David Bliss Cloud (August 3, 1956 – February 18, 2015) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, storyteller and occasional actor. Cloud was known foremost for his amusing earthy concert performances and

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

recordings with his band The Gospel of Power.Official Dave Cloud official website
accessed April 8, 2015.

Biography

Cloud came of age listening to

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

of the 1960s and early 1970s,"deXter Bentley's 'Hello Goodbye' show", radio interview broadcast on Resonance 104.4 FM (UK), May 10, 2008. and learned to play guitar as a teenager."The Gospel of Power's Musical Mission"
by David Maddox, ''Nashville Scene'', October 27, 2004; retrieved July 15, 2008. He first performed publicly in local Nashville record stores in the late 1970s. After overcoming severe stage fright, he started to play solo shows in small Nashville clubs, most notably the

dive bar A dive bar is typically a small, unglamorous, eclectic, old-style drinking establishment with inexpensive drinks; it may feature dim lighting, shabby or dated decor, neon beer signs, packaged beer sales, cash-only service, and a local clientele. ...

Springwater Supper Club & Lounge.Phil Hebblethwaite
"Puff Rider"
'' thestoolpigeon.co.uk'', May 2008; retrieved July 23, 2008. In the late 1970s,"Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power"
by Jeff Clark, ''Stomp and Stammer'', July 2011; retrieved November 8, 2015. Cloud formed The Psychotic Night Auditors, a punk rock band so loud and obnoxious that they "cleared the room" at Springwater, prompting the club owner to ban the group "for life." During the 1980s, Cloud listened mainly to classical music and directed his energies into "private tape experiments hat involvedoverdubbing voices, guitars and other instruments." Eventually Cloud was invited back to Springwater, where he would spend the next several years developing his performance style (including his signature "stage humping"Ann Lee. "Interview with Dave Cloud", ''The Stool Pigeon'', June 2006. and "phantom kung fu" antics) and a repertoire of original compositions, rock and pop covers, and occasional

karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...

. In the process he earned a reputation as Nashville's resident "garage rock lounge lizard extraordinaire." In 1994 Cloud met James Clauer with whom he formed the band Cruel Oval Brown Stomachs (C.O.B.S.), "a jaw-dropping synthesis of performance art, experimental theater, and pure vaudeville."Jim Ridley
"Spontaneous Combustion: Local music of the moment"
December 12, 1996; retrieved February 19, 2015. C.O.B.S. disbanded in 1995. In 1996 Cloud formed Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power, an experimental garage rock band that would go on to record several

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...

albums with Cloud as the lead vocalist and principal songwriter. In 2006 Cloud signed a multi-year recording contract with UK record label

Fire Records Fire Records was an American independent record label, set up in 1959 by Bobby Robinson. Amongst others, it released records by Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James, Buster Brown and Arthur Crudup. At one point it was thought Fire had issued the las ...

. He toured Europe with The Gospel of Power in 2006 and 2008. Cloud also worked as a volunteer book reader for visually impaired persons; beginning in 1984 he recorded thousands of hours of audio books and magazines for the Nashville Talking Library. He appeared in several films, music videos, television programs and advertisements.

Death

Cloud died in Nashville on February 18, 2015, aged 58, following a long illness.Jim Ridley
"Beloved Local Outsider Musician and Actor Dave Cloud Dies at 58"
nashvillescene.com, February 19, 2015; retrieved February 19, 2015.

Musical style

The ''

Nashville Scene ''Nashville Scene'' is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with ...

'' described Cloud's music as a "perverse cross between

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

and

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

,"Heather Nelson
"The Gospel Truth; Dave Cloud is an American original"
nashvillescene.com, December 2, 1999; retrieved July 15, 2008. that "translates a love of 60s and 70s rock and soul through the lens of punk and experimentation." In its review of Cloud's 2006 album ''Napoleon of Temperance'', ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'' wrote, "Cloud's bellowed vocals,

Beefheart Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...

-style beat poetry, hefty riffs and freestyle wig-outs achieve a transcendental psychedelic primitivism.""Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power: Napoleon of Temperance" D Reviewby Stewart Lee, ''The Sunday Times'', June 25, 2006.

The Gospel of Power

The Gospel of Power is the "loose congregation" of Nashville's veteran underground rock musicians that recorded and/or performed with Dave Cloud from 1996 to 2015. The original members in 1996 were Cloud (guitar, vocals), Matt Bach (bass) and Chris Davis (drums)."The Book of David: Remembering the late musician, artist and cult hero Dave Cloud, whose Gospel of Power lives on"
''Nashville Scene'', February 26, 2015; retrieved February 26, 2015. Over the years the roster fluctuated and included Brian Boling, Paul Booker, Matt Button (Lone Official), Tony Crow ( Lambchop,

Silver Jews Silver Jews were an American indie rock band from New York City, formed in 1989 by David Berman alongside Pavement members Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich. Berman was the only constant band member. During the last few albums, Cassie Berman ...

), Dave Friedman, Ben Martin (Lone Official,

Clem Snide Clem Snide is an alt-country band featuring Eef Barzelay (guitar, vocals), Brendan Fitzpatrick (bass) and Ben Martin (drums). History "Clem Snide" is a character in several novels by William S. Burroughs, including ''Naked Lunch'', ''The Ticket ...

), Laurel Parton (Trauma Team), Steve Poulton, and Matt Swanson ( Clockhammer,

My Dad Is Dead My Dad Is Dead was a recording project of musician Mark Edwards. The project began in Cleveland, Ohio in 1984. My Dad Is Dead has released twelve full-length albums before it officially ended in 2011. A new group called Secular Joy was formed ...

, Lambchop). Bassist Matt Swanson recorded and produced (or co-produced) Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power's first four albums using four-track equipment, and released the first two CDs on his own Thee Swan Recording Company label. Fire Records published the band's subsequent albums. The band performed regularly in the Nashville area and toured Europe twice. The usual touring band members were: Dave Cloud (vocals, guitar), Matt Bach (guitar), Matt Swanson (bass) and Ben Martin (drums), with Paul Booker (guitar) joining the band for local shows.

Discography

Albums

*''Songs I Will Always Sing'' (1999, Thee Swan Recording Company/Bloodsucker Records) *''All My Best'' (2004, Thee Swan Recording Company) *''Napoleon of Temperance'' -CD compilation(2006, Fire Records) *''Pleasure Before Business'' (2008, Fire Records) *''Practice in the Milky Way'' (2011, Fire Records) *''Live at Gonerfest'' (2012, Fire Records) *''Today is the Day That They Take Me Away'' (2015, Fire Records) (all with The Gospel of Power)

Singles and EPs (all with The Gospel of Power)

*"You Don't Need Sex" (2007, Fire Records) *"Puff Rider" (Various Production remix) (2008, Fire Records) *"Fever" EP (2009, Fire Records)

Other recordings (all with The Gospel of Power except "All the Same")

*"Carol of the Bells" on ''A Working Stiff Christmas: 15 Years at Springwater'' (2000, Tiny Rig Records) *"All the Same" on ''Keep Mother, Vol. 2: C & D'' (2006, Fire Records) *"Lovely Rita" on ''Sgt. Pepper with a Little Help from His Friends'' (2007, MOJO Magazine) *"Take You Slow" on ''This is Ming Beat: A Tribute to Sexton Ming'' (2009, RIM Records)

European tours

Cloud & The Gospel of Power twice toured the UK and Norway. Their first tour, in the spring of 2006, included shows at London's Scala (supporting the

) and Norway's Bergenfest, where Cloud also served as artist in residence. While in London the band performed live on deXter Bentley's "Hello Goodbye" radio show, broadcast on Resonance 104.4 FM.'Hello Goodbye' show"
dexterbentley.com, Resonance 104.4 FM (UK), April 22, 2006; retrieved July 15, 2008. On their second European tour (spring 2008), they were the headline act for Bergenfest's "Indie Bonanza" finale. The band's concert at London's 12 Bar Club was rated "Critics' Choice" in '' Time Out''.

Notable collaborations

Nina Persson Nina Elisabet Persson (; born 6 September 1974) is the lead singer and lyricist for the Swedish rock band The Cardigans. She has also worked as a solo artist, releasing two albums as A Camp and one under her own name, and has also appeared as a ...

of the Cardigans contributed vocals to "

Land of a Thousand Dances "Land of a Thousand Dances" (or "Land of 1000 Dances") is a song written and first recorded by American rhythm and blues singer Chris Kenner in 1962. It later became a bigger hit in versions by Cannibal & the Headhunters and Wilson Pickett. A ve ...

" on Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power's fourth album ''Pleasure Before Business'' (2008). In March 2008, after his own performance at Springwater in Nashville,

Steve Mackay Steve Mackay (September 25, 1949 – October 10, 2015) was an American tenor saxophonist best known for his membership in the Stooges. His performances are showcased on three songs on the band's second album, ''Fun House'' (1970). The Stooges ...

(saxophonist for

The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...

) joined Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power for two songs during their late-night, garage rock set. In early 2008, Norwegian folk group Storm Weather Shanty Choir invited Dave Cloud to record a vocal track for the traditional sea shanty "

Drunken Sailor "Drunken Sailor", also known as "What Shall We Do with a/the Drunken Sailor?" or "Up She Rises", is a traditional sea shanty, listed as No. 322 in the Roud Folk Song Index. It was sung onboard sailing ships at least as early as the 1830s, and ...

". The group originally released the song in June 2008 as a "B-side" single and later included it on its 2009 album ''Way Hey (And Away We'll Go)''.

Film and television appearances

Dave Cloud appeared in two

Harmony Korine Harmony Korine (born January 4, 1973, some sources report September 1, 1974)
" Retrieved on 2009-10-26. is an Ame ...

films: ''

Gummo ''Gummo'' is a 1997 American experimental drama film written and directed by Harmony Korine, starring Jacob Reynolds, Nick Sutton, Jacob Sewell, and Chloë Sevigny. The film is set (but was not filmed) in Xenia, Ohio, a Midwestern American town ...

'' (1997, uncredited) and ''

Trash Humpers ''Trash Humpers'' is a 2009 American experimental film written and directed by Harmony Korine. Shot on worn VHS home video, the film features a "loser-gang cult-freak collective"Renninger, Bryce (2009-08-06).11 More for Toronto (including Harmony ...

'' (2009); the premiere episode of the TV comedy show '' Travel Sick'' (2001); and the 2005 music video for

Bobby Bare Robert Joseph Bare Sr. (born April 7, 1935) is an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for the songs "Marie Laveau", " Detroit City" and "500 Miles Away from Home". He is the father of Bobby Bare Jr., also a musician. Early ca ...

's song "Are You Sincere." In spring 2008 Cloud was featured in a TV, billboard and print ad campaign for

Budweiser beer Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States. ''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrelat ...

in the UK."Legendary Nashville musician Dave Cloud inspires new Bud TV ad"
, FAMEmagazine.co.uk, April 29, 2008; retrieved July 15, 2008.

Recognition and awards

In 2004, Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power were nominated for a ''Nashville Scene'' Music Award in the Rock/Experimental category."Nashville Scene Music Awards—Nominees (Rock/Experimental category)"
nashvillescene.com, August 12, 2004; retrieved on July 15, 2008.

References

External links

*
Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cloud, Dave 1956 births 2015 deaths Singers from Nashville, Tennessee American male singer-songwriters American rock songwriters American rock singers American rock musicians Singer-songwriters from Tennessee Fire Records (UK) artists