Cult Mentality

Minneapolis art-rock maximists (if you can have minimalists, you can totally have maximists) Cloud Cult appear courtesy of both tragedy and the unending hopefulness of finding one’s center. Mastermind Craig Minowa lost his infant son in 2002 and has used his band as an outlet for his tireless quest to figure out how the hell you keep going after such a loss, but this is no mopey singer-songwriter fair.

That quest for grounding has lead the band to seek solace in being good to the Earth: their studio runs on geothermal energy and they release records on Minowa's not-for-profit environmental label, Earthology. Don't be fooled into thinking that these quirks add up to hippy dippy schmaltz - Minowa’s eccentricities keep Cloud Cult’s often vast and cinematic music weightlessly buoyant, while the palpable personal connection he has with the songs makes even the most atmospheric orchestration feel incredibly close to the vest.

MP3: Cloud Cult "When Water Comes To Life"

Cloud Cult plays Friday at Schubas with Mason Proper, 7:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., $12, 18+