Future Clouds and Radar
Future Clouds and Radar is Robert Harrison’s follow-up to his band Cotton Mather. The first album, an eponymous double CD, was released in 2007. Their second release, entitled "Peoria" was released on the 4th of November, 2008 on the Star Apple Kingdom label.
Musical style
Like Cotton Mather, Future Clouds and Radar has been described as being of the powerpop genre.[1][2][3] Austinist called Future Clouds and Radar "Beatles-esque psychedelia"[4] while the New Yorker described it as "sprawling orchestral art rock."[5]
Upon release of the debut CD, NPR wrote:
It's up for debate whether Austin-based Robert Harrison's double-disc debut is pure genius with blind ambition, or the product of an excess of ideas. In any case, his band Future Clouds and Radar certainly knows how to entertain. The self-titled album crosses a dozen different styles and gets handed numerous genre-definers, all of which include the word "art" as a prefix. Future Clouds and Radar would seem to be inspired by The Flaming Lips or Guided By Voices, whose prolificacy Harrison emulates.[6]
Videos
Nickelodeon animator Keith Graves was chosen to create a video of the song "Dr. No." [7] Other videos include:[8]
- Holy Janet Comes on Waves
- Back Seat Silver Jet Sighter
- This Is Really A Book
- Build Havana
- Hurricane Judy
- The Epcot View
Reception
The first album received high praise from critics, drawing comparisons to The Flaming Lips, 13th Floor Elevators, Electric Light Orchestra, Robert Pollard, Robyn Hitchcock, John Lennon, World Party, and the Kinks. David Greenberger says "...file this next to the White Album."[9][10] NPR wrote "“Audacious? Sure. But undeniably impressive."[11] Texas public radio station KUT listed it among the best albums of the year 2007 [12] while Pop Narcotic listed it in its top 10 of the year.[13]
The second album, Peoria (a "kaleidoscopic vision into a single cinematic narrative about mortality"[14]) also received rave reviews:
- "A triumph of schizophrenic musical vision…a beautiful and brilliant mess…magnificent double disc collection of pop gems – 4 stars." (Paste Magazine).[15]
- "Whether FC&R is essaying dreamy, electronicaized psychedelia, blue-eyed soul anthemry, Latin-flecked jangle-pop, or full-guns a-blazing, fuzzed-out garage, the material is executed with a jazzlike precision and suffused with a deeply emotional, spontaneous vibe. Winner 2007’s Debut Artist of the Year" (Harp Magazine).[15] Harp placed Future Clouds and Radar as number 4 on its list of top 50 CDs of 2007[16]
Discography
Future Clouds and Radar
- Released: 2007
- Label: Star Apple Kingdom records
Disc 1
- Birds Of Prey
- Let Me Get Your Coat
- Hurricane Judy
- Drugstore Bust
- This Is Really A Book
- You Will Be Loved
- Quicksilver
- Where's My Drink?
- Holy Janet Comes On Waves
- Wake Up And Live
- Our Time
- Green Mountain Clover
- Devil No More
Disc 2
- Quicksilver 2
- Get Your Boots On
- Build Havana
- Dr. No
- Back Seat Silver Jet Sighter
- Malice of Stars
- The Great Escape
- Letters To Junius
- Altitude
- Cowboy Weather
- Armitage Shanks
- Christmas Day 1923
- Wake
- Safety Zone
Peoria
- Released: 2008
- Label: Star Apple Kingdom records
- The Epcot View
- Old Edmund Ruffin
- Feet On Grass
- Mummified
- 18 Months
- The Mortal
- Mortal 926
- Follow The Crane
References
- ^ "Indie Blog Heaven". http://indieblogheaven.typepad.com/indieblogheaven/2007/04/future_clouds_a.html.
- ^ "Pop Matters, "Future Clouds and Radar"". http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/future-clouds-and-radar-future-clouds-and-radar1.
- ^ "Popfair - Classic Power Pop, "New Future Clouds and Radar"". http://elbo.ws/post/1318304/new-future-clouds-and-radar/.
- ^ "Austinist Show Preview & Giveaway: Future Clouds and Radar at The Parish". http://austinist.com/2008/01/18/austinist_show_104.php.
- ^ "We Heart Music". http://sites.google.com/a/weheartmusic.com/vu/press-releases/austinsfuturecloudsandradarfollows-upitscriticallylaudeddoublecddebutwithpeoriaacinematicnarrativeabouttheillusorynatureofmortality.
- ^ "SXSW 2007: Future Clouds and Radar". http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7875135.
- ^ "New Future Clouds and Radar video "Dr. No"". http://stereogum.com/archives/video/new-future-clouds-radar-video-dr-no_007674.html.
- ^ "Future Clouds & Radar at YouTube". http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Future+Clouds+%26+Radar+&search_type=&aq=f.
- ^ "David Greenberger's Editorial Review at Amazon". http://www.amazon.com/Future-Clouds-Radar/dp/B000NQR7U2.
- ^ "Winter Academy, the 2007 Review Edition, "Future Clouds and Radar"". http://winteracademy.blogspot.com/2007/12/2007-review-edition-volume-i.html.
- ^ "We Heart Music, Austin's Future Clouds and Radar". http://sites.google.com/a/weheartmusic.com/vu/press-releases/austinsfuturecloudsandradarfollows-upitscriticallylaudeddoublecddebutwithpeoriaacinematicnarrativeabouttheillusorynatureofmortality.
- ^ "David Brown, "The Best Albums of the Year, from KUT"". http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17174915.
- ^ "Pop Narcotic, Best Albums of 2007". http://www.popnarcotic.com/2008/01/best-albums-of-2007-10-through-8.html.
- ^ "CD Central". http://www.cdcentralmusic.com/newsletter.html.
- ^ a b "Vintage Guitar Magazine, "Future Clouds and Radar"". http://www.vguitar.com/newswire/detail.asp?newsID=1124.
- ^ "Stereogum, "Harp Puts Okkervil River Atop Its Top 50 CDs Of 2007"". http://stereogum.com/archives/harp-puts-okkervil-river-atop-its-top-50-cds-of-20_007329.html.
External links
- [1] Future Clouds & Radar Official Site
- [2] Yeti Don't Dance, "Future Clouds & Radar"
- [3] The Poor Ditching Boy, Future Clouds & Radar "Back Seat Silver Jet Sighter" (2007)
- [4] Pop Matters, "Future Clouds & Radar"
- [5] Rock Sellout, "Future Clouds and Radar: Peoria"
- [6] Powerpopaholic, Future Clouds & Radar 'Peoria'