C9 (Cloud 9)

By Allison Kowalski
LIFESTYLES EDITOR



Cloud 9 started out in the halls of Brockport and have gaineed fame and fans as they've performed across New York State. They will be coming to Rochester, Oct. 3 at the Dub Land Underground.
While some college graduates go on to graduate school or immediately enter the work force, two Brockport alumni are inching their way up the music ladder and making a name for themselves with their band, Cloud 9. Mike Tangney and Doug Fredricks graduated in 2005 and they are the only two original members of the band today.
Tangney and Fredricks started making music and writing lyrics in Dobson Hall when they were freshmen and they haven’t stopped since.
Their first show was right in the Seymour College Union.
“Doug and I did the hip-hop thing all throughout college and people made fun of us because we were two white boys rapping,” Tangney said.
Now, you might be wondering where in the world did they come up with the name Cloud 9 for the band? One night, Tangney and Fredricks were in their apartment, above Jimmy Z’s on Main Street, recording music in the vocal booth covered in bleach white egg crates.
Under the influence of creative inspiration, the boys said it looked like they were recording music on Cloud 9, so that became the name of their band.
“It kind of came by accident,” Tangney said.
Now, almost three years after graduation, Tangney and Fredricks have added four more members to Cloud 9, making the final number of the band six. Tangney and Fredricks are the two lead vocalists for the band.
After graduation, the two went home to downstate New York and started to interview people for the band. The other four members of the group now include Mike McInerery on the lead guitar, Steve Bacello on the rhythm guitar, Paul Ferguson on bass and Anthony De Rosa on percussion.
Besides vocals, Tangney and Fredricks play some instruments here and there, though not professionally, they said. Tangney rocks out with a guitar while Fredricks plays a plethora of instruments like the guitar, harmonica and the diggery do. A diggery do is a long, hollow tube that emits deep and rich sounds; it was created by the Aboriginals in Australia.
Cloud 9 performs a mixture of hip-hop and rock ’n’ roll. Tangney said they recently coined the term rap ’n’ roll. All the band members have different tastes in music ranging from country to ’90s alternative.
“Everyone draws off of different things which makes our music better,” Tangey said.
After starting to perform at Brockport, Cloud 9 moved onto other campuses and bars. Some places they have performed are Long Island, New York City, Ithaca, upstate New York and Orange County.
“We try to do at least three shows a month and we are really doing our best to expand,” Tangey said.
The band also handles their own business aspects.
“We really take pride in doing booking and recording,” Tangney said. “It’s a learning process.”
Some favorite places to perform are in colleges and especially bars.
“Smaller bars are a lot more personal,” Fredricks said. “You can draw energy up more, but you take different things from each of them.”
The band will be performing at the Dub Land Underground in Rochester Friday, Nov. 3. They are currently in the process of coming to Brockport for a show.
Cloud 9 would like to especially thank Mike Davis for the promotion and equipment help he gives the band.
Anyone interested in checking out their “rap ’n’ roll” music or CD information, go to their Myspace site at www.myspace.com/upstateofmind.
- The Stylus

Rolling on Cloud 9

While Oprah and Russell Simmons attempt to redefine the hip-hop community, one group is emerging with its own definition from an unexpected place – a dorm room.

It was an unintentional gathering of friends and cold beverages that led to the successful start of Cloud 9. From the echo of a resident hall at SUNY Brockport students may have overheard the voices of two young white boys rapping.

But unexpectedly, people liked what they were hearing. “The stigma attached to white kids rapping has actually been a benefit. When people think we’re a joke, they’ll stick around to watch us mess up. In most cases we have the satisfaction of watching them rock out with us for the night. We have a loyal fan base.” Mike Tangney and Doug Fredericks started writing lyrics together their freshman year of college and went from a small vocal recording booth to “Cloud 9,” opening for major recording artists Gym Class Heroes, and getting requests to headline at Texas State this coming semester.

Of course, they could never have done it without recruiting lead guitarist Mike McInerney, rhythm guitarist Steve Baccello, bass player Paul Ferguson, and percussionist Anthony De Rossa, along the way. “We actually never intended to start a band,” Tangney stated with a goofy smile. “Initially we just wanted to convert a couple of songs to live music versions and realized by adding live instruments to our shows they became much more dynamic. It was a new avenue of creativity, much more sophisticated.”

Cloud 9’s original sound reflects the attitude of its band members, who believe “with a little bit of effort and a lighter ego you can get by just fine.” But that doesn’t mean these guys are afraid of intense lyrics. With tracks ranging from fun to heartbreaking to political, this group’s energy isn’t beyond anyone, and their modesty isn’t either.

“Yes, we opened for Gym Class Heroes, which in any respect was a huge success,” said the bands’ lyricists, “but the most rewarding thing right now is playing shows and seeing more and more familiar faces. We all need to make sure the bills are paid first and foremost, and with that said no one has missed a practice yet.”

So to all you college “wannabe” musicians sitting in your dorm room strumming away on your guitars, or writing lyrics in your secret journals, take a lesson from an up and coming band that was in the very same position and used it to their advantage. Cloud 9 gives us hope that American Idol is not the only way to get started. “Anyone can write and record music in their basement, the key is getting it in the hands of the people that want to hear it, staying motivated, and being able to laugh at yourself when your told NO!”
Cloud 9 can be heard in venues all over the state of New York, and at other venues around the country. Check out their sound for tour dates, tracks, and merchandise, or book them for a new hip-hop experience. Either way, they look forward to any support, or criticism their fans are willing to give them.
Posted on Friday, August 31st 2007


27 responses to Rolling on Cloud 9
Jay says:
Wednesday, September 05th 2007
these guys are pretty decent, i definitely like there style
Brian Park, University of Illinois at Chicago says:
Friday, September 07th 2007
I met Mike in person, he's a really down to earth and cool guy. He's also very talented, and i like his style
Emily, University of Vermont says:
Friday, September 07th 2007
THESE GUYS ARE AMAZING!!! If you havent seen them you should. Plus they are the chillest group of guys you will ever hang out with. Congrats boys on your growing success, to many more articles like this one!!! <3 Ej
allie, suny brockport says:
Friday, September 07th 2007
i love you boys! ive never been more proud of ne one Tags! go see their show they rock out!!
allie, suny brockport says:
Friday, September 07th 2007
i love you boys! ive never been more proud of ne one Tags! go see their show they rock out!!
Tara, Suffolk says:
Friday, September 07th 2007
I have know Doug for years and he always had a flow for music and a talent for lyrics with motive. The group has come together into a amazing band of awesome guys and great music. Good tunes is Good tunes! Best of luck I can't wait till they play to sold out shows in NYC and I get front row!
dan Tinucci, suny farmingdale says:
Friday, September 07th 2007
i've only very recently discovered this group... but their sound is so potent i was forced to purchase a morning after pill. theyre talented way beyond their age and it shows in their songwriting, various musical styles, and in their live performance.
says:
Friday, September 07th 2007
check out cloud 9 at.. www.myspace.com/upstateofmind
Evan, SUNY Oswego says:
Friday, September 07th 2007
This is the kind of music you hear while blacked out drunk one night and then spend the whole next day singing in your head wondering...where the fuck did this kick ass - collegenews.com

Is it time to change the CD in your car, but you cant find any new music to replace it with? Well if you enjoy hip-hop that introduces you to all kinds of beats, then I think I have something for you. Its a local group right here on the SUNY Brockport campus.
Cloud 9 are 2 guys with some undeniable talent. They’ve independently written and recorded their new album Upstate of Mind. Consisting of 16 songs and four skits, this hour long CD will not disappoint you. So who are these talented guys?
Theres Mike Tangney (Tags) and Doug Fredericks (Hy-Deph), who have come together to produce a professional sound even though they are still amateurs. You can learn more about the members just by listening to their lyrics. For instance, the track How it Began takes you through their experience of coming together and making music.
Besides the two guys, you cant help but notice the eye-raising talent of two girls who sing in some of the songs. Sarah Bulka and Andrea Vergara (Drea) definitely add to the whole album with their unique singing voices. The song Cryin Shoulder has a soft melody with a hip-hop feel. The transition between the guys rapping and the girls singing the chorus sets a great mood for the song.
Their CD is a combination between old school and new school hip-hop. You get something different from each song. Most of them tell stories, while a few are just fun to listen to. The song Exhale is basically about doing drugs, but it still makes you want to get up and dance when you hear it. The best way to describe the song is swing meets hip-hop.

The fact that an independent record can have an impact like that really says a lot about the music.
But you should definitely find out for yourself by grabbing a copy of Cloud 9’s CD, Upstate of Mind at Trader Shags CD Emporium on Main Street in Brockport while they last.
A Cloud 9 performance in the Union Ballroom, presented by The Stylus, is planned for early next semester.
If you love hip-hop and arent offended by a little explicit language and occasional drug references, Im sure youll enjoy Cloud 9. Plus, if they do become famous one day, wouldnt it be cool to say that you knew them in college?
- SUNY Brockport's The Stylus

By Nathan Lovejoy
Dec10,2007
Bleecker St. Bands & Cloud 9
This past Saturday night, I went out to Kenny's Castaways at the urging of a friend to see Cloud 9. A week and a half ago, I had never visited Kenny's, The Bitter End, or any of the other, similar bar-venues on Bleecker, but in the past week and a half I've made several trips on friends' recommendations.
These places are a much different experience and business than the standard NYC venues like Bowery Ballroom, Knitting Factory, or even Arlene's or Cake Shop. The bars on Bleecker play host to mostly local acts who draw a crowd ranging from friends, to friends-of-friends. In fact, seeing a band at Kenny's or The Bitter End gives you the distinct feeling that you have stepped outside of (or, perhaps, underneath) the endless hype cycles ensnaring blogs, indie journalists, and college radio. My surprise to see sizable crowds show up for the acts I've seen there probably reflects more on my tunnel-vision perspective on 'independent' music than it does on any inherent quality of the musicians on stage.

In many ways, it was refreshing to be removed from the land of buzz bands, with-it venues, and "I've heard of them, but haven't heard them" situations, but it also invoked the curiosity natural to a stranger in a strange land. Last Friday at Kenny's, I was in a room full of people who did not know or care who Vampire Weekend or Black Kids are, and seeing a band who imported most of their crowd from Long Island, including their parents and siblings. That may not sound odd at first, but try to think of a time when you've seen that at Union Pool or Don Pedro's.


Cloud 9 itself does not play a brand of music that I listen to with anything resembling frequency. They consist of a clearly jazz-trained bassist, a quick soloing, almost-power-metal guitarist, standard rock drummer and rhythm guitarist, and to top it off, two singer/rappers. Appropriately, the portfolio songs reflected this particular collection of approaches.

Their mostly original material was well-constructed, high-energy, and belonged squarely in mid-August. Themes ranged from hooking up and getting wasted in the summer, to those time-tested stalwarts, love and betrayal. They were at their best when channeling their upbeat classic rock and early nineties, SoCal punk influences, and their roughest with the low-key slow-rap ballads. All-in-all after listening to Cloud 9, you know exactly what a band proudly from Long Island sounds like - and that's not meant as a slight, nor would they take it as one.

Though this sextet would not normally be my cup of tea, they were clearly talented and had a keen sense of their crowd. Half-way through the set, there were pockets of fans dancing among the tables and waving their arms above their heads. The bassist took advantage of his wireless set-up and took regular strolls through the audience - but what most amazed me was that in their second to last song, Cloud 9's front-men began a call-and-response chorus...to which people actually responded. I haven't seen that work anywhere smaller than Bowery. These guys, one way or another, had a strong connection to the folks who came out to see them.

After the show, part of me wanted to stick around for the next band, or come back another night to try my luck seeing a band without the aide of the usual indie-rock signposts. When asked though, no one there knew who was playing next, let alone next week. It seems everyone comes for their one band, then leaves. The concept of developing a full-night's bill doesn't quite fit in with the Bleecker St. business model.


- Limewire.com