The Sea and Cake | Artist

The Sea and Cake is an American indie rock band with a jazz influence, formed 1993 in Chicago by Sam Prekop (vocals, guitar), Archer Prewitt (guitar), John McEntire (drums) and Eric Claridge (bass). The group came together from members of existing bands The Coctails, Shrimp Boat, and Tortoise. The band's distinctive post-jazz combo style is evident on their first three albums, but by 1997's The Fawn, the group relied more on electronic sound sources, such as drum machines and synthesisers, to colour its music. They are regarded as one of the original post-rock bands in the 1990s, with their atmospheric sound incorporating bossa nova, pop, and electronic. Of their 2000 release Oui, one reviewed summed up their sound as "remarkably warm, understated, spacious, and precise,Oui is the culmination of the best post-rock tendencies of the "avant-90s", as it might be called. It's an unbounded and gloriously abstract vision of what the studio can capture. Skittering, jazzy melodies wash over and colour the record's every corner; bittersweet without being precious". To-date they have released 11 studio albums, standouts include their first 5 albums released between 1994 and 2000: The Sea and Cake (1994), Nassau (1995), The Biz (1995), The Fawn (1997), and Oui (2000). Members Sam Prekop, Archer Prewitt, and John McEntire each have released solo albums. The cover art of The Sea And Cake's releases are largely paintings by member Eric Claridge and photographs by Prekop. Prewitt has been involved in publishing his own comic books and doing graphic design. The group's name came from a willful reinterpretation of "The C in Cake", a song by Gastr del Sol.

Artist Website: theseaandcake.com

Featured Albums: The Sea and Cake

Related Artists: Red Krayola, Tortoise, Sam Prekop

Video Clips: Live on KEXP, Weekend, The Argument