(properly written as '''CAKE''') is a band from Sacramento , California , formed in 1991 . They have had several hits throughout the 1990s and 2000s from five albums.
Although Cake's music is often classified as Alternative or Indie Rock , it combines multiple Musical Genre s, such as Funk , Ska , 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 of guitarist Greg Brown until 1998, and bass player Victor Damiani until 1997 ), and a solo trumpet (played by Vince DiFiore ). Cake's approach to arrangement, composition, and instrumentation has been compared to Soul Coughing , They Might Be Giants , Talking Heads , The Cars , and Camper Van Beethoven .
Damiani left the band in 1997 , replaced by Gabe Nelson. Greg Brown left in 1998 , replaced by Xan McCurdy. Brown and Damiani continued to work together when they formed the band Deathray . Todd Roper left the band to focus on parenthood after recording '' Comfort Eagle '', and has also joined Deathray.
- An instrumental version of Cake's "Italian Leather Sofa" is featured as the theme song to the cartoon '' Mission Hill ''.
- The songs "Daria", "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle", and "Friend Is a Four-Letter Word" are featured as closing credit themes for episodes of '' Daria ''.
- The song "Frank Sinatra" was also featured at the close of '' The Sopranos '' episode "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti."
- The song "Comfort Eagle" was featured in the 2001 movie '' Shallow Hal .''
- "When You Sleep," "Sheep Go to Heaven," "You Turn the Screws," "Open Book" and "Never There" were featured on the soundtrack to the 2001 film ''Sidewalks of New York.''
- "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" was featured in the movie '''' as well as in '' Waitress ''.
- Cake's cover of " Mahna Mahna " appears on the charity CD ''For the Kids'' whose proceeds benefit the "VH1 SAVE THE MUSIC" organization.
- The video of "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" aired on an episode of '' Weird TV ''.
- Cake's cover of " Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps " was featured in the opening credit sequence of the 1997 Australian movie ''Welcome to Woop Woop'', the movie ''Dream for an Insomniac'', and the first episode of the television show ''Opposite Sex''.
Cake headlined the Unlimited Sunshine Tour festival in the summer of 2002 among an eclectic ensemble of bands including 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.
Cake's fifth album, '' on NPR's Fresh Air in February 2005.
The band has announced that two new albums are in the works: a live album, '' Live At The Crystal Palace ''; and '' B-Sides And Rarities '', which will feature covers of Black Sabbath 's " War Pigs " and Barry White 's "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up." '' B-Sides And Rarities '' was mailed to fans who had ordered it from the band's website in June 2007.
- John McCrea - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, organ, Vibraslap
- Vince DiFiore - trumpet, keyboards, 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 Shon Meckfessel (left before ''Motorcade of Generosity'', replaced by Nelson)
- Paulo Baldi - drums, percussion (joined for ''Pressure Chief'' tour)
- ---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)
Cake has recorded a number of Cover s, which are songs written and recorded by other artists.
- The song "Sad Songs & Waltzes," on the 1996 album '' Fashion Nugget '', is a cover and was originally written and recorded by Willie Nelson in 1973 on his album '' Shotgun Willie ''.
- The song "I Will Survive" is also found on '' Fashion Nugget '', and is an alternative remake of Gloria Gaynor 's " I Will Survive " published in 1978.
- The song " Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps " is a cover of a Doris Day song found on '' Fashion Nugget ''.
- The song "The Guitar Man," from the album '' Pressure Chief '', is a cover of a hit by Bread .
- The song " War Pigs " is a cover of a Black Sabbath song from their album '' Paranoid '', and is on their album '' B-Sides And Rarities ''.
- The song "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" is a cover of a Barry White song on the soundtrack to An American Werewolf In Paris
- The song "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" is a Kenny Rogers cover on the albums B-Sides And Rarities .
- The song "Strangers in the Night" is a .
- The song " Mahna Mahna ," recorded for VH1's ''For The Kids,'' was originally recorded by Piero Umiliani .
- Deathray , a band featuring former Cake members Greg Brown, Victor Damiani, and Todd Roper.
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