Jiffipop - Demolicious
(Rathole Records - 1996)
Left Banke, Zombies, Beach Boys, Beatles, Posies are good reference points for the first and only album under the name Jiffipop, as the name was soon changed to Cloud Eleven. This one has a more low-fi quality than the Cloud Eleven albums, but the songwriting is certainly on the same par. If you like your psych-pop with a sixties flare, you'll love this one! The album includes covers of "'Til I Die" by The Beach Boys and "Mournin' Glory Story" by Harry Nilsson.
Cloud Eleven - Self-Titled Debut
(Del-Fi Records - 1999)
Left Banke, Zombies, Beach Boys, Beatles, Teenage Fanclub, Matthew Sweet, Cheap Trick, Oasis are good reference points for this album, the first from Cloud Eleven. Released on the legendary L.A. indie label Del-Fi Records, it made many top ten lists in 1999. The album includes a cover of "Didn't Want To Have To Do It" by the Lovin' Spoonful. Additional musicians include Zane Drake and Greg Schroeder.
Cloud Eleven - Orange and Green and Yellow and Near
(West Coast Records - 2002)
Left Banke, Zombies, Beach Boys, Beatles, America, Elliot Smith are good reference points for the second album from Cloud Eleven. This one has a touch more melancholy than the first Cloud Eleven album, but still has a groovy West Coast psychedelic vibe. The songwriting and production values show a lot of growth on this one. Additional musicians include Nelson Bragg, Probyn Gregory and Rob Campanella.
Cloud Eleven - Terrestrial Ballet (Jam Records - 2004)
Terrestrial Ballet is a collection of outtakes, tribute songs and demos that spans the entire Jiffipop/Cloud Eleven epoch. Some of these songs were on compilations and tribute albums over the years, but now they're all in one place, plus a lot of other tunes! None of these songs ever appeared on any of the proper USA released Jiffipop/Cloud Eleven albums...they're all exclusive to this release. This CD includes covers of The Who, Shoes, Teenage Fanclub and the long lost Beauregard Ajax. Additional musicians include Nelson Bragg, Greg Schroeder and Rick Hromadka.
Cloud Eleven - Sweet Happy Life (Kool Kat Records - 2006)
Melodic acoustic psych-pop with lots of harmonies. The sound this time around is a more laid-back acoustic vibe than was previously exhibited (Rick plays the pedal steel guitar on several cuts), without losing the melodic/harmonic textures of past releases. A full drum kit has been replaced this time with the looser percussive sounds of tabla, bongos, shakers, etc. A special highlight is a cover of the unreleased Judee Sill song, "Oh Boy The Magician". Additional musicians include Nelson Bragg, Zane Drake, Probyn Gregory, Steve Stanley, Morley Bartnoff and Nick Walusko.
Cloud Eleven - Record Collection (West Coast Records - 2015)
Cloud Eleven returns after a nearly 9-year hiatus with Record Collection. This one attempts to explore various stylistic directions, but still wears its West Coast psych-pop heart on its sleeve. Additional musicians include Nelson Bragg, Probyn Gregory, Zane Drake, Seth Swirsky and Jimmy Street.
Cloud Eleven - Garden Of Obscure Delights: A Retrospective (1996-2015) (West Coast Records - 2016)
The ultimate Jiffipop/Cloud Eleven compilation celebrating 20 years of music!
21 songs, 18 from the original albums, plus 2 outtakes from Record Collection (2015) and a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dragonfly".
Click here to learn more.
Cloud Eleven - Footnote
(West Coast Records - 2019)
This Cloud Eleven album arrived 4 years after Record Collection. Going back to the Jiffipop template, this one was recorded entirely by Rick himself. More mid-fi bedroom-psych-pop with influences ranging from Beatles to Beach Boys, from ELO to Joni Mitchell and beyond.
Click here to learn more.
Cloud Eleven - Pandora's Box
(Kool Kat Musik - 2021)
This is the latest Cloud Eleven album, released on 6/4/21.
Pandora’s Box isn’t so much a ‘new’ album than a collection of previously unfinished song fragments that had been buried on old cassette tapes, plus some outtakes from other albums, and a few covers. During the lockdown of 2020, I would discover a stray chorus here, a verse there, and commence to completing the songs, then record them.
All the familiar Cloud Eleven influences are still intact.
Click here to learn more.
THE SINGLES - L.O.V.E. From The Santa Cruz Archives '82-'85
(Kool Kat Musik - 2022)
Led by main singer/songwriter/guitarist Rick Gallego (Jiffipop/Cloud Eleven), The Singles were Rick's very first band, and 'L.O.V.E. From The Santa Cruz Archives '82-'85' celebrates 40 years since the band formed in Santa Cruz, California. Rick's influences in the early days included Elvis Costello, Squeeze, The Plimsouls, The (Paul Collins) Beat, Shoes, 20/20 and Cheap Trick. Most of this material has never been officially released, save for the 4-song vinyl EP ‘PLAY IT!’ that was released in 1983, and has since become a “power pop” collector’s item. Santa Cruz was a hotbed of talented bands in the 80’s and included acts such as The Call, Camper Van Beethoven, Eddie and The Tide, The Medflys, The Humans, etc., and The Singles often shared stages with these bands. While the band never signed a recording contract in their heyday, they continued to record regardless. At long last, we finally get to hear this music that has been buried in the vaults for 40 years. PLAY IT…LOUD!
Click here to buy.