Cloud
Cloud is Tyler Taormina.
A project that began after a piano lesson where I learned that I could play the piano and the drums at the same time. Also at this time, I was experiencing my first love and first heartbreak. Cloud became the outlet for many formative experiences of love, friendship, psychedelia, aging, mental illness and moving away from home. The five albums of Cloud have been released on numerous formats and record labels including Audio Antihero, Paper Trail Records and, of course, Practice Room Records. Cloud is a culmination of many musical influence and diaristic growth. The band has had many people record on their records but the primarily recurrent members include Jonathan Davies and David Croley Broyles.
Plays With Fire
“Plays with Fire” is the new and likely final full length album from Cloud. It’s something very different to 2013’s “Comfort Songs” or 2015’s “Zen Summer.” It was released March 9th by Audio Antihero Records and is available on vinyl or as a lossless download.
“We all listened to this record for the first time on February 17th, 2017 in my Los Angeles apartment in the pitched black darkness, no cell phones. The music was blasting loud and there was barely enough room for everyone to sit on the floor of my living room where the cover photo was taken. Something was mov-ing around over our heads in the darkness, it felt right, like an angel of sentimentality. When the album was coming to its close I sensed that something tremendous was ending along with it, but I had no idea as to what…” – Tyler Taormina
Patience Through the Storm
This EP is some of the material written and recorded during the Zen Summer period that didn’t make the proper LP. I think of it as a remote island off of the mainland of Zen Summer. The last track is a reprisal of a song called “Sunshine Psych.” This track is the sun setting on the entire era for me. I picture the credits to role on the period, a scene from the Mighty Ducks 2 was a big inspiration, where the characters gather around a fire after the wave of their adventure has crested.
All songs written and recorded by Tyler Taormina. Mixed by Cole Verderber, mastered by TJ Lipple—with the exception of “Trees All Right” mixed by Nolan Eley
-Brush The Flowers Off: David Broyles on guitar. Field recordings by Brianna Taormina.
-Patience Through The Storm: Guitar by Jon Davies.
-Trees All Right: Guitar by David Broyles and Jon Davies.
-Song For Campfire: Guitar by Casey Jacobs and Ken Korb. Singing by Ena Alvarado, Cole Verderber, Joey Puleio, Ken Korb.
Zen Summer
Zen Summer is a collection of songs and reminders (as they often are) that I wrote for myself while documenting my experiences leaving life’s coddling comforts. Listen to this album on a summer afternoon in that hour when the sun makes its gorgeous descent and the shadows are long. Keep your friends close by.
All songs written and recorded by Tyler Taormina, Cloud. Produced by a great friend, Cole Verderber, in 2013-2014 when we were still 22,23.
With great thanks to my personal heroes for helping me find peace when I can; Mom, Dad, William Jackson, Thich Nhat Hanh, Kate Bush, Noah Lennox, Jonathan Richman, Ibrahim Ferrer, David Weld’s Sanctuary, and of course, great friends.
Fly Into The Mystery
-Guitar by Casey Jacobs, David Broyles
-Bass by Konrad Kamm
Sunshine Psych
-Guitar by Casey Jacobs, Jon Davies
-Vocals by Cole Verderber, Ena Alvarado, Joey Puleio
-Drums by Tommy Hanft
Mantra One
-Guitar by Jon Davies
-Bass by Ken Korb, Samira Winter
-Advice from Rich Venezia
Luana
-Guitar by Robbie Prisco
-Voices by Jing Wen (???)
Electrical Smile
-Guitar by Jon Davies
Zen Summer
-Guitar by Jon Davies
-Field recordings by Brianna Taormina, Brendan Mattox
Tastes Bad
-Guitar by Michael Mausler
-Vocals by Michael Mausler
-Bass by Robbie Prisco
-Additional Percussion by Ken Korb
Sleepy Giant Speak
-Guitar by Jon Davies
Night Ride
-Guitar by Casey Jacobs
-Additional drums by Omar Saeed
-Voices by Jing
-Additional guitar by Ken Korb
Rainbow Road
-Choir: Brianna Taormina, Melanie Cozzolino, Lauren Baruch, Ashley Smalley, Danielle Valenti, Leah Pape, Valerie Kamen, Cassie Vitozzi, Kyrie Gentilcore, and Marissa Gesualdi
Comfort Songs
Sometimes you walk around your room trying to shake it off and it doesnʼt come off. After pacing the floor, you decide that the only thing you can do is go for a bike ride or walk or something. You walk around looking down with your music on as you have an entire conversation with yourself over and over again. Youʼve convinced yourself that everything is terrible and spend every step trying to reverse the spell saying “everything is not so bad.” Itʼs not so bad. Listen to this album on that walk. I hope it brings you some comfort
Recorded during a hot summer when I was 21. I would drive around in my grandmaʼs 88 Cadillac Coup DeVille which played cassettes only. I would only drive to and from work at the Sheraton Hotel because my car only took 15 miles to the gallon. That job was probably my favorite- serving food at those weddings. Nostalgic and slow in the dead heat of season. Straight from work Iʼd hurry to the practice room to lay down tracks with the insane amount of people who came in and out helping me with various instruments including:
Produced by the nicest guy I know, Cole Verderber
Kenny Korb- Guitar on tracks 1,3,4,5,6
” ” Vox on track 1
Konrad Kamm- Bass on 1,2,3,5,10,11
Jon Davies- Guitar on tracks 2,3,8,9,10,11
Samira Winter- Vocals on tracks 1,5
Joey Puleio- Drums on tracks 4,5,8
Tommy Hanft- Drums on track 6
Russell Ridulfo- Trumpet on tracks 3,5,11
Irene Alvarado- Violin on tracks 5,9
Tom Macaluso- Trombone on tracks 1,9
Greg Salwen- Vocals on tracks 1,2
Michael Mausler- Vocals on track 4
Pat Gray- Saxaphone on track 2
Omar Saeed- Drums on track 11
Brendan Mattox- Vox on track 1
The choir includes all my friends- old and new..
Rocket
My second album is called Rocket. The difference between Rocket and Elephant Era is that Rocket is more of a constructed album. Nearly everything about was planned and meditated. It also took the better half of a year to record. I feel like this album is more crafted than anything else I’ve ever worked on.
Elephant Era
This is my first album. I think that it kind of wrote itself. What I mean by that is that I had no idea I was making an album until I had enough songs to record and fill up the majority of an hour. It was recorded entirely at Cole Verderber’s house in late 2009. The first song was probably written February of 2008. I made 300 copies by cutting up the blanket that makes the album cover. So once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.
Secret Admirer
Practice Room Records presents Secret Admirer – a compilation of PRR artists covering each other.
I am seriously struggling to write about what this compilation means to me. 16 people volunteered to cover each other’s songs for no money, no real “exposure”, nothing beyond wanting to be apart of such a project. 11 of those people were given the artist they’d cover from out of a hat. All of the songs you’re hearing (with the exception of “New Year”) are songs that have been previously released on the PRR discography for free download on a website that one of those artists (Ken Korb) built from scratch. Each of these people gave their time and energy to reinterpret a song that a friend (or a friend of a friend) created. Some of them offered even more time to help mix and master each other’s tracks. All of them at least seem to have really enjoyed it (and I hope they love the final product as much as I do). Of all the compilations and albums released on PRR, this one takes the cake on what PRR truly means to me: community.
A small tangent: why do some people create and others don’t? Why do some people take the risk of exposing and expressing themselves while others with that same desire stay silent? Certainly there are the few that seem to have been born without an embarrassed bone in their body. For those of you who are so blessed to be amazing at what you do from the get-go and don’t feel that shame and nervousness and insecurity – you’re lucky, so go take advantage of that! But for the rest of us (is it safe to say most of us???) who are doomed to start at anything poorly and then excel only with time and practice – we need each other. We need someone to think that we’re better than we actually are so that we can keep going, keep practicing, keep doing.
Our growth, then, is a result of our mutual support. Our growth is a result of our growing up, listening to each other’s terrible, cringe and laugh-worthy music. Maybe we weren’t always the greatest critics in retrospect, but maybe that blindness that friendship causes is partly to blame for our feeling like rock stars in each other’s eyes. And now, so many years later, we have 16 people volunteering, wanting, to not only put out music together, but to play each other’s songs that we love. Am I still blinded or is this compilation truly amazing? I may never know, but I don’t think I really care because these people make me feel like a great artist and I hope everyone gets to feel that way.
At the end of the day, I’d insist that to some degree, this collective is a mystery. Some part of it must be luck and some part of it must be us. I can’t speak for everyone who contributed but I can publicly thank them (even if only a few people ever really read this). Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by the fact that I get to call these brilliant people my friends, collaborators, and, if I can be so bold, mutual admirers. It’s been an honor to assemble these tracks, thanks to everyone for participating and thanks for making a community with me.
-greg
And a special thanks to Ken Korb for the incredible album art (for real fans: try to find all the art from PRR releases re-collaged here) as well as Jackson Wargo for volunteering to beautifully master this compilation and promising not to hide fart sounds in the mix.
Credits:
Cloud – Abunoriginal
Performed and engineered by Tyler Taormina. Mixed by Nolan Eley. “My ode to Cole.” Covering the original song “Aboriginal” off of the album “Dark Room” by Redstone Repeater.
Roberto – Blind, Blind, Blind
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Brendan. “With respect to the production styles of Bad At Baseball.” Covering the original song “Blind” off of the album “Go Ahead” by Michael Brandon.
Beach Moon/Peach Moon – Sapito Lipón/Cross Paths
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Robbie Prisco. Samples by Alone. Covering the original piece “Sapito Lipón” off of the album “Las Villas” by Alone.
Michael Brandon – Snowflake
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Michael Brandon. Covering the original song “Snowflake” off of the album “Watkins Glen” by Sonoak.
Trestin Eeling – Lifeboat
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Ken Korb. Covering the original piece “Age” off of the album “Lifeboat” by Plain Grays.
Raw Paws – I Loe Ou
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Cole Verderber. “I would just want to say, thank you to Kenny Korb for being an amazing musician and songwriter and for inspiring me through the years!” Covering the original song “I Loe Ou” off of the album “This is Paradise” by Trestin Eeling.
Samira Winter – New Year
Vocals, Guitar, Keys, Drums by Samira Winter. Bass, Guitar by David Yorr. Mixed by Samira Winter, David Yorr and Matt Hogan. Covering the original song “New Year” which is unreleased as of 2015 by Jason Lerman.
Snowball II – Desperation Club
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Jackson Wargo. Covering the original song “Desperation Club” off of the album “Comfort Songs” by Cloud.
Cherry Bomb – Haley House
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Nolan Eley. “Primacy Effect is my favorite band.” Covering the original song “Haley House” off of the album “The Done Days of Piano Row” by Primacy Effect.
Tapestry – Waiting for the Summer
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Casey Jacobs. Covering the original song “Waiting for the Summer” off of the album “Supreme Blue Dream” by Winter.
Safehouse – Allison Archer
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Dillon Vetere. Samples by Fjords. Covering the original piece “Allison Archer” off of the album “The Slow Death of Allison Archer” by Fjords.
Glass Frog – Brush It Off
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Konrad Kamm. Covering the original song “Brush it Off” off of the album “Killer Wails” by Beach Moon/Peach Moon.
Sonoak – Memory Swipe
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Greg Salwen. Covering the original piece “Memory Swipe” off of the album “Nighttime Noise” by Glass Frog.
Alone – Burial
Performed and mixed by Lorena Alvarado. Engineered by Tyler Taormina. Covering the original song “Burial Ground” off of the album “Branches” by Tapestry.
Jason Lerman – Fly Into the Mystery
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Jason Lerman. Covering the original song “Fly Into the Mystery” off of the album “Zen Summer” by Cloud.
David Shotwell – Skymother
Performed by David Shotwell. Mixed and engineered by Lucas Holstein. “Thanks to Practice Room Records for inviting me, and to Life On An Island Records for raising me. And thanks to Mom and Dad for the guitar.” Covering the original song “Skymother” off of the album “Every Starry Night” by Adam & Naive.
PRR Plays the Hits Vol. 1
Practice Room Records Plays the Hits is a compilation of covers.
“Personal Tornadoes” performed by Marblemouth (originally performed by Trouble Books on the album The United Colors of Trouble Books, 2008)
“Eventually, All At Once” performed by Trestin Eeling (originally performed by Joan of Arc on the album Eventually, All At Once, 2006)
“She Did A Lot of Acid” performed by Primacy Effect (originally performed live by Neutral Milk Hotel, c. 1997)
“Go” performed by Sonoak (originally performed by Daniel Johnston on the album Respect)
“Born on a Train” performed by Jason Lerman (originally performed by The Magnetic Fields [The Charm of the Highway Strip, 1994], but Jason had only heard the Arcade Fire cover version [c. 2005] when he recorded this)
“Derwentwater Stones” performed by Tapestry (originally performed by Robin Pecknold on the E.P. Three Songs, 2011)
“Give You My Lovin’” performed by Glass Frog (originally performed by Mazzy Star on the album She Hangs Brightly, 1990)
“Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye” performed by Cloud (originally performed by Leonard Cohen on the album Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1967)
“A Spindle, a Darkness, a Fever, and a Necklace” performed by Ena Alvarado (originally performed by Bright Eyes on the album Fevers and Mirrors, 2000)
“Merchandise” performed by Male Unbonding (originally performed by Fugazi on the album Repeater, 1990)
“He Doesn’t Know Why” performed by Raw Paws (originally performed by Fleet Foxes on the album Fleet Foxes, 2008)
“Bankrupt on Selling” performed by Michael Brandon (originally performed by Modest Mouse on the album The Lonesome Crowded West, 1997)
“Our Last Night Together” performed by Moviegoer (originally performed by Arthur Russell on the album World of Echo, 1986)
The Players (album art, clockwise from the bass neck)
Greg Salwen, Samira Winter, Tyler Taormina, Michael Brandon, Jason Lerman, Kyle Oppenheimer, Ena Alvarado, Nolan Eley, Kenny Korb, Cole Verderber, Lorena Alvarado, Brendan Mattox, Casey Jacobs, Michaela Weglinski, and Konrad Kamm
Recently, I was interviewing Brooklyn artist & musician Taraka Larsen. In the course of our conversation about an end of the world karaoke event she and her sister, Nimai, put on several years ago, she dropped this interesting thought about singing other people’s songs:
“You’re willingly opening yourself to being possessed,” she said, “like, if you’re singing an Elvis song, and you’re really good at it, you’re channeling Elvis.”
At the same time, I finally got my shit together and started organizing the dozen or so tracks that other members of PRR had sent me to compile into the compilation you’re currently downloading (thank you for reading this and not, god forbid, looking at porn or Pitchfork).
Taraka’s observation has stuck with me. Why play the hits? It’s not like it’s hard to find the original recording of anything anymore––they’re streamable, buyable, and audible from the quad of your local college.
But nothing quite compares to picking up an instrument yourself and trying to arrange someone else’s song. Our bodies are so different, so unique. Often times it requires more than just a set of tabs from Ultimate Guitar and a six-string acoustic.
I’m at a loss to describe just what that is: I think it takes a loving, deep connection to the song that you’ve chosen to cover. You need to know original so intimately that your stupid fingers can compensate for what it does not know how to do, and replace that essence of the creator with your own.
-Brendan Mattox (aka Marblemouth)
Thanks to:
All the artists whose awesome music we covered.
Brendan Mattox for organizing and compiling these songs.
Ken Korb for the beautiful original album art.
And a big, big thanks to Kyle Oppenheimer for mastering!
Pie (Spring Compilation #2.5)
Compilation of PRR artists and friends.
Puddles (Spring Compilation #1)
Compilation of PRR artists and friends.
2. Cloud – End of an Aura: Produced by Jon Davies & Lorena Alvarado
Guitar by Jon Davis
Bass/Vocals by Samira Winter
3. Tapestry – Salt Stains: Recorded by Cole Verderber
Drums by Joey Puelio
4. Sonoak – One Day, a Straight Path: Mixed by Kenny Korb
5. Trestin Eeling – Cute Pop Apocalypse: Whistling by Jess Katon
6. Adam & Naive – Not a Film: Engineered at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn
7. Plain Graze – Lost and Found: Mixed by Greg
10. Samira & Lorena – Six Years Later: Mixed by Nolan Eley
13. Ena Alvarado – Irene With All: Mixed by Kenny
Drums by Tyler
Second guitar by Greg
Bass by Konrad
Extra vocals by Lorena & Greg
Volume 5: Live from the Practice Room (II) [1/14/11]
Live recordings from a show in the Practice Room.
Featuring from PRR: Glass Frog, Trestin Eeling, Sonoak, Cloud, Michael Brandon
Volume 4: Live from Lulu’s (I) [7/31/10]
Live recordings from a Food Not Bombs benefit show at Lulu’s in Port Jeff, NY.
Featuring from PRR: Adam & Naive performing songs by Trestin Eeling, Sonoak, We The Chocolate Sparrow, and Cloud.
Volume 2: Live from The Practice Room (I) [8/17/10]
Live recordings from a show in the Practice Room.
Featuring from PRR: Trestin Eeling, Glass Frog, Cloud, Sonoak, and Adam & Naive
Volume 1: Live from Bay Icemint (I) [7/2/10]
Live recordings from a show in Greg’s parents’ old basement when they went out of town for a night.
Featuring from PRR: Sonoak, Trestin Eeling, Glass Frog, Cloud, and Adam & Naive
Also featuring: Pipiabat