Trans AM, Sea & Cake Shine on stage

What happens to all the Connies who can't pass their final Aural Skills exam? They drop out, join new wave-ish indie bands, get signed to Thrill Jockey and call it a day. John McEntire (would be OC '91) did just this. The result? The Sea And Cake, who played a satisfying set with Trans Am (similarly linked to Oberlin) Wednesday at Peabody's.

The Sea And Cake, who call Washington D.C. home, are something of a muse in the musical world. They hook in listeners with their adorable, soft-spoken vocals (thanks to Sam Prekop) and easy melodies, as they did from their first number, and first track on their latest entitled The Fawn. The song was "Sporting Life," an equally playful and complex song, wavering between lazy loftiness and sincere harmony folded over and over again. The crowd seemed to be into it, although the band ceased from doing an encore later because, as Prekop put it, he got "bad vibes from the crowd." Nevertheless, for the time being, heads were bobbing and lips were whistling along.

As if they were simply reciting their album for show, The Sea and Cake followed up "Sporting Life" with the next track off of the album, "The Argument." Much poppier and more upbeat than the first number, the band played with full effort, especially McEntire who's artistic effervescence on the drums was more evident than that of his band mates.

The rest of the set was consistent and steady, playing up the band's ability to intertwine cuteness with serious mannerisms. One interesting element of The Sea and Cake's live show that is not evident on the album, however, is their effort to mix electronic tones in with the normal skeletons of the tunes. With "The Fawn," for example, which normally sounds subdued and almost weary on the album, pseudo techno riffs got the live version off to good measure. The sound was futuristic; new.

Prekop grabbed his mike with passion, rocking back and forth with every beat. "Say the rest is simple," he sang (or at least it sounded that way), and we all wished we could. McEntire, at this time, was off in his own little world with a small triangle, which could have induced the audience to lose interest. While the people standing in the first few rows were transfixed by "The Fawn," others were distracted. However, the song ended fast enough that no one seemed to mind.

Overall, The Sea and Cake played a good set, but could have used more gusto from the audience to initiate an encore. Luckily, the concluding song was satisfying enough. "Parasol," a slightly older favorite, is an almost emo-ish number, easy-going in every aspect: chords, vocals and percussion. It appeared, however, that the band was giving only a half-effort. The quiet strumming on guitarist Archer Prewitt's part was almost too tentative to be noticed. In fact, it almost went unnoticed. The sound just sort of died down, Prekop said a polite thank you, and the show was over.

If The Sea and Cake were the mellow part of the electronically indie evening, then Trans Am, who played the 'Sco last fall, were the movin' and shakin' flip side of the coin. While painting a rough sketch of the genre their followers, Trans Am were arguably the better band of the evening. Every breakbeat from bassist/keyboardist Nathan Means' fingers was met with rave reaction from the audience, although a few rude persons argued "You suck," and "Fuck you," throughout the set. However, after it became apparent that they were talking more to each other than Am, Means didn't seem to mind.

While Means led the band as frontman with his raw bass and inventive keyboard patterns, guitarist Phil Manley OC '95 held the set together with tight power chords and the occasional needed solo. Trans Am was simultaneously prog rock and jungle; a truly eclectic and entertaining mix. It's just a shame they were the openers for The Sea and Cake instead of the other way around.

Are ya with me? The Sea and Cake, despite failing their Aural Skills, struck out into the wider world, along with Trans Am. (photo by Laren Rusin)