photo by Ben Edwards
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Afternoon Show host Kevin Cole, is “Your 8th Birthday†by Cloud Cult from the 2007 release The Meaning of 8, available on Earthology Records.
Cloud Cult – Your 8th Birthday (MP3)
This Minneapolis band needs little introduction to regular KEXP listeners, as they’ve been a favorite of our DJs for last few years and have appeared on the station five times for performances and interviews. Besides being generous with their time, Craig Minowa and the rest of Cloud Cult are active environmentalists who not only promote awareness (some of them by career) but also successfully live the lifestyle they preach. The band’s self-run label, Earthology Records, uses donated jewel cases that would otherwise end up in landfills and has begun using 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard for mail-order CDs, and to compensate for their impact while touring, they plant trees, buy wind power credits and have installed solar panels on their van, which will soon be converted to biodiesel. You can read more about how Craig and the band have become effectively “green” in this informative interview with Grist. Also, if you haven’t already, be sure to listen to Craig’s discussion with John Richards about global responsibility on Music That Matters Vol. 28.
There is so much more to discover about this conscientious and creative band, which you can do on their website. There, you can also view Scott West and Connie Minowa’s incredible artwork that they create during each show. You’ll be hearing more from Cloud Cult on KEXP this summer, as the band is the first to be announced for our 5th Annual KEXP BBQ on August 18! Stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, check out this video for “Chain Reaction” from their performance at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis last year:
