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Cake is an indie-rock band from Sacramento, California that has a devoted fanbase and loyal following for their unique blend of indie, funk, jazz and country music. Fashion Nugget, Cake’s second album, became the album that brought the band into the public eye and gave them their first radio success with the song “The Distance”. After another five albums, a bounty of TV snippets including having written the theme tune to Chuck, and a number of hit singles has made them one of the most popular bands on the Alternative Rock scene.

In 2008 the band removed their studio (Upbeat Studio) from dependence on Sacramento, California’s power grid by installing a system of solar panels. The band subsequently announced that their upcoming studio album will be “recorded using 100% solar energy.”

Although Cake’s music is often classified as alternative rock or indie-rock, it combines elements of multiple musical genres, such as funk, rockabilly, jazz, rap, and country. Cake’s music features droll lyrics rife with word play and syncopation, catchy distorted guitar riffs (courtesy of guitarist Greg Brown until 1998, and bass player Victor Damiani until 1997), prominent use of a Moog, and a solo trumpet (played by Vince DiFiore).

The laconic and rap-like style in which lead vocalist/guitarist John McCrea brings the lyrics is sometimes called sprechgesang.

In the summer of 2002, Cake headlined the Unlimited Sunshine Tour festival among such varied bands as 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 returned 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.

In June 2008, lead singer John McCrea told music publication REVUE that he is thinking seriously of quitting touring to become a farmer.

On June 11, 2009, Cake played at the Apple World Wide Developer Conference 2009 bash in San Francisco, California.

Current lineup

• John McCrea – Vocals/Guitar
• Vince DiFiore – Trumpet/Keyboards
• Xan McCurdy – Guitar
• Gabe Nelson – Bass
• Paulo Baldi – Drums

Discography

• 1994: Motorcade of Generosity
• 1996: Fashion Nugget
• 1998: Prolonging the Magic
• 2001: Comfort Eagle
• 2004: Pressure Chief
• 2007: B-Sides and Rarities  

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Tags: alternative, b-sides, band, cake, california, cheap trick, chuck, comfort eagle, country, de la soul, fashion nugget, flaming lips, funk, Gabe Nelson, greg brown, hackensaw boys, indie, jazz, john mccrea, lyrics, modest mouse, motorcade of generosity, Paulo Baldi, pressure chief, prolonging the magic, rarities, riffs, rock, sprechgesang, the distance, victor damiani, Vince DiFiore, Xan McCurdy

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