Cake (band)

Cake

Cake is a band from Sacramento, California. They have had several hits throughout the 1990s and 2000s from six albums.

History

Cake was formed in 1991 by vocalist/songwriter John McCrea, guitarist Greg Brown, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, bassist Sean McFessel, and drummer Frank French. Sean McFessel soon left and was replaced by Gabe Nelson. In 1993, the band released their debut single, "Rock ‘n' Roll Lifestyle". Although self-released, the single managed to hit number 31 on the US Modern Rock Tracks. After the moderate radio success of their first single, Cake released their debut album entitled "Motorcade of Generosity". Eventually, Cake signed a deal with Capricorn records, who in turn released the album nationally. Some time after this deal Gabe Nelson and Frank French left the band.

In 1996, Cake released its second album, "Fashion Nugget". The album produced the radio gem "The Distance," which "dominated alternative radio that fall.". The next single released from "Fashion Nugget" was a cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive".

Later that year original bassist Gabe Nelson returned and replaced Victor Damiani, who had originally replaced Nelson.

Cake released its third studio album, "Prolonging the Magic", in 1998. This album contained the hit single "Never There" which managed to nab number 1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks.

In 2001 Cake released their fourth full-length album entitled "Comfort Eagle". This was Cake's first release under Columbia records. The lead off-single. "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" was a major hit on alternative radio stations, climbing to number 7 on the US Modern Rock Tracks.

In 2004, Cake released "Pressure Chief", their fifth and latest album. It contained the moderately successful singles "No Phone" and "The Guitar Man".

Musical style

Although Cake's music is often classified as alternative rock or indie rock, it combines multiple musical genres, such as funk, ska, pop, jazz, rap, and country. Cake's music features droll lyrics rife with word play and syncopation (laconically-voiced in a rap-like style by lead vocalist/guitarist John McCrea), catchy distorted guitar riffs (courtesy of guitarist Greg Brown until 1998, and bass player Victor Damiani until 1997), and a solo trumpet (played by Vince DiFiore). Cake's approach to arrangement, composition, and instrumentation has been compared to Soul Coughing, They Might Be Giants, Talking Heads, The Cars, Camper Van Beethoven and Lou Reed.

Member changes

Damiani left the band in 1997, replaced by Gabe Nelson. Greg Brown left in 1998, replaced by Xan McCurdy. Brown and Damiani continued to work together when they formed the band Deathray. Todd Roper left the band to focus on parenthood after recording Comfort Eagle, and has also joined Deathray. Drummer Paulo Baldi joined the band in 2003 during the second "Unlimited Sunshine Tour". (See "Band Lineup" for more)

Touring

Cake headlined the Unlimited Sunshine Tour festival in the summer of 2002 among an eclectic ensemble of bands including Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, De La Soul, Latin techno fusion band Kinky and bluegrass group The Hackensaw Boys. Cake brought back the tour in 2003 with Cheap Trick, country singer Charlie Louvin, garage rockers The Detroit Cobras, and a return performance from The Hackensaw Boys. The tour returns in 2007 with the Brazilian Girls on the East Coast dates, return of The Detroit Cobras for the West Coast dates, and Oakley Hall, Agent Ribbons and King City for all the shows.

Cake's fifth album, Pressure Chief, was released on October 5, 2004. John McCrea discussed this album with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air in February 2005.

The band has announced that two new albums are in the works: a live album, Live at the Crystal Palace; and B-Sides and Rarities, which will feature covers of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" and Barry White's "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up." B-Sides and Rarities was mailed to fans who had ordered it from the band's website in June 2007.

Band lineup

• John McCrea - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, organ, vibraslap
• Vince DiFiore - trumpet, keyboards, percussion
• Xan McCurdy - electric guitar (joined after Prolonging the Magic)
  • originally Greg Brown (left before Prolonging the Magic, replaced by McCurdy)
• Gabe Nelson - bass guitar (left after Motorcade of Generosity, replaced by Damiani; rejoined before Prolonging the Magic)
  • formerly Victor Damiani (left before Prolonging the Magic, replaced by Nelson)
  • originally Shon Meckfessel (left before Motorcade of Generosity, replaced by Nelson)
• Paulo Baldi - drums, percussion (joined for Pressure Chief tour)
  • formerly Pete McNeal (left during the recording of Pressure Chief)
  • formerly Todd Roper (left after Comfort Eagle)
  • originally Frank French (left after Motorcade of Generosity, replaced by Roper)

Discography

Main article: Cake discography

Studio albums

• Motorcade of Generosity (1994)
• Fashion Nugget (1996)
• Prolonging the Magic (1998)
• Comfort Eagle (2001)
• Pressure Chief (2004)

Association with other artists

• "Weird Al" Yankovic's song "Close But No Cigar" from his 2006 album, Straight Outta Lynwood, parodies Cake's style.
• McCrea contributed backup vocals to the track "Fred Jones Part 2" on Ben Folds' album Rockin the Suburbs, and made a surprise appearance to do the same during the recording of Folds' Ben Folds Live album.
• McCrea contributes vocals to the track "The Headphonist" on the album Atlas by Mexican electro-pop band Kinky.

Appearances in other media

• The song "The Distance" from Fashion Nugget is played during episode BABF09 Saddlesore Galactica of The Simpsons when Bart's racehorse, Furious-D, exits the turnstile with his new fashion image.
• The theme song to NBC show Chuck is parts of Cake's 'Short Skirt/Long Jacket'.
• An instrumental cover of Cake's "Italian Leather Sofa" is featured as the theme song to the cartoon Mission Hill.
• The song "Shadow Stabbing" from Comfort Eagle appears in the opening credits of the movies Orange County and Wordplay. It also appears in the movie Shallow Hal.
• The songs "Daria", "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle", and "Friend Is a Four-Letter Word" are featured as closing credit themes for episodes of Daria.
• The song "Frank Sinatra" was also featured at the close of The Sopranos episode "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti."
• Cake's cover of "I Will Survive" was featured in the 2004 Japanese movie Survive Style 5+, the 2003 film Secretary, and the 2003 Canadian comedy, Mambo Italiano.
• The song "Comfort Eagle" was featured in the 2001 movie Shallow Hal.
• "When You Sleep," "Sheep Go to Heaven," "You Turn the Screws," "Open Book" and "Never There" were featured on the soundtrack to the 2001 film Sidewalks of New York.
• "Never There" was in the Friends episode "The One Where Rachel Smokes" during her surprise party.
• "Hem of Your Garment" was in the movie Me, Myself, and Irene.
• "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" was featured in the movies Anchorman and Waitress, as well as in the ER episode Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic.
• For two years, "The Distance" was used in the TV advert for the Powers (whiskey) Irish Grand National, which takes place in Dublin, Ireland every Easter Monday.
• The song "Love You Madly" was used on an early season 1 episode of Smallville.
• The beginning of "You Turn The Screws" is featured occasionally as a buffer segment on National Public Radio, along with the song "When You Sleep". Also, excerpts of "Stickshifts and Safetybelts" are often used as buffer segments on The Splendid Table, which is produced by American Public Media and airs on public radio stations nationwide.
• Cake's cover of "Mahna Mahna" appears on the charity CD For the Kids whose proceeds benefit the "VH1 SAVE THE MUSIC" organization.
• The video of "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" aired on an episode of Weird TV.
• Cake's cover of "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" was featured in the opening credit sequence of the 1997 Australian movie Welcome to Woop Woop, the movie Dream for an Insomniac, the 2001 Mexican film El Segundo Aire, a Heinz ketchup commercial, and the first episode of the television show Opposite Sex.
• The cover of "I Will Survive" and other songs from the record Fashion Nugget are used in the German film Herr Lehmann.

See also

• Deathray, a band featuring former Cake members Greg Brown, Victor Damiani, and Todd Roper.

External links

• Cake's official web site
• Cake fansite with message boards

• All Music Guide entry for Cake
• Cake.ography Discography, lyrics, clips
• Cake's profile at MySpace
• Singer and Guitarist John McCrea of Cake - John McCrea discusses Pressure Chief on NPR's Fresh Air
• BlogCritics Music interview with John McCrea
• Interview with Vince DiFiore