He Poos Clouds
Encyclopedia
He Poos Clouds is the second album by Canadian
indie rock
artist Final Fantasy
, released June 13, 2006 on Blocks Recording Club
in Canada and Tomlab
internationally.
The songs on the album (excluding the fifth and tenth tracks) are loosely connected to the eight schools of magic in the role-playing game
Dungeons & Dragons
, and the title track's lyrics ostensibly refer to Nintendo
video game series The Legend of Zelda
, as well as The Chronicles of Narnia
. Pallett has also said that the album is a reflection on how atheists confront death.
The track "This Lamb Sells Condos" refers to Toronto
real estate developer Brad J. Lamb
, who had previously used the song's title phrase as an advertising slogan. In the song, Pallett imagines an argument between the eponymous developer and his wife that alludes heavily to various fashion design
ers.
The album cover art is by Robin Fry.
The album was named the winner of the 2006 Polaris Music Prize
on September 18, 2006.
. The school of magic correlating to the song is in parentheses.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
artist Final Fantasy
Owen Pallett
Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist from Toronto, Ontario. He won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds....
, released June 13, 2006 on Blocks Recording Club
Blocks Recording Club
Blocks Recording Club is a Canadian co-operative of musicians, which serves as both a collaborative artist community and a record label for its member artists.The label's name may also be cited graphically as □□□□□□ rather than the word "Blocks"...
in Canada and Tomlab
Tomlab
Tomlab is a German record label based in Köln. It has released works by bands such as The Books, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Deerhoof, Thee Oh Sees, Les Georges Leningrad, and acts associated with Blocks Recording Club, such as Final Fantasy, Ninja High School, and The Hank...
internationally.
The songs on the album (excluding the fifth and tenth tracks) are loosely connected to the eight schools of magic in the role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, and the title track's lyrics ostensibly refer to Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
video game series The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
, as well as The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages...
. Pallett has also said that the album is a reflection on how atheists confront death.
The track "This Lamb Sells Condos" refers to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
real estate developer Brad J. Lamb
Brad J. Lamb
Brad J. Lamb is a Toronto-based real estate broker and developer. He is one of the most well known figures in the Toronto real estate industry, and has a reality television show named Big City Broker on the HGTV network....
, who had previously used the song's title phrase as an advertising slogan. In the song, Pallett imagines an argument between the eponymous developer and his wife that alludes heavily to various fashion design
Fashion design
Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
ers.
The album cover art is by Robin Fry.
The album was named the winner of the 2006 Polaris Music Prize
2006 Polaris Music Prize
The inaugural edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize presented on September 18, 2006, at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre. The winning album was Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds.-Nominees:...
on September 18, 2006.
Track listing
Eight of the ten songs on He Poos Clouds are directly related to the eight schools of magic in the tabletop game Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
. The school of magic correlating to the song is in parentheses.
- "The Arctic Circle" – 4:24 (Abjuration)
- "He Poos Clouds" – 3:31 (Illusion)
- "This Lamb Sells Condos" – 4:39 (Conjuration)
- "If I Were a Carp" – 4:03 (Necromancy)
- "→" – 0:57
- "I'm Afraid of Japan" – 3:56 (Enchantment)
- "Song Song Song" – 4:31 (Evocation)
- "Many Lives → 49 MP" – 2:56 (Divination)
- "Do You Love?" – 3:03 (Transmutation)
- "The Pooka Sings" – 5:25
Personnel
- Owen Pallett – organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, bass, vocals - Bethany Bergman – 1st violin
- John Marshman – violincello
- Karen Moffatt – viola
- Ed Reifel – percussion
- Leon Taheny – percussion
- Jenny Thompson – 2nd violin
- Doug Tielli – tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Loretto Reid – concertinaConcertinaA concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
(1) - Bob Wiseman – accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
(9) - Lori Cullen – vocals (1, 3, 7, 10)
- Casey and Jenny Mecija – vocals (3, 7)
- Lex Vaughn – monologueMonologueIn theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
(3) - Aidan Koper, Jesse Foster, Tim Fagan – shouting (7)