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Artist / Heroes,
Xan McCurdy of the Band CAKE Plays Soundblox!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Posted by: Jeffrey McAlack | Posted in: Artist / Heroes,
We recently added a personal favorite of mine to the list of guitarists using Source Audio pedals, Xan McCurdy of the genre defying Sacramento, California band CAKE. For the most part, Xan uses effects very sparingly, but he found some great tones inside the Soundblox Classic and Multiwave Distortions. With the gain eased back a bit, the Classic Distortion gave him an incredibly fat and warm sound while the Multi band Octave on the Multiwave provided a sweet octave up option.
I have to admit that I was a fan of Xan McCurdy’s playing well before he joined CAKE in 1998. I first heard Xan when he was with an incredible retro soul band called The Loved Ones. Inspired by old school blues and R&B as well as a healthy dose of 1960s British invasion, these four Californians proudly embraced retro soul music in a time when it was not necessarily in vogue. A few years later, acts like Amy Winehouse and Raphael Saadiq enjoyed big success with a similar approach, so the Loved Ones may have jumped the gun a bit. But commercial success never appeared to be a priority for them, these guys were clearly driven by a simple passion for great music.
The Loved Ones had it all—great songs, a thumping rhythm section, gloriously weathered and soulful vocals, and killer guitar—Hell, they even had the tight suits and sharp shoes. If you ever get the chance, pick up Better Do Right and The Price For Love, the two records the Loved Ones recorded for the HighTone label. One thing is certain—the open confines of their live show allowed Xan to truly unleash the beast. Check out this smoking video of the band performing the Junior Wells tune, “I Could Cry”, at a 2007 reunion show—the guitar solo burns (God damn!!!).
About a month ago, we saw CAKE deliver a fantastic two set show at the Orpheum Theater in Boston, MA. The band stampeded through hits like “The Distance” and “Never There” along with some excellent new tracks from their soon to be released LP, Showrooms of Compassion. The concert was a perfect blend of the vast sonic ingredients comprising the CAKE sound—funk, punk, country, jazz, flamenco, rap, and good old riff rock all tied together by the outstanding songwriting of singer John McCrea. I love the way CAKE incorporate so many styles of music without ever sounding quirky or disjointed. From the perspective of a musician, they’re an interesting study—each isolated instrument is its own dazzling, rhythmic, and melodic composition, but sew the parts together and the band’s true beauty is revealed. I suppose that’s true with any band, but it’s just a bit more pronounced with CAKE—Xan’s guitar and trumpet/keyboardist Vince DiFiore’s melodic lines weave in and out of one another to seamlessly build each tune as a glorious whole. Let's check out a few videos.
Sick of You – The single from CAKE’s upcoming release, Showrooms of Compassion. It’s got just what you would expect, great songwriting and great playing.
It’s Been a Long Time – A couple of weeks ago, CAKE performed on the new Conan O’Brien show. If ever I'm able to fulfill my life-long dream of publishing Vibraslap Player Magazine, John McCrea will grace the cover of the first issue.
The Distance – For a couple of years in the 90s, this tune was kind of a go to song for sports montage videos. Don’t fault CAKE for that, it’s an awesome tune.
Stickshifts and Safety Belts – Some sick picking on Xan’s part.
Remember the new CAKE record comes out 1/11/11. Get it.
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