I’ve always enjoyed hearing demos and unreleased song ideas. It’s fun to hear the riffs and melodies that full songs come from, and it’s especially interesting to learn about how songs you’re already familiar with evolved over time into the forms that you find familiar.

Got-Djent.com tells us that the following three Cloudkicker song ideas come from June 2008, March 2010 and June 2010 respectively. In this context and order it’s also fascinating to witness how Ben Sharp’s songwriting evolved over time from “djent” into “Cloudkicker.” The ending riff of the third clip below should ring a bell for Cloudkicker fans:

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Of all the buzzed-about solo instrumental acts to hit the scene since cheap recording technology and the Internet collided in a giant explosion of output, Cloudkicker seems to be one of the most universally lauded. Sure, everyone’s got access to said technology and the Internet, but it’s the songs that make the act, silly, and Cloudkicker’s got tons of ‘em. Cloudkicker is also a safe bet to put on in situations where you want something heavy but you’re surrounded by non-metalhead friends, i.e. at a party, in the car, etc., making him — Ben Sharp, that is — a real favorite of this here writer.

The latest new Cloudkicker jam posted on Got-Djent.com doesn’t appear to be from a new album, but who knows; Sharp could just be teasing us, as it’s been something like 9 months since Beacons was released (an eternity in solo instrumentalist time). It’s an entirely acoustic jam, and frankly it really isn’t metal at all, but it’s entirely consistent with the Cloudkicker sound — Cloudkicker’s Cloudkickerness, if you will, or haeccity — and it’s not difficult to imagine this song arranged with electric instruments. Stream “It’s inside me, and I’m inside it” below.

It’s inside me, and I’m inside it. by Ben Sharp

-VN

This is probably old news to you if you spent the time between Christmas and New Year’s parked in front of your computer like we most certainly did not, but for the rest of you; Cloudkicker — aka Ben Sharp, recipient of many MetalSucks’ writers Best of 2010 lists — has released a new song called “You and Yours.”

As usual, the song is available for free on Cloudkicker’s Bandcamp page. I’m continually impressed by just how prolific Sharp is; an EP, full-length and bonus song all in one year is pretty damn impressive. Of course, his status as an unsigned home-recording musician and self-professed hobbyist in the Internet age makes this all possible, but while it’d be just as easy to turn out piece of crap after piece of crap “You and Yours” is up to the high standards that Cloudkicker fans have come to expect.

Check out “You and Yours” here; if history is any indication, there will be more Cloudkicker music on the way soon. Oh hey, and there’s a sweet new Cloudkicker t-shirt available too.

-VN