Cake

Even though they've had a decent amount of sucess, Cake is a pretty far step away from the mainstream music seen on MTV every day. The first time you hear them, you might wonder what they were possibly thinking to make that kind of music that they play. I was definitely not their biggest fan the first time I heard them; it was something I needed to listen to a few times before I could really appreciate it, and soon it became one of my favorites. With influences from genres at opposite end of the spectrum, like jazz, funk, hip-hop, and country, their music was bound to turn out as something unusual. Almost entirely thanks to their spectacular live performance, Cake has managed to assemble a rather large following that to this day, continues to grow. Having seen them live myself, I can vouch that their performance is nothing short of enthralling. The monotonous, one-octave voice of lead singer John McCrea is something that is rarely seen in a band today, much less a rather successful one. This, along with the distorted guitar riffs and catchy bass lines, is an unbeatable combination. Cake’s lyrics can be described as ironic and satirical, which combined with the band members sarcastic attitudes, can cause some to believe that they have a superiority complex.

The extent of their musical variety is best demonstrated in the song ‘Arco Arena’, a ninety second instrumental piece featuring the keyboards, the rhythmic guitar, and most importantly, the mandolin. Cake also expresses their unique musicality in 'Comfort Eagle', with a synthesized sitar, as well as small flute parts. In the majority of their songs, each instrument has a rather simple-sounding part, but when put together with the multitude of instruments not found in the typical band, it creates something very unique. Trumpet player Vince Difiore has a solo in nearly every song. Some of best work can be found on the album ‘Fashion Nugget, particularly in songs such as ‘Sad Songs and Waltzes’, ‘Italian Leather Sofa’, and ‘Open Book’. ‘Fashion Nugget’ contains Cake’s most successful song, ‘The Distance’, which became a hit on the radio for a period of time. My personal favorites are ‘Frank Sinatra’ and ‘Nugget’, both of which can be found on ‘Fashion Nugget’. The album ‘Comfort Eagle’ also contains some of Cake’s best work, with songs such as ‘Short Skirt/Long Jacket’, and ‘Love You Madly’.

Cake is the type of music you can never get bored with, because every time you listen to it, you notice something that you hadn’t before. Considering that Cake is one of my all time favorite bands, I give them a 10.