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

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.

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!)