Formed in 2000 from the simmering ashes of the recently defunct Das Madman, the Jimmy Cake were only initially to play a one off show in Eamonn Dorans. But people kept coming, and the music kept getting louder.
Following on from 2008s critically acclaimed Spectre and Crown, The Jimmy Cake are back, with a new set and a new sound. Reduced from a cast of hundreds to a slimmed down six piece, we find the Jimmy Cake’s music equally stripped back: where once there were strings, accordion and tubas there is now the esoteric appeal of the vintage synths and tightly coiled, pounding rhythms. Guitars are back, and they mean to do some business. Headlifting, powerful, hypnotic, the Jimmy Cake have embraced change once more, and, it’s with this feckless bravado in mind that they embark on their latest adventure. Come with them. The Jimmy Cake are: Lisa Carey, Dip, Parx, Patrick Kelleher, Vincent Dermody, John Dermody and Paul G. Smyth
// The Jimmy Cake // The History . .. ...
{ 2000 - 2001
Lisa Carey: Clarinet/Vincent Dermody: Guitar/Dara Higgins: Bass/John Dermody: Drums/Jurgen Simpson: Accordion/Diarmuid Mac Diarmada: Sax & Percussion/John Brown: Trumpet/Simon O'Connor: Guitar/Rory Carr: Percussion In the year 2000 das Madman, who had split in 1999 agreed to reform for a one-off show but decided to perform the show under a new name. After much hilarious wrangling, The Jimmy Cake was settled on as a delightfully random phrase which subsequently transpired to have a variety of meanings all over the world. Within six months of their one-off show The Jimmy Cake were in the studio simultaneously writing & recording their debut album "Brains" which was released in July 2001 to almost universal critical acclaim. The Summer of 2001 also saw Paul Smyth return to the fold on keyboards. "...this is simply beautiful music.." - The Irish Times"Brains could be the soundtrack to dancing on the head of a pin" - The Event Guide
"If the purpose of their music is to cross frontiers, exceed limitations, fill the emptiness and fulfill both audience and musician, then they have done it completely" - Crossfire Magazine, Melbourne"Roll on the economic crash and burn: bands such as The Jimmy Cake, like cockroaches, will multiply and inherit the earth" - Hot Press
{ 2002 The Jimmy Cake play their first Witnness Festival, one of the few bands to escape drowning."Dublin Gone Everybody Dead" released on Pilatus Records
"Dublin Gone. Everybody Dead. will bring a stoned tiger grin to your face" - Hot Press"This is sweet chaos, played by a band not far away from reaching the messiah pedestal that many have already put them on" - Cluas.com
"..intense & beautiful" - Aquarius.com{ 2003
"Superlady" EP released on Pilatus Records to a confused public. It features a choral reworking of ‘Limestone Tiger' & the 14 minute prog hardcore epic title track. Rory Carr departs. Jimmy Cake play second Witnness festival, to bulging Rising tent in Punchestown. The Jimmy Cake’s Other Voices: Songs from a Room is broadcast on RTE 2. Other festival highlights include Mor festival in Tullamore and Roundstone arts festival in Connemara.
{ 2005
Diarmuid MacDiarmada departs, Mischa Langemeijer begins a short stint on saxophone. The Jimmy Cake collaborate with Damo Suzuki as part of the Fringe Festival. { 2006 John Brown packs his knapsack and heads off to join the gold rush in America. Simon O’Connor also departs. Michael Fleming joins the band on guitar/banjo/bazouki.{ 2007
Alex McMahon joins on Saxaphone. Thomas Parkes joins on Trumpet. The Jimmy Cake play momentous show at Electric Picnic.
"... unforgettable ... an extraordinary blossoming ... Clarinets, pianos and strings billow out over 54 sublime minutes of what is their best work yet."
**** The Ticket / Irish Times"A rich and spectacular comeback album, this is The Jimmy Cake's crowning achievement."
**** Sunday Business Post"This record is simply a work of extreme orchestral splendour."
**** Sunday Tribune"It'd take at least 5 years to produce something as accomplished and inventive as this!"
****1/2 Hot Press"An indelible chronicle of nine musicians contributing to a singular and necessary vision"
State"... it has been worth the wait, as Spectre & Crown is easily their finest work to date. From the opening piano chord of Red Tony, to the final note of Last Breath, The Jimmy Cake hardly put a foot wrong."
Totally Dublin"Spectre & Crown is The Jimmy Cake's most arresting album to date."
Sunday Times "By turns minimalistic and multi-layered, Spectre & Crown has moments of astonishing beauty. There are plenty of captivating tracks too - soaring and emotive." **** Day & Night / Irish Independent"... one of the most coherent, beautiful albums of the year so far."
entertainment.ie"I cannot convey how enjoyable Spectre & Crown is."
brainwashed.com"The album is a moving, sweepingly beautiful, orchestral epic with nine life-enhancing tracks of such diversity and scope that it's hard to fathom that just nine people made it.
... few records will reach the heights that this royally brilliant piece of work reaches. An instant and longterm classic." 10/10 Westmeath Examiner"Give up your job, lose your friends and spend all day with the headphones on as you scour the earth on your quest - you will not find a better track this year than 'Red Tony' ... here is a piece so epic and emotive that it ranks with anything the legends have come up with ... 'Jetta's Palace', is so urgent and infectious that the clock radio should crank it out first thing every morning, followed by 'Hugs for Buddy'. And at the other end of the day 'Collapsing Cloud Night at the Starry Sky' would soothe anything which has gone .. you hit the pillow ... The musicianship is superb, their potential colossal ... it's not too early to start buying the Christmas presents."
**** RTÉ.ie"Once you let go, it's a glorious experience."
**** The Dubliner{ 2009 Fleming, Simpson and Kerins depart, Patrick Keller joins. The Jimmy Cakeforge on in another direction. The banjo is dead, long live the Juno! Another full tent at Electric Picnic, a full Meeting House Square for the DEAF fundraiser.
{and so on
The Jimmy Cake are John Dermody, Vincent Dermody, Lisa Carey, Patrick Kelleher, Paul G. Smyth, Dip and Parx.