Sam Prekop: Old Punch Card, Sea and Cake Tour Dates

It's no secret that we're huge fans of The Sea and Cake here at HAD: not only does the band deliver a killer live show, but they've been making fantastic records for going on 20 years. As such, it's not exactly a surprise that we've dug on the solo work of the band's frontman Sam Prekop.

Prekop's first two solo records unquestionably draw upon The Sea and Cake's sound, notably in the arrangements and his distinctive voice. While the arrangements are at times more jazzy or mellow, for fans of the band, the two releases are definitely easy to digest. When we got wind that Prekop had a new record (Old Punch Card, cover above) on tap for this fall, we were expecting more of the same.

We couldn't have been more off base: Old Punch Card is a quirky, experimental, electronic adventure. Utilizing a diversified musical palette, Prekop takes highly abstract sounds, and unifies them in a way that somehow manages to have his distinctive fingerprints all over the place. No, you won't find yourself singing along to a catchy melody or hook, but at the same time you won't be put to sleep by unnecessary noise. The record is carefully calculated, artfully delivered, and unquestionably composed.

While Prekop won't be touring directly in support of the record, The Sea and Cake will be on tour this fall - and we're psyched! The band is joining Broken Social Scene for their North American dates, including a stop at Rumsey Playfield in New York, and the Treasure Island festival in San Francisco. We don't really feel like a Sea and Cake/Broken Social Scene double bill is a hard sell, but just in case you were in doubt: it's got our unquestionable seal of approval.

The Sea And Cake Fall Tour (All Dates With Broken Social Scene)

Sep 13 Washington, DC Warner Theatre
Sep 14 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts
Sep 17 Boston, MA House of Blues
Sep 18 New York, NY Rumsey Playfield
Sep 20 New Haven, CT Toads Place
Sep 21 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre
Sep 22 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground
Sep 24 Ithaca, NY Historic Ithaca State Theatre
Sep 25 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
Oct 2 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
Oct 3 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theatre
Oct 4 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Oct 6 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre
Oct 7 Saskatoon, SK The Odeon Events Centre
Oct 8 Calgary, AB Macewan Hall
Oct 9 Edmonton, AB Winspear Centre
Oct 10 Kelowna, BC Kelowna Community Theatre
Oct 12 Victoria, BC Element Nightclub
Oct 13 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Oct 14 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Oct 15 Seattle, WA Paramount Ballroom
Oct 16 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
Oct 17 San Francisco, CA Treasure Islands Music Festival
Oct 19 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern Theatre

mp3: Sam Prekop - The Silhouettes