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Even though it's not yet June, most of those who like to weigh in early on such matters have already come out with their lists for the first half of 2012. And while we won't succumb, we will say that one that would be in the upper reaches (and which has rightly gotten plenty of first half love from our colleagues) is Clevelander Dylan Baldi's complete and utter left turn onto the highway known as rawk, on Cloud Nothings' bruising third album Attack on Memory. 

That Baldi didn't end up in the ditch making such an abrupt lane change is no small feat. But props to him for the fearlessness of youth, and for wearing his influences (in this case, The Wipers and Bitch Magnet were among them) proudly. In this conversation from SXSW in March, we talk the production of this stunning record, and the role (or non-role) played by one Steve Albini, the album's first video, in which an older gent gets the worst of it, and more. 

We'll see where Attack ends up when the year-end chart dust settles in December, or no doubt for some, in November (wtf) but for now, it's right near the top. Baldi's got a lot to be proud of, and that's reason enough to re-visit this Austin edition of Face Time, with Cloud Nothings.