The Cloud Room

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Cloud Room

---

Img_capt = The Cloud Room (left to right): J Stuart, Jon Petrow (Jason Pharr not pictured)
Landscape = Yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Brooklyn, New York
Genre = Indie rock
Indie pop
Years_active = 2004–present
Label = unsigned; A&G Records in the UK
URL = [http://www.thecloudroom.com/ Official website]
Current_members = J Stuart (vocals/guitar)
Jason Pharr (drums)
Jon Petrow (bass)

The Cloud Room, named after the Prohibition-era speakeasy at the top of the Chrysler Building, is an American band based in Brooklyn, New York. Their self titled album was released in 2005 and contains the hit "Hey Now Now", a song that garnered the band rapid popularity on MP3 blogs but, being an indie release, had difficulty getting airplay on Commercial American radio.

History

J Stuart, relative of American Minimalist Composer Philip Glass, founded The Cloud Room after moving from California to New York in 2000 to work with filmmaker Hal Hartley. [Citation
url = http://music.guardian.co.uk/newbands/story/0,,2151157,00.html
title = The Cloud Room
accessdate = 2008-03-22
publisher = Guardian Unlimited] In 2004, Stuart suffered a health crisis, leading to a false positive HIV test result, an event that was later revealed in a week-long feature on the band by Pitchfork. [Citation
url = http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/10253-the-smash-that-wasnt
title = The Smash That Wasn't
accessdate = 2008-03-22
publisher = Pitchfork Media] It was during this time that he began writing songs, one of which would become "Hey Now Now". When the test was later proven false, Stuart decided to focus his life on his first love, music.

In 2006, "Hey Now Now" was named by Rolling Stone as a top ten single of the year. [Citation
url = http://www.giganticmusic.com/rs2005.jpg
title = The Top 10 Singles
accessdate = 2008-03-22
publisher = Rolling Stone] Later that year, as the band was recording their second album in Stuart's apartment, a fire broke out and destroyed their equipment. However, the new recordings survived. [Citation
url = http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/40073-cloud-room-singer-loses-gear-in-apartment-fire
title = Cloud Room Singer Loses Gear In Apartment Fire
accessdate = 2006-12-08
publisher = Pitchfork Media] In 2007, The Cloud Room became the first unsigned band to be used in an international ad campaign when Pepsi used "Hey Now Now" in a Frédéric Planchon-directed spot titled "Destinies" and featuring Ronaldinho. In September 2007, The Cloud Room played the Sopot Festival in Poland, representing the U.S. along with music stars such as Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Norah Jones, M. Ward and Monrose.

On September 18th, 2007, The Cloud Room self-released a follow-up EP to their debut album entitled Please Don't Almost Kill Me. The album includes a guest appearance by Columbia recording artist Nicole Atkins. There is also a limited edition version packaged in melted jewel cases from J Stuart's apartment fire. [Citation
url = http://www.thetripwire.com/reviews/2007/10/3/please-dont-almost-kill-me
title = Please Don't Almost Kill Me
accessdate = 2007-10-03
publisher = The Tripwire] Their debut cd was released in the UK on March 17, 2008 with new songs and artwork.

The band released what they called a "Fake 7"" on February 14, 2008. It required "playing" a 7" on a website to hear the songs. The A-side consists of "February 14" by Huggy Bear and Leonard Cohen's "Memories" on the B-side. [Citation
last =Carlson
first =Jen
title =Pencil This In
newspaper = Gothamist
date = 2008-02-14
url = http://gothamist.com/2008/02/14/pencil_this_in_427.php
accessdate = 2008-02-14]

Bands The Cloud Room have toured or played with include Feist, Cut Copy, The Magic Numbers, The Go! Team, Pernice Brothers, Phosphorescent, Dandy Warhols, Foreign Born, Editors, We Are Scientists, Maximo Park, Matt Pond PA, Film School, The National, Talkdemonic, End of Fashion, Van She, Elbow, Muse, Patrick Wolf, A Place to Bury Strangers, Working For A Nuclear Free City and Norah Jones.

Songs the band has been known to cover include "Always On My Mind", "Who Loves The Sun" by The Velvet Underground, "Strangers" by The Kinks, "Weird Fishes" by Radiohead and "Heroes" by David Bowie. Incidentally, David Bowie, The Arcade Fire and Spoon are among the artists reported to have been at Cloud Room concerts.

Discography

References

External links

* [http://www.thecloudroom.com/ The official website]
* [http://www.liberationfrequency.co.uk/New%20Site/2007Site/CloudRoomInterview.php Interview with Liberation Frequency]
* [http://vdov.net/index.php/2006/04/381 Interview with the band on vdov.net]
* [http://www.themusicmagazine.co.uk/page.php?al=the_cloud_room_album_review Album review on The Music Magazine]
* [http://WWW.thecloudroom.com/fake7inch "Fake 7""]