Cake

2009 marks 15 years since Cake debuted Motorcade of Generosity, an album that carved the band a niche with its low-key style and quirky lyrics. To celebrate, the band's re-releasing Motorcade ahead of a new, yet-to-be-named record.

Back when Motorcade came out, Cake frontman John McCrae was too cool for this planet on songs like "Mr. Mastodon Farm," un-self-consciously rapping—years before it was commercially viable for white people—about birds falling from his window ledge like loaves of bread, with a voice like he was singing with the car radio.

Cake's laid-back, unpretentious attitude makes for a chilled atmosphere at shows. The band eschews set lists in favor of between-song huddles and the odd request from the front row, and is always good for a couple prolonged jams to get the crowd involved ("Nugget" is worth the price of admission on its own). You leave feeling special, too, because of McCrae's repeated thanking the audience for coming out.