Indi rockers reach to the cloud Considering the stay-at-home spring has forced musicians to perform virtually or not at all, it makes sense that many have turned to reliving their past.

Considering the stay-at-home spring has forced musicians to perform virtually or not at all, it makes sense that many have turned to reliving their past. Not only are Radiohead and The Rolling Stones posting previously recorded full-length concerts on YouTube, but Cleveland-based, nationally renowned indie rock act Cloud Nothings dug deep into its catalog, recently releasing 27 bootlegs spanning the outfit's decadelong career. "When I heard we were going to release the bootlegs the first thing I thought about was, that's what Pearl Jam did," said bassist TJ Duke, a 2000 Medina High School graduate who now lives in Old Brooklyn. "Right now, I think people appreciate any bit of connection between bands they like. So far the response has been extremely positive." There's no denying the notion of a bootleg album transcends fandom. Not only do die-hard followers of a group enjoy hearing their favorite artist perform, but back in the day such black-market releases tested the listener who had to sacrifice quality for quantity. Such was the case for Duke, who for years has cherished the 1971 Van Morrison bootleg "Van the Man," which was recorded in San Francisco. "The performance is unparalleled and a brilliant show, but parts of it sound like they tape is warping as it's being recorded," Duke said, laughing. "Still, it's more important a representation of a particular moment in time that people can go back and feel like they were there. "That Van Morrison show is a great representation of that. Everything doesn't have to be the clean, perfect studio version. Songs are alive, and not in a mausoleum." As for Cloud Nothings' recently released bootlegs, including a memorable 2012 show at the Grog Shop, Duke said the walk down memory lane is enjoyable with plenty of pleasant surprises. "There's a healthy blend of shows that are great for one reason or another, but they're not without their warts because they're a band playing shows," said Duke, who is looking forward to eventually playing more live gigs. Prior to the pandemic, Cloud Nothings recorded the follow-up to its 2018 album "Last Building Burning," which eschewed the group's alternative rock motif for more of a frenetic and noisy approach. The next album is untitled and doesn't have a street date. "I'd say the new material is definitely more similar to the last album as far as being exploratory, but I don't think it was a conscious decision to make a turn in any particular direction," Duke said. "It was more of just a collective feeling." As for life during the pandemic, Duke has been busy pursuing music and discovering new hobbies. "I've been recording, making songs on my own and I'm actually scoring a friend's podcast that's being pitched to NPR," Duke said. "I also started composting, so that's pretty exciting. "I've been watching my fruit rinds decompose. What a gas that is." Ah, perhaps that could be the title of the new album, "Composting, What a Gas." "Considering we have no idea what's happening, we have plenty of time to figure that out," Duke said. Visit cloudnothings.com and cloudnothings.bandcamp.com. Contact John Benson at Ndiffrence.att.net.