"Attack On Memory" is the last kind of record that I could foresee on my end of the year Top 10, but that is exactly where I am sure it will be. We are now embroiled in a major 90's nostalgia music swing. In the past year there has been some really good bands that have came out of this movement, like The Vaccines and Yuck. But there are too many bad ones to name, and most of the offenders were still in their diapers when Kurt & Courtney were all over the papers! Cloud Nothings are embracing a very interesting part of the 90's, and one that I am sure will not become a trend. They have lots of elements in their sound, without ever sounding derivative of anyone or just the Naughties, per se. I can hear elements of Drive Like Jehu, Unwound, Tar, Seam, or just about anyone that was on Touch & Go or Amphetamine Reptile in their heyday. Also, remember for a short period in the 90's when Sonic Youth seemed that they were gonna be a household name? A lot of labels(majors included) were signing unknown noisy bands, in hopes of having the next Sonic Youth on their roster. Bands like Magic Dirt, Blinker The Star, Smile, and Boss Hog, were signed and then discarded when their records didn't sell more than 2,000 copies. Cloud Nothings could have easily came from that period. But none of this is a diss against their sound, as I really love this record. There are the noisy type songs, and then there are very catchy, almost jangle-pop, type songs. It really is a record that was created to be played on College Rock radio(remember when that existed?), and every song on the record, could find a home on any of those stations. The songs have tons of hooks, and you will find them going round and round through your head, even after the first time listening. I actually downloaded the record the week that it came out, just because of the pre-buzz and hype that was being thrown around for it. After listening to it 2 times, I was so enamored with it, that I purchased it on vinyl.....and that hardly ever happens with me, with an unknown band! So don't let the hype turn you off about this band, which is something that I always do, because in this case, it is totally worth it!! If you want a record that reminds you of the rocking days in College, when there was some noisy but really catchy good records coming out every week? Then totally throw down the bones and check out the Cloud Nothings, I truly don't think that you will be disappointed.
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