been a dirty word. if you don't like it don't listen! i know i'm going too! or if you really don't like it or get it put out your own records of bands you like.
i'm glad skatterbrain loves and supports small labels and bands...more power to the pop world.
"If I were in a band and this Roque guy asked to put out a CDR of the songs that I had worked hard to write and record, I would tell him to fuck right off!"
Ha - a friend and I are starting a band this year with the primary goal being a Cloudberry release! :)
So if given the choice between Secretly Canadian, Merge or Cloudberry... you're telling us you would choose Clouldberry? You're a fucking genius! Good luck with that band.
Well it looks like Cloudberry releases just about ANY band who sends them a demo, so I'd say youre chances are pretty good.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Geez, lots of chips on lots of shoulders. Who knew that so many people hate fun, or that releasing a 3" cdr could be an act of war.
Clearly Roque's doing something right.
DIY: Do It Yourself. Is Roque doing it himself? Yes, and on his own terms. Why? For $5 these things practically are free. But would anyone else be releasing these bands otherwise? Maybe, but probably not. I'd certainly never hear of 90% of them otherwise (or without Skatterbrain).
Roque is putting out songs that he loves, or even just likes, without any pretense of making anyone famous or wealthy. No one's getting fat off of Cloudberry. But who knows (someone who has a cdr out on Cloudberry comment here) I imagine being invited to release something would be very validating.
Since when did encouraging creativity for it's own sake become so odious? Go ahead and listen to something else then, it's no big deal.
I guess all of this has more or less already been stated in other comments. But big ups to Cloudberry, to Skatterbrain, and to the poplist, and fuck punk.
Fuck punk? A few comments ago Cloudberry was punk. Oh well?
Q: So if being asked to be on Cloudberry Records is such an honor, do you think Jens Lekman would agree to release an ep with them?
It's a meaningless signifier. We could spend all night debating what is or isn't punk, and ultimately it doesn't matter.
I find a lot of the negative comments laughable. Bitching that the releases are CDr. So what? Tape labels? Flexi Singles? CDrs? It's all music.
As for promoting the bands one by one. Cloudberry have hit upon the fact that people trust their (his) judgement. And with 100 in each edition - the need for individual promo is mute. People like what the label does. it's so cheap to buy and each release has a whole song previewed on the cloudberry webpage. It's working. Why change it?
And Marianthi's comment about 'Spirit' is spot on. This is the essence of what indiepop and DIY music is all about. And the fun and joy in hearing these releases stack up has been one of my musical highlights this past year. After the debate yesterday I put all my Cloudberry release on my Ipod in a 200+ song play list. I listened to it on shuffle. It was glorious. It was fun. Some of the lesser played releases took me by surprise and old favourites made me feel all happy inside. This is all pop music needs to be.
There is an innocence and naivity to it. But I'd also suggest that Roque is a little more savy than that - I am sure he was fully aware that if he got the first 10 releases 'right' and they sold out - people would take notice. He did. And the people duly took notice. That's shrewd for a label. And worth a ton more than a big advert in a shit music magazine or 20 plays on some crap radio station. Hat's off to Cloudberry.
This comment has been removed by the author.
And while I am here
A Cloudberry Records night in London - 29th February: with The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Strawberry Story, The Manhattan Love Suicides and The Hillfields.
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/25633
Can't pass up on all this Cloudberry action.
I went and saw The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and they were just awful. Their backing tracks came from an iPod. It was uninspired and sorta lazy. Needless to say, I was very unimpressed. My friend and I have started calling them Pains of Being Bored to Death. Why were they hailed as the next Jesus And Mary Chain or whoever on this blog? Just curious. I do love what I've heard from The Manhattan Love Suicides. Thanks for turning me onto them.
glad to hear you like the MLS. fyi though, the pains have a drummer now, and i saw them back in december and they were amazing. amaaaaaaaazing!
ive discovered all kinds of wonderful indie bands listening to kalx here in berkeley. why are people so down on radio?
I don't know what I'd do without my streaming KEXP
WTF...Someone is posting under my name. I quite enjoy the Cloudberry releases and look forward to the next batch. Whoever is posting under my name seriously needs to find a different life.
ryan hoekstra
It's true, most of American radio has changed drastically in the last ten years—it's been taken over by a few huge conglomerates, fiercely battling each other for market share. College radio, though, is almost exactly the same as it's always been—run on a shoestring and fueled by earnest devotion—because there's no money in it: Most college stations have noncommercial licenses. At the station where I was a DJ, we were pretty sure the studio's control panel had been welded together from archaic dishwasher parts, but the staff happily argued for hours over the merits of records pressed in editions of 300 copies, and we'd stay on the air for nine hours straight if the DJs scheduled after us had overslept. It's true that current college radio's swing toward indiepop music has diminished somewhat, but there are still countless amazing niche shows devoted to indiepop. I think disregarding college radio shows how small minded many of you are. It's as if you don't want these bands to be heard by anyone outside of your small clique. I understand wanting to keep a band you like to yourselves, but to me it doesn't seem very fair to the bands. Actually, it seems selfish. If you like these bands so much, why isn't it ok for them to get radio play next to The Shins or Bright Eyes? I'll bet some of you would jump ship if that happened. Why is that?
Btw...Los Campesinos pulled a true industry trick by taking two of the better songs off their ep and padding out their full cd with them. That insures that I will not be buying their full cd anytime soon. Nice move,David.
you neglected to mention Velocity Girl in your discussion of Slumberland Records. Seems they were pretty successful and got signed to Sub Pop but the 7"s on Slumberland were genre defining slabs of greatness which echoed and emulated here in the US the scene in the UK.
My current favorite Cloudberry single is by the Gladeyes (#71).
I think you will be hearing more from them in the future.
ryan hoekstra
quote "I think disregarding college radio shows how small minded many of you are. It's as if you don't want these bands to be heard by anyone outside of your small clique. I understand wanting to keep a band you like to yourselves, but to me it doesn't seem very fair to the bands. Actually, it seems selfish. If you like these bands so much, why isn't it ok for them to get radio play next to The Shins or Bright Eyes? I'll bet some of you would jump ship if that happened. Why is that?"
I'd be happy if they got played on the radio. The more fans the merrier - I say. I hate that snobbery thing.
For the record I am in the UK and I don't much listen to the radio and we don't have 'college' radio here. The only station I stream is Dandelion. Which is great. I grew up with John Peel - so can appreciate good radio. I just find most radio - dull and dreary. And if it plays The Shins and Bright Eyes - I'd switch if off, immediatetly.
>I think disregarding college radio shows how small minded many of you are. It's as if you don't want these bands to be heard by anyone outside of your small clique<
I don't think you have read the thread properly. No one here has disregarded college radio and if you can point that out to me I apoligise.
The argument, given by David, was that Cloudberry needed to get radio play to promote itself and the bands. We argued that was not necessary as Cloudberry is known throughout the indie pop world thanks to bloggers and forums dedicated to the indie pop community.
Matt also added that the way the indie pop community with it's DIY ethos works is that it can promote itself via a range of means without the need of radio exposure.
Sure it would be great if Cloudberry releases got played on college and other radio stations and the bands became known to a wider audience and that would get a thumbs up from me but this is unlikely to happen and I will leave it to you to tell me why!
Luckily in this day and age the internet serves just as well as radio for exposure: My Space, Last FM, Live 365, Internet Radio, blogs, e-zines etc. Cloudberry has got all the exposure it needs to take itself up to the next level with the vinyl releases. Remember we are talking about a label not even a year old here.
>I don't call burning 3" CDRS and printing some inserts of MySpace bands and then letting the same group of people buy them for $5.00 running a record label.<
Erm! Isn't that exactly what a record label is? Unless you know otherwise of course!
>roque works very hard, too. do you own any releases, whter theyre cdrs or not, he's handmaking them all, and spending a lot of time on something worthwhile. i dont see you doing shit for the music you like except coming on here to complain. so until you've got something to show for yourself, dont come here bashing others.<
Too fucking right. It amazes me that some people who do absolutely nothing complain the most. Or I am sure they know how to do it better than the rest of us but they cannot be be bothered to get off their arses!
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/25633
cloudberry rules the world!
legendary, yeah!
indiepop doesn't live by anyone's rules or logic. yup mr newfeld, you're absolutely right about YOUR indiepop. and mr skattermatt's equally right about HIS indiepop.
10 years from now cloudberry will definitely be dust to some. but it'll still be gold to many others.
hell you don't have to wait 10 years. number 4 joystreet was releasing indiepop records when some of us here were still in diapers, and today they're on cloudberry.
i don't pretend to know and love every single band on cloudberry. and it's way too neat and tidy and on schedule compared to the magnificent shambles some of the best indiepop labels of the past were constantly in.
but as an indiepop label its got a gem of an idea. it's not about top 200 charts or airplay or myspace or internet radio or john peel or punk or music blogs or the next sarah records or whatever.
it's about jangly guitars and pop music, the kind mr skattermatt and i happen to like. simple as that.
Tom,
I was just getting a negative vibe about college radio in this thread. Radio actually supports a number of the bands featured on this very blog. Someone wrote: "College Radio is so dead and no one cares about the CMJ Top 200 but label flunkies and the "indie" scene that they support (producers, engineers, Ad rep guys etc)." - And I'm not so sure that is true. There are photos of The Softies and Jenny Lewis on the main page of Scatterbrain. Both have charted on CMJ and both have played the CMJ festival, as well as the industry heavy SXSW festival. Do you think less of these artists for doing this? Do you see it as selling out?
i do love the softies, i love them to death. but i must admit that jenny lewis is there because i think she's cute... ¯\(º_o)/¯
and as for college radio.. i dont see anything negative in it. im sure it can help lots of artists. what i was saying earlier on is that is that it isnt necessary for a label to make its way onto it, and i know that t's not something cloudberry has been striving for... thats just not part of it's agenda.
wtf, this is a serious fucking mess! some points here:
-i love how that record producer guy was outed and then stopped posting. broken social scene/etc. are booooring.
-i don't know that much about cloudberry but they put out a lot of cool stuff and folks are buying it! hats off to them. i won the contest here a bit back and dug my little cdr present.
-someone mentioned THE DESPERATE BICYCLES = A+!
-college radio rules.
-indiepop rules... punk rules. live your life in DIY.
HERBIE
This discussion is somewhat unbelievable. A few points that one would do well to keep in mind:
a) It seems to be a fact of life that people will have different definitions of indiepop.
b) It also seems that those who don't "get" a certain side of indiepop, or indiepop all together, will enjoy making fun of it.
c) This actually happens to some perfectly intelligent and nice people too. Go figure.
d) However, people who do this too seriously should better get a life.
e) I actually like Los Campesinos. I saw them live in Exeter --Exeter!-- in October and I greatly enjoyed it.
f) While there are several Cloudberry releases that I am not that crazy about.
g) In fact I only own one of their releases so far, and that's because I was involved in its release somehow.
h) Still, a year ago I told Roque that he would save indiepop in the year 2007
i) And I am very proud to see that he did, and that a lot of other people think so, too.
j) People who argue that Roque should be promoting the bands, or that 100 handmade cd-rs do not a label make just don't get it.
k) I don't think Roque ever wanted a "label" in the way that they define it.
l) In fact I don't think he ever wanted anything other than a happy happy heart, to give bands something they can hold in their hands and give to their friends, and an opportunity to be heard by a few more people.
m) Being friends with a few "Cloudberry bands", because Roque has an uncanny ability to unearth all my music-making friends, I find that they are very happy with that. They like Roque, they like the idea, they like some or most or all of the other bands, and so they say yes.
n) And then one day they get a few cds in the post, and they might even get an email from somebody across the world saying they like their song which they downloaded off the Cloudberry site, and that makes their day.
o) And that's what indiepop --as the people who have been defending/advertising Cloudberry here undestand it-- is all about.
p) I'm sure I've said this before, but it can not be stressed enough: Cloudberry is a project, a statement about indiepop today and a community of like-minded people, and it should be judged --or, better still, celebrated-- as such.
q) In fact that the fact that Roque created all this --this scene, this fuss, you can call it what you want-- out of nothing but "Myspace bands", my friends' long lost bedsit songs and back-yard side-projects is nothing short of remarkable.
r) In other words, I don't think he did anything for indiepop other than cause us to sit up and look at what was already there with different eyes. But isn't that amazing?
s) I think it is.
u) I appreciate his dedication and his enthusiasm and I love seeing all the things that they make happen.
v) Like the release of six Pinefox songs (in the First Division and Arc Lamps eps). Getting some Pinefox songs released was one of my last year's resolutions. And, thanks to Roque, it came true.
w) And that's all there is to it. Radio, charts, even memorability are irrelevant.
x) Although I am sure that in ten, or fifteen, or twenty years I will remember Cloudberry.
y) I will remember the way 'Lifetime in the sun' was October's hit in my front room, the way the line "how many paperbacks can you fit in a rucksack?" made me smile, the way Blind Terry stole my heart.
z) And I will be telling my children that they should follow their dreams even if they sound silly or small. Because it can be fun, and it can touch other people's hearts.
Spot on Marianthi. Roque has helped to enable a worldwide indiepop family to emerge. Full of positivity, excitement and a genuine love for the music.
You may not like everything on the label, but every month there will be three new CDs ( and maybe a fanzine with a CD) and you never know what you may find to brighten your day.
Pop...pure and simple.
What he's doing is awesome, but I don't know what "save indiepop" means. It seems like some people are single-handedly giving him credit for a year of great pop music, which simply can't be. It's ALL OF US TOGETHER doing what we do that make it what it is. Definitely Mr. Cloudberry might have done a lot to help others become aware of bands, but so did Mr. Skatterbrain, Mr. Indie-MP3, all the Mr. and Mrs. behind all the Popfests that happened this year...
To quote Mos Def (one of the best live sets I saw in 2007!):
Listen.. people be askin me all the time,
"Yo Mos, what's gettin ready to happen with Hip-Hop?"
(Where do you think Hip-Hop is goin?)
I tell em, "You know what's gonna happen with Hip-Hop?
Whatever's happening with us"
If we smoked out, Hip-Hop is gonna be smoked out
If we doin alright, Hip-Hop is gonna be doin alright
People talk about Hip-Hop like it's some giant livin in the hillside
comin down to visit the townspeople
We +are+ Hip-Hop
Me, you, everybody, we are Hip-Hop
So Hip-Hop is goin where we goin
So the next time you ask yourself where Hip-Hop is goin
ask yourself.. where am I goin? How am I doin?
I had to give my two cents on a few things...
a) hhbtm did do some cdrs and cassettes, and i think no matter what way you choose to get music out there, as long as you are putting stuff out that you love it's a good thing.
b) lucas saying that not promoting an artist is wrong, well if there are only 100 copies, it's hard to promote, also this is what i would expect from someone who works for a publicity firm. some people would say having a release on a label like wee pop, cloudberry , or such would be worth more than an ad in magnet or a top 200 in cmj if you were a just starting out band. also lucas might want to check the label out now, i'm sure team clermont will be soliciting one or more of the bands at some point when the press world catches up to what is going on in the underground.
c) college radio is an overall wasteland, but there are some great pop shows out there. the old model of blanketing 300 stations to crack the cmj top 200 is broken. the ridiculous amount of money you spent on doing radio pr would be better used booking a well thought out tour with the right local bands.
d) i hope cloudberry can keep it up. i find the little label a real up and comer, and the catalog in just some of the bands involved are all bands to watch out for. (so if you are reading, keep it up, your label is inspiring) the fact someone even wants to release anything anymore amazes me, and the ones that are doing things like cloudberry & wee pop are doing it out of love and it shows.
e) and who cares if anyone ever remembers any of these bands. i have forgotten a million bands, it doesn't mean they don't mean something to someone somewhere. it's all about having fun anyway. if there is success that is defined in monetary terms then it's a bonus. most bands don't make it, it doesn't mean they are great or anything, it's just how it works. i think as long as people make records that they feel good about, and if people dig them, then cool. it only gets bad when people start making records for a market niche.
alright that is my two bitchy cents. mike
100th comment!
is it true that the cloudberry releases are just MP3s burned onto a disc and that they are compressed files?
no. from what i understand, that has been done for a few releases, but typically high quality .wav files are used.
David Newfeld...more like Prick Dickfeld amirite? *High Five*
Sorry, but I have to throw my 2 cents in here:
a)Corned Beef on rye is one of the most perfect food combinations in the world no matter what Mike Turner thinks.
b)Broken Social Scene are Canadian, correct? The proper question toward Mr. Newfeld should be: Why do you hate America?
c)I got in a car accident at the Canadian border once. True story.
d)I care about tummys, art, sonic Medusas, clouds and berries.
e)Indie pop was saved back in 1923 when my great grandfather was promoting small, DIY barn dances in Walnut, North Carolina. The man at the feed store was trying to use a bunch of co-op dollars he received from the Bred-Rite company to take over the dances and my Great grandfather said, No way, Jose. This is for the kids."
f)3" CDs are a pain in the ass to play but, dammit, someone out there must like them. If you've got 60 releases at 100 copies each and they nearly all go out of print that's 6,000 records sold. But, who knows? Maybe 30 go to promo, 25 go to the band, 15 go to grease the wheels at Lollapalooza and Coachella and the remaining 30 get hawked on eBay as rarities.
g)Sarah,Sarah/
No time is a good time for goodbye
h)Ever heard my pants yell? The silence is deafening.
Speaking of Mike Turner, Why isn’t this blog a little friendlier to HHBTM Records? I mean, spread the wealth out a little!!!
hey pandora,
to be honest i only recently found this blog, so matt was only added to our promo list a month or two ago. matt has been awesome to us with writing about keith john adams especially. .. plus people should only write about what they want, when pressure to cover stuff comes in, it can sometimes put out the fire if you know what i mean. mike
oh finally we got the athens contingency to give us there opinion...
question:does matt love cloudberry?
answer: yes
q:do other people like cloudberry?
a: surprisingly yes
q:are the bands on cloudberry deserved of all the attention and money one blog and about 50-100 other indie pop fans give them?
a: i don't know
money??? hello? do you really believe that the Cloudberry is making stacks of money?...c'mon now.
I'll make sure to root out everyone who makes a comment against Cloudberry over at You-know-where. >;D
If you are serious about indiepop you feel for cloudberry in your heart! =)
The guy posing as David Newfeld isn't the actual David Newfeld.
Skatterbrain is basically aiding and abetting the imposter and providing him/her with a forum, even though they know it's not really David Newfeld.
Sad, but true.
Dave
Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation have collected together Horowitz's EPs and singles onto a compilation CD called "Popkids of the World Unite!" Out December 13th 2010.
See here for CD pre-order with immediate download!
Post a Comment
<< Home