In a Cloud, Vol. 2: New Sounds from San Francisco

The 2010 compilation In a Cloud: New Sounds from San Francisco not only served as a sonic snapshot of Fog City's vibrant indie rock scene, but also as a sort of collective coming-out party that revealed some of the area's best emerging artists. In a Cloud II revisits the concept, offering another set of previously unreleased songs exclaiming that the energy and output of the City's musical offerings circa 2012 are just as vital. Fans of the previous volume will welcome the return of lo-fi pop auteur Kelley Stoltz and moody alt-country rocker Paula Frazer, whose enduring careers posit them as local music royalty. Also back in the mix is one of the most successful bands since the first installment, the Fresh & Onlys, this time in the form of tracks led by two of its members: Wymond Miles with the crooning, autumnal goth-meets-rockabilly ballad "Don't Ask This of Me," and Tim Cohen eschewing the aching neo-psychedelic folk-country fusion of his Magic Trick project with the freaky, fuzzy "People Like Us." Garage revivalist giant Ty Segall even finds time between his breakneck-paced recording and touring schedule to offer a previously unissued take on "Swag," which devotees will recognize from his split album with Black Time. And don't sleep on the lesser-known artists who appear on In a Cloud II, like Lucky Eyes, whose ramshackle kiss-off duet "Haunted" is as charming as it is acerbic, and Papercuts' "Hey Jaqueline," which answers the question of what the Jesus & Mary Chain would sound like if they'd played lullabies. Fans of San Francisco indie favorites from Thee Oh Sees to Grass Widow (whose Hannah Lew returns here) to Woods will especially enjoy digging a little deeper into the local scene with In a Cloud II, but the compilation also works as a microcosm of the early-2010s indie sound in general. ~ Chrysta Cherrie