Customer Reviews

Biz

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

imagine, if you will, an itsy-bitsy little restaurant in which i have just ordered a huge fish sandwich, complete with tartar sauce. the scene that follows goes a little something like this: i'm happily gnawing away on my sandwich, talking, laughing, and suddenly...my eyes glaze over. the jaw goes slack. the restaurant gets a full view of masticated fish, cheese, bread and yes, tartar sauce. i don't care. i have been transported by some of the most lovely melodies on the planet. suddenly i'm in new mexico. tahiti. the alps. all at once. the waitress asks if i'm okay. i manage to croak that i will be as soon as she finds the name of the band playing on the stereo. she comes back with a cd case, bright yellow, crazy drawings. i motion for a pen and paper, staring. "the sea and cake. the biz." were scrawled on the waitress' notepad between the coca cola products and the desserts.

words cannot describe how this cd makes me feel. i hope that in the paragraph above i have done the sea and cake (and myself) some justice. buy this cd. you will not be disappointed.

there aren't too many records that sweep you off your feet like this, make you smile when you put them on for the very first time...just a handful. you get that "ahh" feeling and lean back, and you breathe in the oxygen around you and things are perfect. it's just a very rare thing, a phenomenon...records just don't do that too much. this record can be anything and everything, it's so versatile and well-put together. it's new everytime you hear it, clean and fresh, never fails to keep you happy. it's a perfect marketing scam, because once you finish listening, you wish you had more sea and cake records...but you don't. still, in the middle of "darkest night", there's no need for worry, as everything in the world finally sounds and feels completely in tune.

Many TSAC listeners seperate the band's career into two segments: pre and post-Fawn. And I would definitely agree. While their work on The Fawn and later albums is undeniably TSAC in its sound, it is remarkably different than their first three albums. For my money, The Biz is the best of the pre-Fawn era.

Here they are still the guitar driven, slightly edgy band they were on their first release. The album flows well and has a cohesive "sound", just like most of TSAC's albums. But the tunes on this album seem to stick in your mind, demanding to be listened to again and again. The guitar work on this album is superb as are the bass and drum work. All very solid. Prekops vocals also reach a high point here, before he moved totally into the breathy vocals of their later albums.

For the uninitiated, this is probably the best way to get into TSAC. Put yourself in a "I'll try anything" mood and pop this album in. You won't be disappointed.

Highlights here include the title track, The Kiss (with the beautiful and trippy fade out finishing the song), Escort and The Transaction.

The only reason I did give this one 5 stars was because of the subequent "The Fawn" and the fact that this band isn't done yet.

Cut from the same Chicago experimental cloth as Tortoise, 5tyle, Toe 2000, Aerial (and Papa)M, blah, blah, blah, this band puts forth independant jazz pop like no other. Each tune is catchy("Lenora") and accomplished ("The Transaction"). I'd like to think that Sterolab, etc. called John McIntire up on the basis of this record rather than his work with Tortoise, etc..

What a collection of talent in this band: John McIntire is a tasteful drummer and instinctual producer, Sam Prekop a nifty tunesmith, Archer Prewitt an accomplished guitarist (and solo artist), and Eric Claridge, an accompished visual artist and musician. Whereas other Chicago artists like Jim O'Rourke are forging ahead with a nod to the past, the Sea and Cake are pushing forward while swimming around tradition.

This is a great jazz-rock album and some of the best Sunday afternoon music to come out in years. simple, relaxing, and compelling. Not background music by any stretch, music to swim around in (while arguing the inevitability of surfacing).

Sublime to say the least.

The Biz is absolutely exceptional music and is suitable for all sorts of occasions. However, I have found that I enjoy The Sea and Cake most when I am either at an intimate gathering or when I am alone; then it completely surounds me and takes me away. I highly reccommend it to people who are seeking a musical escape or to those who can still appreciate true musicianship in a world gone mad with pop fever.

The Sea and Cake provide amazing ethereal melodies that sound quite unlike any contemporary music I can think of, never boring, always different, this too is my favorite album ever! Check out side projects Tortoise and Shrimpboat too.

What the heck!!! No one but me has written anything about how fabulous this album is?? This is by far and away my favorite album of all time. Please get this album to hear that there is hope for the future of contemporary music.

First of all, let me say that I absolutely love the Sea and Cake. Second of all, The Biz is their best album (in my opinion). It's loungy and beautiful, and puts me in a good mood.

At first listen I think I thought that this band was kind of soft (in a bad way). But then I listened to the album some more and now it is one of my all time favorites. Just gorgeous from start to finish. I especially like the instrumental "Escort."

Top jazzy-indie with a modern rock edge - believe me this is fun stuff. Every track is VERY memorable, and the four minute instrumental The Escort is an enjoyable romp with some nifty riffs. Sam Prekop's relaxed vocals - more understandable here than on newer Sea and Cake efforts - compliment the tracks nicely, as do the occasional usage of wibbly electronics (only occasional mind, which is why latter releases have gone downhill - to much arsing about with style and effects!). One negative point is For Minor Sky - far too heavy by comparison (to the rest) and IMHO hasn't stood up to such repeated listening. A shame since I find going through the rest of The Biz to be So Darned Enjoyable. :) Make sure this is the album you start with if you haven't heard these guys yet!