Reluctantly Crouched at the Starting Line/Engines Pumping and Thumping in Time/ The Green Light Flashes/The Flags Go Up. John McCrea of CAKE is going the distance, and the prize is Artist of the Week! CAKE is a band that has been around since 1993. On the surface, CAKE is a band whose sound is fun-loving and feet moving, guaranteed to get the party started. Below the surface, CAKE’s lyrics are haunting and deliver a real message.
CAKE, a Sacramento-based band, is very politically active and they are not afraid to express it. If you visit their website, you can find links to many articles about the current war, congress, global warming, gun control, health care and school violence, just to name a few. Although their political views do not immediately reflect in their music, there are some definite undertones. CAKE is not a political band, but they just want their listeners to be aware of what is going on in the world and in the United States.
But enough politics, let’s get into the music. Lead singer John McCrea has a very deliberate, methodical way of singing, which is called Sprechgesang, (which basically means that it is a cross between singing and speaking) which complements the band musically. The band cannot be categorized in a specific genre, because they can go from a boot-tappin’, barn –burnin’, line-dancin’ song like “Stick Shifts & Safety Belts” to the fun-lovin’, finger-tappin’ song like “Never There.” The band incorporates a rare mixture of trumpets and bass guitar as the lead in most of their songs. Along with the singing styles of McCrea, the band creates a style that can be liked by any of our fans.
To date, CAKE has released 6 albums: Motorcade of Generosity, Fashion Nugget, Prolonging the Magic, Comfort Eagle, Pressure Chief and B-Sides & Rarities. “The Distance” is the most well known song from the band, reaching no. 4 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks Chart in 1997. The band is also not shy about covering songs. They typically have 1 cover per album, ranging from Black Sabbath to Barry White to Willie Nelson! They have an eclectic style that make these covers work by taking on a song and putting their own spin on it, which gives it an authentic CAKE sound.
CAKE is currently in the studio finishing up their latest album. But be prepared; the band has stated that the newest album will be a deviation from their previous albums. They also announced that they placed solar panels around the studio, so the album will be recorded on solar energy. The band is currently on tour and is coming to the SoCal area. They will be in LA on August 26 (Fonda Theater), Pomona on August 27 (Fox Theater) (Our very own editor Sara and DJ Turrtle will be at this show, so just look for a giant shell!) and San Diego on August 28 (San Diego Street Scene). When you are watching this amazing band on stage be careful because as 50 Cent clearly stated, fat kids loves CAKE!
Top 5 Songs
1. Short Skirt/Long Jacket (Comfort Eagle)
2. Daria (Fashion Nugget)
3. Comanche (Motorcade of Generosity)
4. Dime (Pressure Chief)
5. The Distance (Fashion Nugget)
Useful Links
Official Website
VH1 Artist Page
MySpace
Rolling Stone
Interview
CNN Interview
Another Interview
NPR Interview
Is This Love Live Performance
1998 KCRW Session
LastFM
Live Daily Interview
MLive Interview
Bullz-EYE Interview
This Modern World Interview
Live Song with Ben Folds