My Friend The Chocolate Cake

My Friend The Chocolate Cake is an Australian musical group based in Melbourne. They have recorded seven albums since being founded in 1989 by David Bridie and Helen Mountfort, members of Not Drowning, Waving. The band has won two ARIA Music Awards for Best Adult Contemporary Album, for Brood in 1995^[1][2] and Good Luck in 1997^[3]

Like their former band, My Friend The Chocolate Cake's music can be seen to straddle the worlds of ambient and world music, with an emphasis on piano and violin-led acoustic music. Influences range from the obvious, such as the Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Celtic folk music, to the less obvious, such as John Cale and Talk Talk.

In 1989 Bridie and Mountfort were playing in globally acclaimed ambient/world music ensemble Not Drowning, Waving when they opted to unplug and unwind with a few more breezy compositions. The idea of the band began when Bridie took a holiday in New Zealand and wrote a collection of songs that did not fit into the Not Drowning, Waving style. He and Mountfort then began My Friend The Chocolate Cake with the intention of playing all acoustic music.

From the inception My Friend The Chocolate Cake emerged as an enjoyable ensemble, as musical friends and colleagues came together one by one to form their own unique sound. Hope Csutoros, a violinist with a Hungarian background and a flamboyant stage presence to match, was an inspired early accomplice. Mandolinist Andrew Carswell and guitarist Andrew Richardson added to an exotic web of acoustic textures. Russell Bradley was the first of several percussionists, filling a position currently held by Greg Patten.

The band's collective musical influences are diverse and include: Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Irish and Scottish folk music, Joy Division, Arvo Pärt, and folk / pop / rock performers such as Billy Bragg, Talk Talk, John Cale and Michelle Shocked. My Friend The Chocolate Cake write songs of lyrical and musical mastery about people, characters and their community. Defying categorisation the band perform emotive musical pieces that move from subtle chamber instrumentals to frayed acoustic pop and songs of wry observation.

By no means formal in their presentation, My Friend The Chocolate Cake travel between atmospheric and ambient through to full scale romps and ballads. In addition to Bridie and Mountfort the band includes Greg Patten, Dean Addison, Andrew Richardson and Hope Csutoros. Previous members have included Russel Bradley, Michael Barker, David Abiuso, Xani Kolac (who replaced Csutoros in live shows from 2007 to 2010) and Andrew Carswell (a long-time member who retired from performing on July 23, 2010).

Discography

• My Friend The Chocolate Cake (1991; re-released in 1995 and 2005)
• Brood (1994; re-released in 2005)
• Good Luck (1996; re-released in 2005)
• Live At The National Theatre (1996; re-released in 2005)
• Review (1997; UK Compilation)
• 19 Easy Pieces (1999; re-released in 2005)
• Curious (2002; re-released in 2005)
• Parade - The Best Of... (2004; re-released in 2005)
• Home Improvements (album, 2007)
• 25 Stations (Single, 2011)
• Fiasco (2011)

In 2006 an EP also titled 'Home Improvements' was released. It contained 6 songs including the song 'Home Improvements' as well as a remix and 3 new tracks.

References

1. ^ ARIA Music Awards winners, 1995. (Note: ARIA website erroneously lists the album as "I've Got A Plan", a single from the album).
2. ^ Australian Music Online website
3. ^ ARIA Music Awards winners, 1997.

External links

• My Friend The Chocolate Cake website