Daily Staff Writer

Cake

Fashion Nugget

For those who have a short listening attention span, the band for you is Cake. In fact with their new release, Fashion Nugget, it would be difficult to lose your concentration on these fourteen exploratory tracks.

Setting up “the groove” probably better describes their musical prowess.

Songs like “Frank Sinatra” and “It’s Coming Down” are similar in sound to those tunes you would hear on a James Bond soundtrack, only with lyrics more quirky.

Other tunes like Willie Nelson’s,”Sad Songs and Waltzes” and “She’ll Come Back To Me” show the Texmex side of Cake while the Latin ditty “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” makes you want to get a partner to tango.

Their most ironic side comes out on “Stickshifts and Safetybelts” when you wonder what singer John McRea really means when he refers to his Malibu’s bench seats.

The most flavorable aspect of Cake that sets them apart from most mainstream bands is the trumpet fills of Vincent di Fiore. His jazzy but subtle style adds to Cake’s tastefulness.

To put these guys into a category would not do them justice. Sometimes they have a sound similar to The Presidents of the USA, but this fivesome from Sacramento actually has talent.

In a nutshell, Cake is cool!

***1/2

— Brendan Greiner

Various Artists

Women for Women 2

Compilations. When you can’t create your own idea, musically or lyrically, you produce a compilation.

But wait. What’s that light at the end of the compilation tunnel?

Women for Women 2. Some of the songs are new, some are rereleases and some are covers.

But all of the tunes are good. And, what makes the disc refreshing is that all the songs are performed by women.

From the ever present (Sheryl Crow) to the obscure (Lauren Christy), the up and coming (Leah Andreone) to the legends (Tina Turner), every woman will find a voice on this album.

The disc truly has something for everyone. Almost every music genre is represented. Celine Dion supplies the pop ( “Send Me a Lover”), Indigo Girls blend in a folk song (“Power of Two”), statuesque Terri Clark contributes the country mix (“Something You Should’ve Said”), goddess of gospel Amy Grant pipes in a tune (“Helping Hand”) and R&B mistress Oleta Adams gives a holier than thou rendition of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”

Created by producer Mark Fine, Women for Women generates contributions to the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organization.

Tracks include recent hits like “Insensitive” by Jann Arden and classics such as a melody by Carole King, “Beautiful/ Natural Woman.”

Another thing that makes this an incredible disc are the liner notes. Among the pictures of breast cancer survivors are quotes from some of the performers on the CD.

Sheryl Crow says it best, “Here’s a fact: young women can get breast cancer too.”

— Kris Fettkether

Keith Sweat

Keith Sweat

One of the all-time beggars is back. Every time I hear this man sing, his voice makes him sound as though the woman he is singing about has given him an ultimatum. Plain and simple, it works.

The sweet sound of Sweat will have women and men anxiously awaiting the next track. Everyone has heard “Twisted” by this time.

Kut Klose sang the back up for him and they only add to the rhythmic sounds of “Twisted.” I’m sure both sexes can relate to Keith when he talks about being twisted over someone.

“Just A Touch” and “Come With Me” kick this CD into the must buy category.

Anyone who is wanting a romantic interlude and doesn’t add this CD to the collection must believe that romance equals drive-thru for hamburgers and birthday candles for mood lighting.

Ronald Isley joins Sweat on “Come With Me” to let the woman he is with know — in a subtle way — the best is yet to come. It’s the classic soulful sound of Isley with the man who is ready to take his throne back as the ultimate crooner of love.

Another bomb track that Sweat remakes is “Just A Touch.” It makes you feel like it’s Slave singing instead of Sweat.

On his CD cover, Sweat sits in an antique high-backed chair. His hands are clasped together and he is dressed in black. The man is ready for any who want to come into the ring to do battle.

The last track, “Chocolate Girl,” is a song that he must have written at the last minute. It still plays well with the rest of the songs, but he is incredibly blunt when it comes to describing what exactly he means by a chocolate girl and what he wants to do.

— Vernon Johnson

Blackstreet

Another Level

I can’t even sing the praises of the bomb tracks on this CD. Teddy continues to surprise no one. He just keeps the mood flowing and the heads noddin’.

From start to finish, the CD player will blow up because the repeat button will be used all the time. Beginning with “Black & Street Intro” through “This Is How We Roll,” the party will start jumping. You won’t even think about “when are we gonna get to the good part?” It’s all good.

Bam! You’re hit with “No Diggity.” Dre kicks off some lyrics. He raps about giving listeners eargasms. But he doesn’t steal any of the thunder created by the beats of Blackstreet. Queen Pen (never heard of her?) flows like ice cream from a sugar cone in July. Her style is tasty and full of flavor.

Of course you don’t have to wait long to hear Blackstreet hit with what you need. Yes, they give you a “Fix” that should be illegal and yes, they want to give you some ‘Good Lovin.'”

The next four songs that follow will have you thinking about real love. They make you see the truth of your ways.

Anyone who might have passed up someone from the days of old will definitely remember them from listening to these songs.

Now that’s not to say the love that you are with now won’t come to mind either.

Two songs from the DeBarge family make their way onto the CD and Blackstreet pulls it off without an injustice.

“The Lord is Real” and “Don’t Leave Me” flow smoothly. Before “The Lord is Real,” each member’s mother talks about how proud they are of their child and they wish them continued success on the interlude, “Motherlude.”

All things said, Blackstreet gave listeners a scare when many thought they would go the way of Guy. They did not and hopefully will not for many CDs to come.

—Vernon Johnson