Green alt-rockers Cake visit Boulder's 'etown' (VIDEO)

Cake has always been a politically and socially minded band, but the group decided to go the extra mile for its sixth studio album.

This time around, Cake's going green.

The California band created, rehearsed, recorded and produced its new record in ways that support the environment. That's why the band was invited to play Sunday's environmentally friendly "etown" radio show at the Boulder Theater.

"Going green is important for everyone to do," Cake frontman John McCrea said. "There are 27,000 species of plants and animals that are disappearing every year.

"It's time for all of us to re-evaluate how we're doing things. It's time for all of us to ask, 'What can I do?"

Cake's earned a solid following with its inventive twists on alternative, funk, jazz and country sounds. The group's scored radio play with tunes such as "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle," "The Distance" and "Short Skirt/Long Jacket." But this band's always marched to its own beat.

The group's always spoken its mind when it comes to political and social issues, and Cake makes it a point to post important items on its Internet news page. This month, the band's been drawing attention

This is Cake.

"It's a very exciting time to be alive for everyone -- and that affects our music," McCrea said. "That's why our band tries to be really green. We try to be off the grid, recycle and remain as light a footprint as we can.

"We now have a fully powered solar recording studio, so we're not using any fossil fuel energy. We even give away trees at our shows. People plant them and take care of them -- and they send us pictures, so we can see how the trees are growing!"

The band's now putting green ideas to work at its Upbeat recording studio.

"We built solar panels into our recording studio," McCrea said. "That generated all the power we needed to make the new CD. We're selling the electricity back and getting a check each month for $15.

"We even made a home movie that showed the solar panels being put on the studio's roof. If you're in California, it's criminal not to be generating power using solar panels."

Cake rehearsed and recorded its new CD in the solar-paneled studio. The record still doesn't have a title, but McCrea was ready to discuss the new project.

"We've been experimenting sonically on this record," McCrea said. "We've been using instruments we haven't used in awhile -- like acoustic instruments and the piano.

"We're trying to see how we can blend our old and new sounds, so we're reinventing the sonic balance for each song. There's certainly going to be more acoustic and heavier electric stuff on this record. The songs are about the wastefulness of resources and emotions -- and the excesses of economics."

Cake also has come up with a new way to promote its upcoming CD.

Fans will be able to download six different ringtones based on the new album tracks. A new 30-second ringtone will be available each week and the band's hoping to entice fans with the music samples.

"Every week we're going to give the ringtones away to people who have signed our mailing list," McCrea said. "It's an enticement and it will keep them abreast of what we're doing. There's something to be said for hearing a song on people's phones before the album comes out."

Cake has been busy recording the new album, so the band's been playing limited shows.

However, the group accepted "etown's" invitation.

"They gave a call and we knew this was a too good a show to pass up," McCrea said. "We'll see how it turns out, but we're anxious to play a couple of new songs in Boulder.

"'Etown' is an environmentally minded show and it brings up interesting conversations we should be having. We don't have the luxury of ignoring environmental factors and it's time to start re-evaluating things. It's important to have a sense of community -- and that will make people more invigorated to the cause."