The Music Tapes--For Clouds and Tornadoes

There are a few things that I find more beautiful than words can explain. They are all natural phenomena that tend to be the only things in this world I can just stare at and immediately feel calm. One is flocks of birds, particularly the rapidly changing, perfectly choreographed smoke-like flocks of starlings. Another is water flowing over stones. And the last is clouds drifting behind buildings, trees, mountains, air traffic control towers--doesn't matter what, just moving behind something. There are only two days of elementary school I remember distinctly. One of those was the day we learned the names of the different types of clouds. It was one of the best days of my life. The very idea that someone had the job of looking up at the sky and naming the clouds just made me so happy. To this day, I still could not tell you which cloud is a cummulonimbus, which is a cirrus, which is a stratus, but I could tell you what my teacher was wearing when she taught me (a purple dress), where I was sitting (third row, fourth seat), even what belt I was wearing (Superman). I couldn't even tell you what grade I was in. So, The Memory Tapes's For Clouds and Tornadoes remains my favorite Non-Mangum Elephant 6 endeavor. Not only does Julian Koster recall this bit of nostalgia by shouting, "NIMBUS! CIRRUS! STRATUS!" throughout the record, but his singing saw, toy pianos, accordion, banjo, and his otherworldly voice sound more like a memory than song. This must be why I always mistakenly refer to this project as The Memory Tapes instead of The Music Tapes causing much confusion every time I try to put on this record and wind up listening to the first 2 minutes of Seek Magic before I figure out what the hell is going on. I always say I remember things better when I write them down. The purpose of this post is to help be remember The Music Tapes are the cloud band created by Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster and the Memory Tapes are the electronic "chillwave" band with the bicycle pump and sneakers on a basketball court sounds on their record (also some nostalgic feelings associated with that one...). And I'd also like to share this Music Tapes record (and hopefully this feeling) with you. I love this record and the way it makes me feel. Enjoy.

Try.

Buy.