The Sea and Cake: COD/SD etc. etc.

I got The Biz at the same time as Nassau and ended up listening to it much less, so I don't know which songs to recommend on it. Overall, Nassau is my favorite.

They aren't my favorite band, but none of their work should be destroyed. (Maybe I don't know how to be critical about this kind of music.)

(You should try it sometime with some artist you like, it's different.)

Search: Sam's solo disc, Archer Prewitt's In the Sun. Destroy: Archer Prewitt's White Sky.

(Speaking of TSAC shows, I've been to a few, and they always end with "Do Now Fairly Well", which also happens to be the last song on The Fawn. Even when I saw Sam's solo show, he ended with that song. Anyone else notice this? I really like that song, so maybe that's why I remember.)

Have they gotten better or improved, also possibly not appropriate, is what I am saying, I think, for similar reasons - maybe I'd say the movement has been sideways, if you will.

Have disappointingly never heard Coctails or Shimp boat so cannot comment. Hope to remedy this in near future.

I think I got hooked by a couple of GREAT songs and then picked up the albums when I saw them used. Every album has two or three excellent tracks ("Parasol," "The Argument" "The Sporting Life" "Jacking The Ball") and then a lot that I just don't remember very well. But I'd say they're an intersting band. Very specific mood & sound they conjure. There is a Steely Dan connection, yes? But I like S&C a lot more than Steely Dan.

Sterling: I think it's harder to see the Coctails' influence in retrospect, now that that particular jazz-ish tinge is common to a lot of Chicago stuff. But when the Sea and Cake were getting started, the "Chicago Sound" still meant Urge Overkill or Smashing Pumpkins, making it a lot easier to tie the Coctails' and the Sea and Cake together. Plus you tag them as "goofy," which makes me wonder what period of their material you've heard most: The Early Hi-Ball Years is decidedly goofy, but their later material was a lot more poker-faced.

Sundar: Probably it's "The Sporting Life," which has a much clearer synth hook. "The Argument," I think, is utterly remarkable for its intro, during which McEntire manages to layer in little panned-out touches of organic percussion in much the same way jungle artists use breakbeats.

I should also throw my support behind Prekop's solo record, which is perfect from the cover art on in --- it's surely spent more time playing near me than all the Sea and Cake material combined. Which says a lot, as The Fawn and the self-titled album are personal favorites.

I don't really think your acerbic comment about academic papers is very apt. Academic writers wish they could be this precisely, casually graceful. Well, no. They don't (which is the problem with academic writers).

Question for y'all: how in the hell did The Coctails' goofy sound influence TSAC (I hardly hear it at all)? Or did it not?

Maybe in 'Escort' - parody of music in a James Bond/spy flick? But then I haven't heard the earlier Coctails, so I don't know if this is what you're on about.

McEntire wasn't in Poster Children. You're thinking of Johnny "Machine" Herndon.

As for The Sea and Cake, no comment.

Shrimp Boat was a very very great band. A really great moment of music in Chicago. Singular. As good as the records are (see: SPECKLY) they were more of an AMAZING live experience. Sam went on to do S&C and solo record, Ian Schneller went on to do a band called Falstaff and makes guitars under the name Specimen, Dave went on to paint, Eric Clairage (Ian's brother) went on to be the bass player in S&C, and Brad Wood (producer of Liz Phair among many many other records) was the drummer/sax-ist. They had another drummer and additional sax player in their final days but some people dont even count that as

the ride out on the last track with strings and funky bass is absolutely, unbelievably sublime though. worth the price of admission for that alone.

don't believe the hype ... the sam prekop album seems deliberately obtuse. open close listening the songwriting is weak (but good sounding) and if you heard the album being piped down a disused elevator shaft you'd think it was the perfect fusion between pop and jazz. i think either the saving grace or the damnation of this album is the result of that infernal meddler jim o'rourke ... hard to decide. the ride out on the last track with strings and funky bass is absolutely, unbelievably sublime though. worth the price of admission for that alone.

-- fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon@yahoo.com), April 03, 2002.

-------------------------------------------------------

Hahaha Josh: okay not everything I think relates to my pet theory of last summer, and besides, the whole reason I was so whole- hog taken with the Chicago post-rock concepts was that I really do go for the studiometrickery and krautische dronism. But ... umm ... yeah, that is sort of part of it: Jim O'Rourke's real contribution to the Chicago bunch was that crisp roomy realistic production of his, and maybe 15% of the Prekop's greatness revolves around the thrill of hearing that a lot of the studio-y post-rock aims could be stripped back and accomplished more naturally as well. (I.e. in some sense it's argument is that the core of what works about Prekop's post-rock isn't the post-rock textural stuff: it's really just Prekop himself.)

But the majority of its goodness (and this is a slightly-related point but isn't so much about sound as it is about songwriting) comes from the fact that it erases a lot of what people slag off in Chicago post-rock: for one thing, it has this weird sense of humility about it, insofar as it erases a lot of the showy grooves and pulses in favor of this incredibly pretty and incredibly graceful light-on-its- feet feel. Also and most importantly it's just a really solid composition: a lot of post-rock records seem very much rock, insofar as they're trying to be sort of expansive and groovy, whereas the Prekop has a weirdly Satie-ish sense of being very much a composition and an arrangement in ways that the Sea and Cake (who themselves were pop to post-rock's rock) never were.

Also the simultaneous Prewitt and Prekop solo records were really telling, insofar as it became clear that Prewitt wanted to work with a much much more traditional singer-songwritery format (which people disappointingly paid way more attention to) whereas Prekop went for this highly-composed and very unique territory that comes around to some really terrific pop at lots of points on the record -- which is sort of what I go for most in music, interesting visions that coalesce into really great pop from directions one wouldn't expect.

Last argument revolves around the fact that the Prekop solo sort of reveals Prekop as the bigger definer of the Sea and Cake sound -- and so when I'm really really enjoying the Prekop, it's easy to look at some Sea and Cake stuff and see it as the essence of what's great about Prekop but blanketed and sort of obscured with a lot of other people's very of-the-moment "post-rock" ideas. In this sense it's good that the Prekop came toward the end of Chicago post-rock seeming very vibrant and relevant, as I think it -- with its more singular Prekoppy vision -- will for a good while seem like the diamond in there, the timeless one.

That said, I've gone back and forth a lot over whether the Prekop is really better than The Fawn, which I also love: the fact that The Fawn is more of-its-moment (and thus essentially "dates" now that I'm "getting over" post-rock) might be what makes me, a few years later, prefer the Prekop, which I'll admit might be a critical bias.

Dude, you asked.

why doesn't prekop just make an all-bossa nova record?

What time signature is the song "The Biz" in?

Revive!

I went to see the Sea and Cake at Cargo last night. It was great, really good, and the sound was fantastic. I wondered if the nuances of the records would come across live, but they did.

Anyway, I only have Oui (I went with a friend who is a big fan), so would anyone like to revisit the s/d part, and talk about the new album?

I like the new album a lot. They sound maybe a bit looser than they have in the past? But I think they sort of defy deep analysis. Nothing to dig in to.

I love the new one. I'm not familiar with their back-catalogue, save that Bedroom-album, which I found so-so. But this one's so lush, full of joy-de-vivre, if I may say so. The Malipop-song "Exact to me" is stunning and my favourite of the album. Would love to see them live.

Ah, there was one at the gig when I suddenly thought African pop! That must be "Exact to me" - that was a highlight along with a two-chord thing with the most amazing drumming that they played just before it - this fast disco hi-hat, snare, bassdrum pattern and then these incredible fills everywhere. Any idea what that one would have been?

I should just get the album.

The bass and drums really were brilliant - the songs, airy and light and pleasing as they are, sometimes just feel like a setting for the rhythm section, rather than the other way round.

They were entertainingly uncharismatic as well. Four people desperately looking anywhere apart from the audience. The bass player, who is now HUGE, looking like he was actually asleep - completely motionless apart from his fingers. It was cool.

Aw, Eric Claridge. My brother and I used to imagine that, while the rest of the band was all playing in their side/solo projects, Eric Claridge was just sitting on his couch, glumly practicing bass.

I was at that gig, too, Jamie.

'Uncharismatic' doesn't begin to describe them. At one stage, Archer asked Sam if he was enjoying himself. Sam mumbled something I couldn't make out but he didn't seem overly impressed with the idea of being on the stage.

there are indeed a couple of tracks on Everybody that have a bit of Afro hi-life guitar. I'm afraid I'm terrible at the names of tracks - most of my music listening takes place in my car!

The drummer was extraordinary wasn't he? Was that John McEntire? (sorry I'm not well up on this genre of music) The rhythm section is definitely a major joy in their music.

Everybody is much lighter than previous work, but it still complex and strange in parts. I found in the gig that because it is all so evenly paced and because so little was happening on stage I had to think about rhythms and voice onset and time signatures and all that kind of grown-up stuff!

Aw, Eric Claridge. My brother and I used to imagine that, while the rest of the band was all playing in their side/solo projects, Eric Claridge was just sitting on his couch, glumly practicing bass.

-- jaymc, Thursday, June 21, 2007 1:15 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

that's lame and condescending. eric's a really fantastic painter.

new record is really good, frankly i didn't think it would be. they were great live a couple weeks ago in new york, too.

Ah, I notice from Eric Claridge's site, that there's a painting of a squirrel holding a Swiss army knife. Charmingly, the Sea and Cake use that image on their merchandise.

Lighten up stencil, jaymc and his brother were clearly joking.

not in the email i've got dated july 7, 2003

zung

I see that both Tortoise and the Sea and Cake are on tour right now; which band is McEntire playing with? Anybody know?

the sea and cake

Yeah, I know about Claridge's painting career, dude.

when did you 'discover' it?

okay, okay, i'll stop

please

http://www.thrilljockey.com/catalog/index.html?id=103254
new album called Car Alarm to be released 2008-10-21

first album still my favorite by them, I don't think they'll ever top it.

I don't know what their best album is but I know that everyone had some really good songs. Glass EP, for instance, was a great direction for The Sea and Cake but then they had to release Everybody next - I didnt really care for that album. But as far as mixtapes go, they have more than enough great material spanning their entire career. Archer Prewitt could easily have a greatest hits cd also even though he has only released 5 albums.

The Sea and Cake's lyrics have always been nice, abstract pleasantries that are unlike any other bands lyrics. There is a timeless quality to the lyrics since for the most part they don't make any sense and you can envision the story differently every time.

And Sam Prekop's voice is easy on the ears but always fresh and crispy nonetheless.

So yeah The Sea and Cake has always been in my top 10 band list.

Still play & enjoy Everybody a lot. Should check out the debut I guess. Looking very much forward to Car Alarm. Although that blurb on the TJ site is a bit too much/elaborate I like the idea of them going straight into the studio after touring the last album and record the next in 3 months time.

1) Nassau
2) The Fawn
3) The Biz

Car Alarm sounds the way I want it to so far :)))

did not know about this

As good as two gentlemen?

does louis jagger like these guys? they seem like his kinda thing, I'm kinda surprised that he hasn't contributed to this thread

Well I got 5 tracks out of 12 and Two Gentlemen isn't the one I listen to. I play random tracks so I wouldn't know. I just know this is better than Everybody. But I love the band nonetheless... it doesn't have poppy like singing as does "we come by when you say that, we come by, we come by when you say that, we come by" or Afternoon Speaker or Station In The Valley. It has the heavier guitars from everybody but they sound more like the traditional sea and cake sound "beachy"... and the singing sounds great even though not poppy so far (I've heard 5 tracks).

They are definitely my thing. I give the a big shiny star. Fuck Louis Jagger or whoever he is.

I'd say if you like Two Gentlemen and havent tried Glass ep, go for it.
But this doesn't sound like those so much so far.

I like glass fine, but it doesn't have Early Chicago and a brilliant cover.

I'll give those a go, I'll be jogging today with my ipod, might as well

http://www.wikiupload.com/download_page.php?id=50505
Here's just a small taste of the more technoish sound of one short track.
The other songs aren't like this though.

everytime this thread pops up I'm compelled to say: SHOWBOAT ANGEL

^^^^^^^^

Always hated this guy's insufferable vox.

I bet you like crappy music in general :[ Mr. Steve Hater

Where are you hearing this? I e-mailed Brent DiCrescenzo a few weeks ago after he reviewed "Car Alarm" (the song) in Time Out Chicago to see where I could find it. No dice.

Soulseek, as a temporary mediator before I decide whether to purchase the album. Still stuck with only 5 songs though.

anyone hear this yet?

It's funny how there are a whole bunch of bands I liked in college that have since put out one or more boring albums that have caused me to lose interest - these guys, Silver Jews, Bonnie Prince Billy, Tortoise, etc. Actually maybe that's not funny at all but in fact totally predictable.

For me Tortoise lost me with their bonnie prince billy album, but I wont stop perusing them or the sea and cake who lost me with Everybody. They both have it in them for some great song if not albums.

Glass and One Bedroom had some great songs as did Tortoise's It's All Around You and A Lazarus Taxon...

I meant Tortoise's boring collaboration with Will Oldham ^^^ one thread up.

I'm listening to the new sea and cake right now, they almost always have a great vibe; track 6, weekends, is kicking my ass.

new video up at Pitchfork. Mark gives it a nice description, but I didn't like the electronics. And I always want them to use more electronics.

I've been playing this album a lot. At first I liked the song in the video you mentioned. Now the electronics are agreeably more annoying than cool.

But the song that comes after it New Schools, is my fav on the album.
The first song Aerial is pretty good as well

Probably because New Schools is the only one with a guitar solo?

Reminds me of the new Wilco album in that I like Impossible Germany for the guitar solo and then there is some nice stuff on there but that's pretty much it. At least Car Alarm has more of a beachy feel of their earlier albums.

I listened to a bunch of their albums today and Nassau is so, so great. But pretty different from the rest. That and the Fawn are my top two.

Just saw a Citi commercial while watching Heroes that uses "Jacking The Ball." Weird. I wonder if they're gettin paid. Makes me wanna listen to that first album again for the first time in years.

Ha, a friend e-mailed me about that this morning. I'm sure they're getting paid. Sam Prekop wrote an original song for a Target commercial a few years ago.

I heard an album by these blokes. it was alright but I don't think they write very good songs

New album 'Runner' (number ten apparently!) is out in September on Thrill Jockey. I'm not familiar with their previous albums, but have really got to like this one in the past week...

http://www.thrilljockey.com/assets/covers/105605.jpg

Has anyone who knows the previous albums heard it? How might it compare?

Ooh I hadn't heard there was a new one, thanks for the tip. I kind of feel like their last few albums have appealed to me mostly as comfort music, but ain't nothing wrong with that.

Theyve been gradually moving into less comfy, chilled grounds into some sort of rock-pop with a retro pastiche. His singing voice seems like its aping Robert Smith at times imho, not necessarily a bad thing.

Only heard Harps off of this so far and it sounds good, similar to what they were doing in Car Alarm but more straightforward in the rhythm section.

Also track 'an echo in' from the glass ep is one of my favorite of them and pretty similar to the last single in mood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIqMAFplHJo

Is there a new single available?

Oops I meant Harps maybe not new single it made it into pitchforks best new tracks and I assumed they only reviewed singles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a5j2SzmtBg

Getting a Can "All Gates Open" vibe from that

these new songs are incredible! seriously great.

Uhhh. . . Runner is seriously their most well-rounded and best album since the Fawn.

And probably my favorite album of 2012.

you know I should really get off my ass and get a copy of this

same here - loving the "single"(?)

new one is great, but they all are. looking forward to seeing them live in a few weeks.

they were great last night. played a lot of the new album (on and on, harps, and the runner are seriously up there with their best ever songs) plus jacking the ball, the argument and an excellent extended jam on station in the valley (i think; it was something from the biz). no eric claridge though, doug mccombs filled in, not sure why.

"Transparent," the last track on Everybody, is so serene

Everybody is totally underrated. I get why, since it's pretty low-key (obviously), came 4 years after their weakest record (to that point), and was released 6 years or so after the "post-rock" moment officially passed. But along with The Moonlight Butterfly, it's probably their strongest post-Oui work.

Only time I saw them was on the Everybody tour and they were totally brilliant. They didn't play 'Lightning' though — no matter how much I screamed or it.

Their bassist is amazing to watch.

Oooh man, I used to really love these guys. I'd have to give it another listen but I recall One Bedroom being one of my favorites; to me it felt much more solid than The Fawn which tailed off after the brilliant opening 1-2 punch. I guess it's been like 8-9 years since I was really listening to those albums a lot.

I actually saw them for the first time on the last tour, when Doug McCombs filled in. I had no idea Eric Claridge was amazing to watch.

Kind of wish they made more records with bass parts as prominent as the ones on The Fawn. I love some of the basslines on that one.

Yeah I saw Eric play. I just thought he was impressive! It could just be that the basslines themselves are impressive.

I always liked how that record had a loud bass sound that was more akin to electronica than the sort of jazzy soft-rock they actually do. Similar to how The Biz had all these funky, frantic drum rhythms that would almost pass you by on the first couple of listens.

man, runner really is great

It was my AOTY for 2012. Too bad they kind of painted themselves into a corner with Oui/One Bedroom/Everybody because people stopped taking notice of how well-rounded their became by the time Runner came out.

*how well-rounded their ALBUMS became

And, they could really do with a rarities album.

Love these guys, but Runner felt pretty bland to me; I think it was a real step down after The Moonlight Butterfly EP.

Honestly I think people stopped taking notice of them because they were a veteran band that released their weakest album then went on a 4-year, hiatus, during which their scene (Chicago post-rock/Thrill Jockey) fell out of fashion. Which is a shame, because Everybody is an outstanding record, probably the most underrated in their catalog.

Ha, scrolling upward I realized I posted nearly the exact same thing one year ago to the date. oops

leave it alone and i'll be on your side

I have a special place for Everybody because it was the first tour that I saw them live. It's definitely a back to basics guitar-bass-drums record after the electronic experiments on One Bedroom/Glass, but the songs are so very great. 'Coconut' and 'Left On' were scorchers live; those two tunes in particular had picked up a lot of speed by the time I saw them, and man, did they cook.

I still really like One Bedroom

Got One Bedroom and saw them on that tour - satisfying buty never really felt the nedd to pick up anything else.

One Bedroom, I would say, is their "worst" album. I put it in quotes because it's still a good record, but I agree that it leaves something to be desired.

Sam Prekop & Archer Prewitt live session coming up at 11am (central) on chirpradio.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-bLmEyjZig

Nice, they are playing stuff from the first Prekop solo album.

Full session's posted here:
https://soundcloud.com/chirpradio/sets/chirp-factory-session-003

Sam finally starting to show some age; still playing that gorgeous candy apple red Tele. Awesome.

ty John

I saw Sam playing modular synth with Brokeback a couple months back it was cool

I really hated his last two modular albums but really respect him for early and mid period The Sea and Cake (their last four albums are a dissapointment for me).

I'm curious if any other TSaC fans feel this same way as me. They were my favorite band at one point in college.

Nah, Runner is as good as anything that came before it.

The Once-ler OTM

Full video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ4Pao9qhMc

I definitely know people who invested a lot in those first 5 or so Sea & Cake records that had trouble staying on board, but honestly I can't find much fault with any of them. The band is so good at doing what it does, and the inherent nature of the music is "pleasant, well played, and well written", so it just all works for me. Sure, the first run was really exciting in a way that most bands can't sustain over a 15 year period no matter who they are, but shit I am glad they kept making records, there are great moments on all of them.

Also, I don't understand being angry at modular synth records. They are just kind of there if you want them, which most people don't. I don't think he was trying to court folks who dug his first solo record with them though, which sure if that is what someone wants from Sam those records are not going to deliver at all.

I never knew there was such an allegiance to those first five albums before I started reading this forum.

I definitely wish Sam would make another album along the lines of his self-titled/Who's Your New Professor, but I certainly haven't been disappointed by Old Punch Card and the Republic, just because they were so direction shifting.

Yeah, I was disappointed for totally different reasons

Do tell.

I'm pretty indifferent to self-titled and WYNP. I'm way more into Archer's solo stuff. Sam's synth albums just sound flat and lifeless to me.

Agree that Archer has the better solo catalogue.

Wilderness was on shortlist for best albums of the oughts.

*my shortlist

"old punchcard" is fantastic. better than a lot of analog synth specialists' output. better than "pluc quba" which prekop cites as inspiration. it rules

plux quba, y'know imo n'all that

Self-titled is so good. Really great players and moods all over that record. I might even take it over all of the Sea & Cake records at this point, but it is certainly a different beast than the Sea & Cake records.

Ummm, hell yeah: https://theseaandcake.bandcamp.com/track/any-day

It sounds like Oui. I'm fuckin' excited.

sounds and looks great. i rally like runner can’t believe that was 6 years ago!

and interesting that eric claridge has left the band. this was recorded as a trio.

Excellent news

sounds great (as usual)

If I recall, Claridge was having some health concerns, which prevented him from participating. Too bad, in any case.

inspired by the new one, I've gone back to the Biz - it roxors it so hard!

Stumbled on this little gem, the “Anybody” EP from 07
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/anybody-ep/253589950

Rushed in here to see if a new LP was announced. Missing this band. I need some smooth bossa african pop with breathily delivered incomprehensible lyrics made of pure saudade

The Anybody EP is very good for just being three kind of filler-esque tracks. I saw them on the Everybody tour and they played 'All in Throws', false ending and everything. It was my first time hearing the song. Pretty fantastic.

I wish they would issue it physically. As a matter of fact, they need to do a rarities compilation.

The Fawn is such a great album
Straddling the border between engaged and relaxed so effortlessly

I remember hearing "The Argument" for the first time so clearly. had never heard anything quite like that before. the first 2 tracks on this thing are incredible. don't remember much of the rest though

the one I always loved was One Bedroom. was kind of surprised to go online find out that people didn't really like it.

I just put on Oui last night (probably inspired by the Tortoise thread), I think that's the only one I owned.

Looks like they have a new one coming out, a couple tracks streaming here:
https://theseaandcake.bandcamp.com/album/any-day

excellent!!!

Band's in the running for "Most Taken For Granted" award.

otm

the opening of "Too Strong" basically wraps up everything great about this band in about 7 seconds. excited for this new stuff. the title track sounds good to me.

Same, really excited. Sam Prekop has a unique voice, at least to my ears. It's like the softest blanket.

Band's in the running for "Most Taken For Granted" award.

― Josh in Chicago, Friday, March 16, 2018 7:12 PM (three weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I can hear the Sea & Cake and think they're incredible and I can hear them a day later and think they're okay. I guess this is true of most music - I guess the new Autechre tracks can sound like genius or a racket depending on mood - but it surprises me the Sea & Cake, somehow.

I know zilch about this band, but I recently heard Prekop's "C+F" playing in a coffee shop -- the groove was so compelling, I had to figure out what it was (tried 3 times with a "song ID" phone app; it finally figured it out just before the track ended!)

They are perfect coffee shop music for sure (not that that’s a bad thing)

Any of you guys fans of Shrimp Boat?

xp Yeah, it reminded me of one of those bass-heavy songs from recent Spoon albums, but heavier on the atmosphere than the vocals -- which (however one may feel about that description) is ideal for that environment.

Any of you guys fans of Shrimp Boat?

Uhm, hell yes.

so

That's funny, I often think of Spoon as Austin's Sea and Cake.

I'll probably check this out, but it's been a while since they made an album I truly loved.

"These Falling Arms" is such a lovely tune

I can hear the Sea & Cake and think they're incredible and I can hear them a day later and think they're okay. I guess this is true of most music - I guess the new Autechre tracks can sound like genius or a racket depending on mood - but it surprises me the Sea & Cake, somehow.

― djh, Monday, April 9, 2018 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^^ I think those are two really good examples of this phenomenon. I don't think it applies to all music - there is something about Sea and Cake that shifts from super compelling to super average; the line between the two is so subtle.

Sea and Cake may be the most subtle band in history.

djh that's really otm. TSAC sound incredible some of the time, other times I just completely forget I'm listening to them. As they've solidified their sound this gulf has only gotten wider.

as for Shrimp Boat - they're definitely very good, Duende in particular sounds like proto-TSAC to me, lots of catchy tunes and a bit of edge that this band doesn't have. kind of funny to hear what Prekop's voice sounded like before he decided to do that soft n' smooth vocal style full time

At least a couple tracks on early TSAC rekkids have that vocal style too. To me it kind of sounds like he’s aping Malkmus

yea I listen to "Jacking the Ball" and wonder why he don't ever sing like that anymore

lol I remember being in a record store and they played the debut album and I was like "wow! what is this GREAT album you guys are playing?!" but it was quite expensive so I didn't buy it

years later when I created a Spotify account that was one of the first albums I went to check out, but for some reason it now sounded completely average, and really I've never been able to hear again what I heard on that day in the record store

I just dialed it up on Spotify, out of curiosity. One of these guys is heavy on the Lou Reed-aping vocals! (that's not meant as a knock, half the indie guys in the '90s sang that way...)

part of the appeal, surely

haven't heard a sea and cake album since One Bedroom, I should go back and listen to what I've missed. the debut is one of my favorite albums of the 90's.

there was a thread on RYM about artists who's best tune was the first song on the first album. Sea & Cake immediately came to mind. Obviously they've done plenty of great stuff but man, "Jacking the Ball" is so perfect

for me The Biz is still the one that sticks out. I discovered it on accident. I was looking for "Cake" and someone cut out "The Sea And" on the file so I saw "The Biz" and was like, hmmm never heard that one before. There is something particularly mesmerizing about that tune, the way it just sorta gets lost within itself. The entire album is great.

as for the later stuff, I still really have an affinity for One Bedroom, it feels more exciting and solid than Oui or The Fawn. part of that might have been the fact that it was my second TSAC disc. there's sort of a diminishing returns with them. haven't really given their stuff after that much of a fair shake but according to iTunes I've played Everybody and Car Alarm a lot

I have those opening riffs of 'jacking the ball' in my head once a day, and have for like 20 years.

looking forward to boot & saddle philly represent may 18

I have those opening riffs of 'jacking the ball' in my head once a day, and have for like 20 years.

― akm, Thursday, April 12, 2018 2:33 PM (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalin

Time to change your ringtone.

here comes the reddening SOUL

they sound reinvigorated

They sound exactly the same

The bits and pieces I've heard from the new one have all sounded really good. But, just throwing this out there: Runner will be hard to top.

I could imagine holding both reggie and calstar's thoughts in my head.

the first three songs are really great! the rest is just a mass of sea and cakey niceness so far. more listens might open up those songs more i guess.

That’s a leak right? I thought it didn’t come until later in the month.

i preordered it from bandcamp and it came last week

ooh thx for the tip mate!

Listening to the new one, opening track is probably the most “aggressive” (in a laid back sense) I’ve ever heard them

So funny this popped up. Was thinking of reviving a Sea & Cake thread yesterday because I was listening to some solo Prekop and had the realization that it sounded like Prairie Home Companion jazz.

(NB, I do actually like these guys.)

Yeah, was surprised to find a new album waiting for me on spotify just now. I've had a love/hate/ennui relationship with their last couple albums. Nothing bad, but nothing that gets me excited either. I'll give this a try, but don't have high hopes at the moment.

This is sounding pretty nice. They seem to maybe be getting past their regular rock n roll band phase, back to something a bit more stylized and nuanced.

I feel like I should go back to some of their more recent releases, maybe I didn't give them a fair shot.

Is Everybody the only one th at McEntire did not produce?

They feel reinvigorated on this one - might be their best in many years. That said it’s still predictably Sea and Cakey. It starts to lose me in the second half. Perhaps that will change after more listens.

hard to believe it's been 5 1/2 years since Runner

This is predictably excellent.

RE: Claridge's involvement
Sam answered a question on an Instagram post yesterday and said that, unfortunately, Eric had succumbed to serious carpel tunnel in his fretting hand and is now unable to play as frequently as recording and touring would demand. Really too bad. Hope he's doing well otherwise.

Ah, I'd been wondering about that. Just saw them at the Empty Bottle in Chicago, and Doug McCombs was on bass.

Apparently, McEntire is moving to Nevada City, California:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ott-sea-and-cake-interview-0518-story.html

Hey new Sam Prekop! https://samprekop.bandcamp.com/track/summer-places"">And it's pretty good!

"Boy, I blew that!"
-Leo Kottke

Solid advance single!
As someone esp drawn to Prekop/S&C tracks like "Early Chicago" off the Two Gentleman EP (although I do like the fully abstract stuff, too) am really curious about this.

I dig it. Reminds me a bit of Wax Stag.

hope it's not all instrumental

I think his last solo album was all instrumental iirc. Personally not a fan of his bleep bloop stuff

He's had two albums and an EP of electronic stuff. Hasn't done the solo songwriter thing in years.

and another new one. i'm gearing up for this to be one of my top picks of the year. very excited.

Yeah, that second advance single off Comma convinced me to just bite and bullet and preorder it--looking fwd to its release.

the bullet rather, ha

Yeah this is sounding rather exciting! Tbf I did miss both aforementioned electronic ep's, so this is new to me.

WE WANT WHAT'S HOLY NOW

sam's new album has been postponed until 11 september. curses.

ok but my q is: when will we get another archer prewitt album??

fr, wilderness is a masterpiece.

fun fact: when i saw ts+c live i told archer i loved him in a quiet between song moment. he picked up his guinness, tipped it in my direction, and winked as he had a gulp. was p cool.

yeah some of the earlier records are hit/miss for me but Wilderness is a chilled-out melancholia classic

Always wished S&C would do an album where Sam and Archer traded off a bit more.

Sam is great, but he kind of sings the same melody in at least 75% of their songs.

always thought if Wilderness had come out a little later it would have made more of a splash, well-executed MOR stuff was not as well regarded at the time, I don't think

I'm thinking of stuff like Kurt Vile as a comparison point

i may regret saying this later, but i think on most days that wilderness is the best thing that anybody associated with the sea and cake ever did.

It may not be "better" than peak S&C but it's the one I revisit the most often, especially in the fall.

I was more into White Sky and Three at the time but agree that Archer's solo stuff is underrated.

I need to revisit. I remember Three sounding nice but a little TOO airy and lush for its own good

three is hit and miss, but it's for sure got a few big hitters (especially 'the race').

i actually think gerroa songs, while not my favorite, is the one i go back to most often. just something about it that's very warm and unique. it's fairly short too, which makes for an easy listen.

got a shipment notification on friday for the new record. it's on the way. oh yeah!

also, sam has created a second instagram profile specifically for the purpose of posting his modular synth doodles. it's very nice whenever it pops up on my feed: https://www.instagram.com/prekopcomma

Wow that's beautiful, followed.

Prekop has always been my #1 celebrity crush fwiw

got common in the mail yesterday. only one listen so far, but it's fucking great. maybe my favorite of his modular synth albums so far.

whoops, that's comma sorry

so listening again this morning, one thing sticks out very prominently and that's that i've always figured sam was really into krautrock — but comma is just so reminiscent of mid-70s cluster. and in the best way possible. man it's good.

"All The Photos" always reminded me of CAN. Sam's vocals on it give me a big Michael Karoli vibe.

Third listen in a row this morning and the same thought keeps coming to me: this is the exact kind of music I needed right now. Respectful of the past, but simultaneously using those ideas to offer some very unique thoughts. And gorgeous. . . oh my, how gorgeous this music is.

Absolutely agreed, Moodles! When I saw the Sea and Cake live, some guy shouted out between songs, "Play NEU!" and Sam cracked a grin. Random memory.

Thanks for the head's up Austin! His s/t and 'Who's Your New Professor' are still faves in my household, but I somehow never checked 'Old Punch Card' and 'Republic', which makes it all the more interesting to see how he's broadened his scope. Lovely sound palette and great kraut chugging, though I do miss his vox (I'm on the third track).

glad you're digging it, le bat!

one thing i was thinking about yesterday was that he's done three of these "official"* modular synth solo albums now and all three have completely different vibes. first one's completely schizo and has a wider palette than the others. second one's got two distinct parts but, a really exploratory mood. and then this new one has a very sustained, competent vibe. just kind of cool the amount of variety to be found.

*he has a few super limited things in the instrumental modular synth vein, but they were limited things and, idk, don't feel like they "count" or smthg

sam reacts to the pfork score on his new record lol

https://i.imgur.com/Id9mAmj.jpg

I'd never heard the S/T debut before so I'm playing it right now. Was thinking, "okay this is pretty good" just before I hit the stretch of "Showboat Angel" and "So Long to the Captain" and it was instantly upgraded to, "holy shit this is great!"

yeah it's uneven but I'd say 2 of their 3 best tracks are there

always thought Sam had a little Malkmus affectation going there on a vocals for a bit

Yes! I almost mentioned that myself, it was especially apparent on those two songs.

when i saw them and they played 'jacking the ball', sam introduced it with, "here's a song about grapes."

; )

never noticed how indebted these guys are to Krautrock before. "The Transaction" has the same guitar riff as "Moonshake" and "Four Corners" is basically "Fur Immer" (at least before the vocals come in)

I get strong CAN vibes from Oui. Sam's singing on "All The Photos" has always reminded me of Michael Karoli.

For sure--would esp recommend The Moonlight Butterfly mini-album from 2011 since I remember it leaning towards that side of their sensibilities

funny i never listened to them before but a couple tracks of theirs came up recently as i was trawling random spotify playlists of modern krautrock-y sounds. any other kraut-indebted releases of theirs recommended?

Their music is kind of "you got krautrock in my bossa nova! you got bossa nova in my krautrock!" Except, you know, not really either of those things.

Totally.
Instrumental/vocal-less Sam Prekop solo stuff would also be recommended due to all the modular-synth kosmische-iness of it (Old Punch Card for pure Raymond Scott-ish/Nuno Canavarro-y abstraction, Comma for beat-based sequences, The Republic for a mix of the two AFAIR?)

More Sam Prekop

https://longformeditions.bandcamp.com/track/spelling

new ep!!

https://samprekop.bandcamp.com/album/in-away

one time when I was in a dentist waiting room I heard a song which had a very similar drum pattern to "One Bedroom". it sounds like they sampled it. anyone know what it might have been?

"Andy Day" is so cool. it captures everything good about Oui in 5 minutes. sucks that Claridge couldn't play on this but it does give the album a slightly different sound which is good for them

ILX is the only message board on the planet where I can stop this kind of observation: Nassau sounds like Crazy Rhythms Feelies trying to play Good Earth songs

Agreed about Any Day. Still undeniably them, but their base standard is quality so it always sounds great when it's on. Here's to hoping there's still more to come.

I wasn't totally crazy on the early records (I didn't hear them until Oui), but the more I've revisited them over the years, the better those first two get. When you consider some of Sam's stuff in Shrimp Boat, that's a pretty good assessment I'd say. Very appropriate comparison and I totally get what you mean.

RE: Your previous question about a possible sample. Don't know it, but curious. That's a pretty distinct rhythm too. I'd certainly recognize it in the wild.

also Any Day has a fantastic closing track which is something they tend to uh...not usually have

for me The Biz is the one, though mostly for sentimental value. it was the first one I discovered (by accident, I was searching for Cake and someone mistitled the MP3), I was like 16, and I dug it immensely. on relisten the first album is definitely the special one. it's so breezy and chill, it's like they're trying to sing you to sleep. not in the way some of their other stuff does either.

sam prekop: "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU THAT WE WON'T STOP I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU THAT WE DON'T STOP."

(nothing to do with the incoming mcentire collab; it's another 20+ minute synth sesh. beats and all. i like it, of course.)

One really nice moment in their catalogue : the part in “The Argument” where Prekop sings “40 days till we rest again” and then in the background mumbles “sit tight y’all”

thinkin about an old friend of mine. we were roommates for a little while. he was really into Deftones, nu-metal, and dubstep. in fact that was pretty much all he liked as far as I could tell. one day he told me he took some of my burned CDs off the computer desk and was really digging one of them in particular. said it was playing in his car for weeks on end. I found out it was The Biz and now every time I listen to it (like now) I can't help but wonder what it was he liked about it so much. I mean it's a great album but man our tastes were not compatible AT ALL

Happened upon Moonlight Butterfly at a store in Milwaukee. kinda forgot it existed but sheesh it's pretty nice. The ten minute "Inn Keeping" is really nice. I think they could make a whole album like that. Maybe sorta like that Prekop/McEntire thing from last year. Anyway, is it just me or are all TSAC albums since Everybody kinda brickwalled?

a pitch-perfect prophecy that transitions into a jam with a younger robert wyatt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLDjcPO4L3s

frogs otm, "inn keeping" is maybe my POO s+c jam.

i'm posting here today because there is no proper shrimp boat topic and "what do you think of love" is a monumental jam whose neglect i will stand for no longer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YGj0yD_tho
shrimp boat, as you may know, was sam's pre-sea & cake band. eric claridge had joined the fold by this point. big sigh. sam is dreamy, isn't he?

also more shrimp boat/pre-sea & cake ephemera: has anyone heard the falstaff albums? random fact: the custom leslie speaker employed by andrew bird during live performances -which andrew nicknamed "SPINNEY"- was built for him by ian schneller, formally of falstaff and, prior to that, shrimp boat. that's what he did after his playing in bands days ended: he built amps and speakers and schitt. hero.

I love that Shrimp Boat album the whole Cavale album. Seems a very necessary album for those who love the earliest S&C albums

yeah, definitely! there's a bit of later era stuff on shrimp boat's something grand - https://www.discogs.com/master/300357-Shrimp-Boat-Something-Grand but the last ep (small wonder from 92) is only on the limited edition disc, and subsequently, not on streaming. "here comes your ride" is basically sam getting to the first sea&cake album before he realizes what's happening-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZi_fSr3RzQ
(is that a mandolin towards the end? kinda glad s&c ditched that, even though it sounds okay here!)

for some of the other side of the s&c progenitors, i've been jamming this coctails tune a bit lately-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBvGOUwy6Hc
the coctails - "cadali" (1996)

good exposition on what archer brought to the group.

btw no questions this time, archer's a certified dreamboat

oh yeah, here's archer's first band. golly, sure would like to hear that one! maybe some good fodder for we listen so fast: forgotten/unkown/unloved 80s we are listening to.

that's very nice and I can hear the S and C in there for sure

this is my favorite 'you can hear s&c' coctails jam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYQgQtk10To

close second (go stuart moxham!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BeEAKwqn5c

relistening to The Biz now, never realized how rad that instrumental jam at the end of "Leeora" was, it's real mathy and technical in a way I never heard I because didn't think TSAC were that kind of band

one thing this makes me think of was the first time I heard the term "soft rock" - this is the kind of music I was envisioning

That’s my fave jam of theirs and there is a very cool pro-shot live version somewhere on YouTube. Search, don’t destroy.

appreciate that shout, frogs! their intial quick opening trilogy of albums might come off a little samey and the songs interchangeable on first impressions, but i agree: the biz holds a bit of a different energy than the first two, with some slight expansions in sound. archer gets into the e-bow properly and sam+john break out the synths. "leeora" is a big favorite from that era and "an assassin" has always sounded like a lost kraut rock riff to me. maybe not my favorite overall of their catalogue, but easily my favorite of the early stuff. "darkest night" also maybe my favorite of their ballads.

quick last thought for now: "station in the valley" riff is alltime. there's not even a vocal refrain that accompanies it, but that's because it doesn't need one.

an assassin followed by the transaction has always felt so emotionally satisfying to me. i think the transaction reminds me of new order’s regret and i’d been searching or just waiting for a song as good as regret for five years. my favorite record of theirs, well also the first one i bought by them, i think maybe nassau is betters (more dynamic and wide ranging) but the biz is my fave.

hey again. this revive has sent me back into their "middle period" albums. wistful sigh, friends. from the fawn through runner, this is stellar music all the way. idk what their best album is. they did so much music that is... i'm sorry, it's just fucking awesome music! the remixes on the eps are completely wild, their ballads are some of the most girgeous new americana i've ever heard, and have you heard "inn keeping"!??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F__3wRugDRM
...it's ten minutes long and it makes me cry! moonlight butterfly is so underrated!

s/t 4
nassau 4
biz 5
fawn 5
two gentlemen 3.5
oui 4
one bedroom 4
glass 4
everybody 4
car alarm 3.5
moonlight butterfly 4
runner 5
any day 3.5

they need a rarities compilation too, god dammit. there's at least another entire album's worth of non-lp material from 94-97. the extras from the everybody era are pure blissout goofaround fun.

f'kn band rules forever. kings.

Marked for future investigation. These last few posts, and now Austin's map to the catalogue, are real enticing. Thanks, you four.

cheers to you, and me a decade ago:

they could really do with a rarities album.

― austinato (Austin), Wednesday, April 15, 2015 2:47 PM

thought i was done? nah.

As a matter of fact, they need to do a rarities compilation.

― he doesn't need to be racist about it though. (Austin), Thursday, February 15, 2018 10:37 AM

and yeah, going back through thread: frogs consistently otm for years at a time. good work, everyone! here's "an echo in" from the glass ep. it has wah-wah. alright!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ2FU6g098Q

Sounds like I ought to relisten to Runner then. I remember liking it fine but never really gave it a close listen. I do have on their latest record Any Day which is very nice. It took me a number of listens to really discern one song from another, but when you really dig into it there are some very pretty tunes on here. "Into Rain" for instance. And of course the title track. That said I do find myself wondering a lot, wait, don't they have a different song like this? Not in just the overall vibe but some of the specific chord changes. There's not really anything new on it, not that TSAC have ever really gone much out on a limb since One Bedroom, but still. Even the title of the record seems like a re-run. It's a good record but it doesn't really justify the long wait and the fact that they haven't done one since kinda confirms to me the band has faded out. There doesn't really seem to be a whole lot of interest in them either way; they've been a "secret handshake" band as long as I can remember. I still see people discovering this band every now and then, often with the same "where has this been my whole life?" reaction I had when I first encountered them (at 17, lol). There's still no one else out there who quite scratches that itch.