Cake (band)
Categories: American musical groups | Indie rock groups | 1990s music groups
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Cake | |
| Image:Cake band.jpg | |
| Years active | 1991 – Present |
| Status | Active |
| Origin | Sacramento, California, USA}}} |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock Indie rock |
| Label(s) | Capricorn Records Columbia Records |
| Members | John McCrea Vince DiFiore Xan McCurdy Gabe Nelson |
Cake (often spelled CAKE, with all capital letters) is a band from Sacramento, California, formed in 1991. They have had several hits throughout the 1990s and 2000s from their five recorded albums.
Although their music is often classified as alternative or indie rock, it combines multiple musical genres, such as funk, 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, until 1998, of guitarist Greg Brown and, until 1997, bass player Victor Damiani), and a solo trumpet (played by Vince DiFiore). Their unique musical style has been compared to They Might Be Giants and the Talking Heads. Damiani left the band in 1997, replaced by Gabe Nelson. Greg Brown left in 1998, replaced by Xan McCurdy. Todd Roper left the band to focus on parenthood after recording Comfort Eagle.
Their biggest hits have included "The Distance", "Never There", "Sheep Go to Heaven" "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle", and "Short Skirt/Long Jacket", and an alternative retake of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive".
Additionally, Cake headlined the Unlimited Sunshine Tour festival in the summer of 2002 among an eyebrow-raising eclectic mix of bands including indie rock superstars Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, De La Soul, Latin techno fusion band Kinky and bluegrass group The Hackensaw Boys.
Cake's fifth album, Pressure Chief, was released on October 5, 2004.
Contents |
Current lineup
- John McCrea - vocals, acoustic guitar, organ, vibraslap
- Vince DiFiore - trumpet, 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 Sean McFessel (left before Motorcade of Generosity, replaced by Nelson)
- Paulo Baldi - drums, percussion (on tour, not official member of band)
- 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
| Year | Title | Label |
| 1994 | Motorcade of Generosity | Capricorn |
| 1996 | Fashion Nugget | Capricorn |
| 1998 | Prolonging the Magic | Capricorn |
| 2001 | Comfort Eagle | Columbia |
| 2004 | Pressure Chief | Columbia |
See also
- Deathray, a band started by former Cake members Greg Brown and Victor Damiani