A fun band

They're one of the most consistently satisfying musical outfits of the past couple decades.

In the five albums they released between 1994's "Motorcade of Generosity" and 2004's "Pressure Chief," they've managed to develop into ever- entertaining pop chameleons. With influences ranging from sad country waltzes to mariachi-style trumpet lines blended with John McCrea's unmistakable half-singing, half-speaking vocal style, Cake emerged as instantly recognizable from the miasma of '90s pop offerings.

Although music critics and influential bloggers count themselves as fans, it isn't their appreciation the band craves.

"The greatest compliment for us is if a 5-year-old likes us, because a 5- year-old doesn't try to like anything," McCrea said in a phone interview from Oakland, Calif.

For a band that has seen so much success in the world of Billboard charts, Cake has never lost its way or hidden from the music they want to make. It's thanks to purity of intent when developing their music and to the support from unlikely sources.

"We had someone in his 80s who came to our show, and I took that as a huge compliment because you're not doing a dance for anyone. Unless there is actual visceral enjoyment, you're not going to mess with it," McCrea said.

McCrea doesn't want to cater toward trends, nor is Cake defined by the appraisal of alleged aficionados of music.

"It's really a litmus test for me, at least, if you can have children and senior citizens at your show. That is actually subversive to me," McCrea said.

Fans of all ages can expect a new album in January of 2011. The yet-untitled release will be the band's first in nearly seven years.

McCrea said when the band writes albums, it never goes in thinking of a central narrative to target or a formula to work from. While it tends to make the recording process slower, it's what works best for them. Unlike many bands, they look at a song as a whole unto itself, not as a piece of a puzzle.

"What we're doing is really more intuitive -- more based on the question 'What does this song want to be? How does this song want to live?' " McCrea said.

The album will be on the band's new label, Upbeat Records. It marks the first time the group will release an original album entirely on its own.

McCrea said the album was also produced entirety with solar power, exhibiting the socially and environmentally conscious side of the band.

The Thursday show at the Moose's Tooth marks the third time the band has performed in Alaska. The band has long put emphasis in keeping some semblance of raw feel to its performances. McCrea notes that modern technology has robbed live music of some of its energy and vitality.

One way or another, Cake is a band that knows who they are. They aren't just their singles; they are a band that has cultivated an energetic and original identity amid a musical marketplace that encourages uniformity of sound and look. Plus they're about as much fun as you can find in music today.