Cake

The Quick and Easy
Sound: A smorgasbord of genres that is CAKE
Label: Upbeat Records
Show: The Paramount Theatre-$35.00, May 11th, 2008 at 7:00pm
Why: See the founders of ‘90s geek-rock
Website: www.cakemusic.com

Best-known for their ubiquitous hit "The Distance," Cake epitomized the postmodern, irony-drenched aesthetic of ‘90s geek-rock. Their sound freely mixed and matched pastiches of widely varying genres -- white-boy funk, hip-hop, country, new wave pop, jazz, college rock, and guitar rock -- with a particular delight in the clashes that resulted. Their songs were filled with lyrical non-sequiturs, pop-culture references, and smirky satire; all delivered with bone-dry detachment by speak-singing frontman John McCrea. Cake was formed in Sacramento, California in 1992 by vocalist/songwriter John McCrea, who'd recently returned home after spending a few years in Los Angeles, unsuccessfully trying to break into the music business.

On the strength of "The Distance," Fashion Nugget charted in the Top 40 and sold over a million copies. For Cake's next album, McCrea used a tag-team procession of guitarists -- five in all -- on different tracks; the result, prolonging the Magic, was released in 1998. True to its sardonic title, it defied critical opinion to produce another big alternative-radio hit in "Never There," plus successful follow-ups in "Sheep Go to Heaven" and "Let Go." Prolonging the Magic sold nearly as well as Fashion Nugget, and was also certified platinum.

In the spring of 2000, Cake signed a new deal with Columbia, and debuted in 2001 with their fourth overall album, “Comfort Eagle”, which became their highest-charting yet (at Number 13). The lead single "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" was a hit on alternative radio, and even earned some MTV airplay -- no longer an easy task for any artist -- with a video that featured reactions to the song by randomly selected people on the street.