PLATES OF CAKE
S/T
With an emphasis on lyrical structure and clever melodies, Plates of Cake play a kind of surrealistic pop music favored by luminaries such as The Kinks and Guided By Voices. The songs that make up their self-titled LP run the gamut from hook-laden rockers to cool country charmers, all delivered like a band that's been playing together for years. Recorded in a rented church in Nutley, New Jersey by drummer William Yale on 8 track reel-to-reel and 4 track-cassette, Plates of Cake has a sound that is homegrown and rich with reverberating tones. With his sandpaper-sharp baritone, principle songwriter, Jonathan Byerley, acts as narrator to the album's 9 songs, with occasional Beatlesque harmonies compliments of bassist Gann Matthews and guitarist Joshua Carrafa. It's a thrilling ride full of peaks and valleys, elegant wordplay, reverb drenched guitars, and snappy rhythms. Imagine if Skip Spence was the only songwriter/vocalist in Moby Grape and you get a little closer to what Plates of Cake are all about. They strike a balance between the tight and the bent, playing their songs casually and confidently.
PRESS:
“This is rock ’n' roll for latenight cab rides, rainy mid-day skies, blinking lights, almost-gone well drinks, cocktail napkins with phone numbers written in lipstick — this is The National if The National sounded like everyone says they do. . . Truly soiled music, dove-like in its beauty and full of gritty fire and sore guts.”
-Grant Purdum (Tiny Mix Tapes) READ MORE>>
“Plates of Cake stake their claim in the guitar-pop arena. The melodies are tight and swelling with a quiet tension, the guitars shimmer and quake and the rhythm section subtly pushes it all along. The band also shows an impressive range, from the bright, nearly-twee pop of “Living Winter” to the propulsive rock of “Emil the Soldier” to the deathly, Cohen-esque waltz of “This Way; Not Some Other Way”. With their breadth of pop styles and their tight execution, the band puts forth an admirable set on this record.” -Matthew Fiander (Pop Matters) READ MORE>>
"A top-shelf lead single [Private Yacht] that we can show off to our friends..."
-My Old Kentucky Blog READ MORE>>
"A British Invasion sound straight out of Brooklyn." 2010 CMJ - Our Recommendations -AM New York
"... the album has a warm, retro sound that perfectly suits the music, which recalls Guided By Voices, The Byrds and sometimes, even The Replacements. Sharp guitars, interesting melodies, and lyrics both thoughtful and oddball ... are heard throughout Plates of Cake. Songwriter/guitarist Jonathan Byerley has one of the most interesting voices I’ve heard all year – a deep baritone that is a cross between Bob Dylan and Warren Zevon — and somehow he pulls it off.” -DBosket (RECORD DEPT.)
CATALOG: AHE-11
UPC: 881626935620
LP edition of 300
RELEASE DATE:
October 26, 2010
US DISTRIBUTION:
AHE
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PLATES OF CAKE
Self-titled (“Plates of Cake”) LP cover
Design by Tim Lokiec & Ryan Johnson
PLATES OF CAKE
Brooklyn (Seaside Lounge) 2010
Photo by Drew Norton
Tracks:
1. Living Winter
3. Private Yacht
4. Kirchner
5. The Shining Path
7. Old Debts
8. Leper Hill
9. This Way Not Some Other Way
10. Big Purse
