Showroom of Compassion

Last updated

Showroom of Compassion
ShowroomCompassion.jpg
Studio album by
Cake
ReleasedJanuary 11, 2011
Recorded2009–2010
StudioUpbeat Studio, Sacramento, California [1]
Genre Experimental rock, alternative rock, classical, avant-garde
Length40:24
Label Upbeat [2]
Producer Cake
Cake chronology
B-Sides and Rarities
(2007)		Showroom of Compassion
(2011)		 Live from the Crystal Palace
(2014)
Singles from Showroom of Compassion
  1. "Sick of You"
    Released: September 2010 [3]
  2. "Long Time"
    Released: March 1, 2011 [4]

Showroom of Compassion is the sixth full-length studio album from the band Cake, released on January 11, 2011. [2] Produced by the band, it was the band's first studio album to be independently released. The musical style of Showroom of Compassion is grounded in the band's unique style of alternative rock, combining droll, often esoteric lyrics rife with word play and syncopation, catchy distorted guitar riffs, complex bass patterns, Moog and prominent use of trumpet. Cake's former lead guitarist, Greg Brown, makes a guest appearance on the song "Bound Away", his first appearance on a Cake album since 1996's Fashion Nugget .

Contents

The album was the band's first since the release of Pressure Chief in 2004, the longest gap to date between two consecutive Cake studio albums. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 for one week, becoming the band's first album to do so. [5] The album's first single, "Sick of You", reached No. 13 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart. [6]

A few of the songs on the album charted in the United States, including "Sick of You" (which reached No. 8 on the Bubbling Under chart and No. 4 on the Alternative Songs chart); "Long Time", which peaked at No. 15 on the Alternative Songs chart; and "Mustache Man (Wasted)", which reached No. 22 on the Alternative Songs chart. [7] [8]

Background

Near the beginning of recording, John McCrea and other members of the band stated that their new album would sound very different from their previous material. [9] In an interview with the Sacramento News, McCrea revealed that the music on the album would range from "aggressive rock songs" to "weird pseudo classical compositions". [10] In addition, McCrea allowed piano on the LP, which he had never done because he thought it sounded "too classy". He also said it was the first time he allowed reverb, which he thought too many bands used to sound "grandiose". [11]

Recording and release

During the first recording sessions, Cake released a statement saying the band would convert the electrical components in their studio so it would work solely on solar power. [9] [10] Panels were installed by Borrego Solar and all of Showroom of Compassion was recorded using the new system. [10] Subsequently, the album was recorded solely on solar energy in Cake's refitted studio, rechristened "Upbeat Studio". [1]

The band also offered a limited autographed version of the album for pre-sale. [12]

The album was released in Australia in May 2011 through Inertia Music.

Cake worked with Callicore Studio in 2011 and released an animated music video for the song "Long Time".

Packaging

The design for Showroom of Compassion marks a slight stylistic departure from previous Cake releases. The cover features a shaded, framed image (of a tiger attacking a person) instead of the band's usual flat-color printed imagery. The design for the album is credited to Aesthetic Apparatus. [1] In keeping with the band's environmental activism, the album insert notes that the material used to make the album was "100% recycled paper stock and vegetable dyes". [1] The physical release of Showroom of Compassion was packaged with a temporary tattoo of a bee, which the band asked fans to apply to themselves, take pictures of, and post online. [13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 72/100 [14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The A.V. Club B+ [16]
Consequence of Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [18]
Paste 7.7/10 [19]
PopMatters 7/10 [20]
Rock Sound 6/10 [21]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [22]

Showroom of Compassion was generally well received by music critics. [14] Metacritic, a review aggregator website, gave the album an average score of 72 out of 100 from 17 reviews, which indicates "generally favourable reviews". [14] Many critics complimented the band for sticking to their unique style. Mark Deming from AllMusic writes, "Willful eccentricity is something that demands a certain degree of commitment [...] So Cake are to be commended for sticking to their oddball guns for close to 20 years." [15] Brett Singer from The A.V. Club maintained that "[The album] isn't a huge departure from what Cake boss John McCrea and company have done before.... But as with your favorite dessert, there's nothing wrong with another helping." [16]

Commercial performance

Showroom of Compassion was a commercial success. Domestically, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, the Top Alternative Albums, Independent Albums, and the Rock Albums charts. [23] On the Billboard 200, the album moved 44,000 copies, making it the lowest-selling number-one album since Billboard began using Nielsen SoundScan to track unit sales, [24] until Amos Lee's Mission Bell set the record two weeks later. [25] Despite it being the band's first top ten album, the album sold considerably fewer copies than previous albums that had debuted at lower positions. [24] After the release, the members of Cake enthusiastically thanked their fans for the success of the album. [26] In its second week it fell to No. 25, selling another 15,000 after a decline of 67%. As of 2017, it is the fifth largest fall from No. 1; at the time it was the largest drop since 2006's Light Grenades by Incubus. In Canada, the album debuted at No. 15. [23]

Track listing

Standard edition [27]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Federal Funding"McCrea, McCurdy, Nelson3:50
2."Long Time"McCrea, DiFiore4:36
3."Got to Move"McCrea3:40
4."What's Now Is Now" (Frank Sinatra cover) Bob Gaudio, Jake Holmes 3:37
5."Mustache Man (Wasted)"McCrea, McCurdy, Nelson4:04
6."Teenage Pregnancy"McCrea2:41
7."Sick of You"McCrea, McCurdy3:18
8."Easy to Crash"McCrea4:08
9."Bound Away"McCrea, Nelson3:25
10."The Winter"McCrea, DiFiore4:06
11."Italian Guy"McCrea3:11
Total length:40:24
iTunes bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Huge Misunderstanding"DiFiore, McCurdy, Tom Ze2:38
13."The Federal Funding March" (pre-order bonus track) 3:36
14."Sick of You" (music video) 3:25

Personnel

Additional musicians

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cake (band)</span> American rock band

Cake is an alternative rock band from Sacramento, California, consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Daniel McCallum, and drummer Todd Roper. The band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan vocals, and their wide-ranging musical influences, including norteño, country music, mariachi, disco, rock, funk, folk music, and hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urge Overkill</span> American rock band

Urge Overkill is an American alternative rock band, formed in Chicago, consisting of Nathan Kaatrud, who took the stage name Nash Kato (vocals/guitar), and Eddie "King" Roeser. They are widely known for their song "Sister Havana" and their cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon", which was used in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Oui, their latest album, was released in 2022.

<i>Comfort Eagle</i> 2001 studio album by Cake

Comfort Eagle is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Cake. It was released on July 24, 2001, on Columbia Records, their first with the company.

<i>Fashion Nugget</i> 1996 studio album by Cake

Fashion Nugget is the second studio album by alternative rock band Cake. It was released in 1996, and contains 14 songs. "The Distance" and "I Will Survive" became the most successful singles on the record, with the prior peaking at number 22 in the UK and at number 4 on the US Alternative Airplay Chart. The album was recorded at Paradise Studios in Sacramento, California.

<i>Prolonging the Magic</i> 1998 studio album by Cake

Prolonging the Magic is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Cake. It was released on October 6, 1998, on Capricorn Records. The sole successful single was "Never There". The album was recorded after the departure of guitarist Greg Brown and features a rotating lineup of musicians to replace him. One of them, Xan McCurdy, became his full-time replacement. On its opening week, Prolonging the Magic sold about 44,000 copies, debuting at No. 33 on the Billboard 200 chart. On 28 September 1999 the album was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of one million copies.

Candlebox is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since its formation in 1990, the group has released seven studio albums, several charting singles, a compilation, and a CD+DVD.

<i>Pressure Chief</i> 2004 studio album by Cake

Pressure Chief is the fifth studio album by American band Cake. It was released on October 5, 2004, pushed back from its original August release date. It was produced by the band and recorded in a converted house in Sacramento. The lead single, "No Phone" peaked at No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The second single "Carbon Monoxide" garnered some airplay but failed to crack the Modern Rock Tracks top 40. The album was the band's second and last record under Columbia Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thousand Foot Krutch</span> Canadian rock band

Thousand Foot Krutch is a Canadian Christian rock band formed in Peterborough, Ontario, in 1995. The band has released eight studio albums, two live albums, and three remix albums. The core members consist of founding member Trevor McNevan, Steve Augustine (drums), and Joel Bruyere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Distance (Cake song)</span> 1996 single by Cake

"The Distance" is a song by American alternative rock band Cake. Released in August 1996, "The Distance" was the first single from the band's second album, Fashion Nugget, and is considered one of their most popular songs. It was written by the band's guitarist at the time, Greg Brown.

"The Chain" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their 1977 album Rumours. It is the only song from the album with writing credits for all five members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold War Kids</span> American indie rock band formed in 2004

Cold War Kids is an American indie rock band from Long Beach, California. Band members are Nathan Willett, Matt Maust, David Quon, Matthew Schwartz, and Joe Plummer. Former members of the band include Dann Gallucci, Matt Aveiro, and Jonnie Russell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never There</span> 1998 single by Cake

"Never There" is the first single released from American alternative rock band Cake's third studio album, Prolonging the Magic (1998). The song was commercially successful, topping the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and appearing on the music charts of four other countries. In Australia, the song appeared at number 30 on the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown for 1998.

The following is the complete discography of American band Cake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cage the Elephant</span> American rock band from Kentucky

Cage the Elephant is an American rock band formed in 2006 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They moved to England and settled in London in 2008, shortly before their self-titled first album was released. The band currently consists of Matt Shultz (vocals), his older brother Brad Shultz, Nick Bockrath, Matthan Minster, Daniel Tichenor (bass), and Jared Champion (drums). The band's first album was released to much success, spawning several successful radio singles and gaining the band a large following in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It was influenced by classic rock, '90s alternative, blues, punk rock and funk music. Lincoln Parish served as the band's lead guitarist from their formation in 2006 until 2013, when he left on good terms to pursue a career in producing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Darkest Days</span> Canadian rock band

My Darkest Days was a Canadian rock band based in Peterborough, Ontario, consisting of lead singer Matt Walst, bassist Brendan McMillan, drummer Doug Oliver, and keyboardist Reid Henry. They were discovered by Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, who signed them to his record label, 604 Records. They are best known for their 2010 single "Porn Star Dancing".

<i>What Separates Me from You</i> 2010 studio album by A Day to Remember

What Separates Me from You is the fourth studio album by American rock band A Day to Remember, and their third and final for Victory Records. Originally planned for release in late-October 2010, the album was delayed by a few weeks until mid-November. What Separates Me from You was released on November 15, 2010, in the UK, and on November 16 in the US. The album, which was recorded mainly at The Wade Studios in Ocala, Florida, from May to July 2010, was the first to feature guitarist Kevin Skaff. The album was produced mostly by Chad Gilbert, with help from Andrew Wade and the band's vocalist, Jeremy McKinnon. "All I Want" was released as the first single. It reached number 12 on the U.S. Alternative Songs chart and number 25 on the Rock Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sick of You (Cake song)</span> 2010 single by Cake

"Sick of You" is the name of the lead-off single from the alternative rock band Cake's sixth studio album, Showroom of Compassion. The song is Cake's fourth Top 10 hit on the Alternative Songs chart, hitting number 4. The song also has hit number 13 on the US Rock Songs chart and peaked at #1 on the Mediabase's Canadian Alternative Rock chart.

"No Resolution" is a song by South African rock band Seether. It was the third single from the band's fifth studio album Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray.

Callicore is a Paris-based studio which specializes in CGI animated music videos. Created by Laurent Mercier in 2000, the studio has produced videos for artists such as John Lee Hooker, Jr., The Buzzcocks, Cake, Marky Ramone, Carbon/Silicon and Arrested Development. The studio was named a 2009 Webby Award honoree for its work on Hooker's video Blues Ain't Nothin' But a Pimp.

"Born for Greatness" is a song by American rock band Papa Roach. It was their third single off of their album Crooked Teeth. The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Showroom of Compassion (liner). Cake. Upbeat Records. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 Anderson, Sara (September 24, 2010). "Cake, 'Sick of You' – New Song". AOL. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  3. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: First New Song From Cake In 6 Years! - SPIN". September 22, 2010.
  4. ↑ Praxis Media. "Radio1 Rodos Greece ::: USA Forthcoming Singles ::: Charts, DJ Promos, Dance, Lyrics, Free Mp3 Samples Downloads". Radio1.gr. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  5. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (January 19, 2011). "Cake Scores Lowest-Selling No. 1 in Billboard 200 History". Billboard . Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Cake Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs". Billboard . Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Cake Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Cake Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  9. 1 2 Gagnon, Jill (October 9, 2008). "Interview- Cake". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 21, 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 "Cake Solar". Cakemusic.com. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  11. ↑ Fuoco-Karasinski, Christina (November 16, 2010). "Q&A: John McCrea of Cake". SoundSpike. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Cake News". Cakemusic.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2011. Newsflash for November 29, 2010 The members of CAKE are looking forward to signing your pre-ordered copy of Showroom of Compassion album. We'll be setting this Wednesday 12-1-10 as a cut-off time for those wishing to purchase an autographed copy.
  13. ↑ "Cake News". Cakemusic.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2011. Newsflash for November 20, 2010 Look in the sleeve of your vinyl album or compact disc when you receive your pre-ordered copy of "Showroom of Compassion." You'll find a beautiful and sturdy temporary tattoo! Take a photo of the applied tattoo! Post it on our website! Details to come...
  14. 1 2 3 "Critic Reviews for Showroom of Compassion by CAKE". Metacritic . Retrieved January 11, 2011.
  15. 1 2 Deming, Mark. "Showroom of Compassion - Cake". Allmusic . Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  16. 1 2 Singer, Brett (January 11, 2011). "Cake: Showroom of Compassion". The A.V. Club . Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  17. ↑ Buchanan, David (January 11, 2011). "Album Review: Cake – Showroom Of Compassion". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  18. ↑ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (January 14, 2011). "Music Review: Showroom of Compassion, by Cake". Entertainment Weekly.
  19. ↑ Moore, Bo (January 12, 2011). "Cake: Showroom of Compassion". Paste . Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  20. ↑ Conaton, Chris (January 20, 2011). "Cake: Showroom of Compassion < PopMatters". PopMatters . Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  21. ↑ Tim Newbound (January 26, 2011). "Cake - Showroom Of Compassion | Reviews". Rocksound.tv. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  22. ↑ Dolan, Jon (January 11, 2011). "Showroom of Compassion". Rolling Stone . Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  23. 1 2 "Showroom of Compassion - Cake". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  24. 1 2 Grein, Paul (January 19, 2011). "Week Ending Jan. 16, 2011: Albums: Even Lower". Yahoo! News . Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  25. ↑ Grein, Paul (February 2, 2011). "Week Ending Jan. 30, 2011: Albums: Good News & Bad News". Yahoo! News . Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  26. ↑ "Cake News". Cakemusic.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2011. Newsflash for January 19, 2011 We're number one!! CAKE's independently released Showroom Of Compassion album has debuted at number one on the Billboard Charts this week and it's all your fault. CAKE would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to all the listeners who have supported our work for all these years.
  27. ↑ Herr, Friederike (October 4, 2010). "Cake To Release 'Showroom Of Compassion,' Pre-Order Starts Now". CMJ. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Cake Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Cake Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Cake Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Cake Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Cake Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.