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In their mid-'90s heyday, Sacramento's alt. beatnik kings Cake presented a brilliant sense of irony. In concert, looking like a band of low rent bartenders ready to sling shots, the scruffy quintet matched mariachi trumpet and Duane Eddy guitar riffs with lead singer John McCrea's cryptic lyrics for music that resided left of the alternative nation. Spouting anti-government homilies like some tired Communist barker, McCrea always made for a good soundbite or two. More importantly, his deadpan vocals and twisted lyric composites made you feel as if you were lost in some episode of the Twilight Zone.

Following the success of Cake multi-platinum sellers like Motorcade Of Generosity, Comfort Eagle and Fashion Nugget, the band releases the inevitable B-Sides And Rarities. A good representation of their live sets, where Cake would inevitably cover cornball nuggets like "I Will Survive" and "Strangers in the Night," B-Sides And Rarities features that hoary Sinatra hit, as well as those of Barry White, Buck Owens, George Jones, Ozzy Osborne, and Kenny Rogers.

Regardless of the source material, Cake's approach makes mincemeat out of the originals. Whether dropping Ozzy's "death and hatred to mankind" ("War Pigs") over a funky 16th note beat, adopting a good ole boy persona for Kenny Rogers' "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" or rapping like a simpleton country punk in Barry White's "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up," Cake entertain like high IQ intellectuals slumming at a frat party.

Those buying the hard CD (what a concept!) of B-Sides And Rarities will receive a "scratch and sniff" insert, plus an exclusive live bonus track of "War Pigs" with Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips.

"It's Coming Down," "Conroy" and "Thrills" were staples of the Cake repertoire – alternate versions now free for the first time. Hey Hey Hey!

CAKE
"Conroy" (mp3)
from "b-sides and rarities"
(Upbeat Records)

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CAKE
"Thrills" (mp3)
from "b-sides and rarities"
(Upbeat Records)

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CAKE
"It's Coming Down" (mp3)
from "b-sides and rarities"
(Upbeat Records)

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Three Sixty Records

What? You've never heard of Three Sixty Records? Me neither. But face it, the future lies in the independent lens. In ten years, probably less, the majors will be selling nothing but future oldies like The Best Of Shakira or That's What I Call Nickelback!

Three Sixty Records' Music For Moving Images Volume 2 is a good companion to the Cake you just swallowed. Instrumental, beat heavy and inclined to make you go horizontal (bong loads or not), Music For Moving Images Volume 2 offers such modern unknowns as Jonny Alford, Paulo Manuelle, Kid Galahad, Fishbunny, Sr Mandril, Space Funghi Project, Channal Bazaar, The Furze, Runaways UK, James Bernard and Darkhorse, who offer "Take 2." A cunning bit of downtempo absorption that will make you t

urn on your mental windshield wipers, "Take 2" is dream-state stupefaction. Visit http://www.threesixtyrecords.net

Darkhorse
"Take 2" (mp3)
from "Music for Moving Images Volume 2"
(Three Sixty Records)

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