Cloud Cult reissuing out-of-print albums as expanded double-disc set

Following the sudden death of his 2-year-old son, Craig Minowa retreated to his Northern Minnesota farm, writing and recording more songs than he knew what to do with. The material was eventually whittled down to two Cloud Cult albums, 2003's They Live On The Sun and 2004's Aurora Borealis. The former was packed with heartbreak and madness, while the latter showed signs of recovery. Both were made and distributed on a small budget, meaning most copies never left the Twin Cities, and the albums quickly went out of print. But what about the tracks that didn't make the cut? Some of them will finally be heard when the two albums are reissued as an expanded double-disc set on December 8. (That date probably isn't random; Minowa told The A.V. Club last time we interviewed him that eight has been his "lucky number" since childhood, and he used Cloud Cult's 2007 album The Meaning Of 8 to explore its cosmic, cultural, and religious significance.) Both albums will be remixed, remastered, and "re-envisioned" (whatever that means). Even better, the band's recent hiatus will come to an end with a tour in early 2010 and a new album next fall.