Caviar was an American alternative rock/power pop band from Chicago, Illinois. The band was created around 1999 by vocalist/guitarist Blake Smith and bassist Mike Willison after the breakup of their previous band Fig Dish, due to getting dropped by their label, A&M Records. After visiting England, Smith and Willison took an interest in electronica's rise in popularity, deciding to implement this to their more guitar-driven sound. Originally, this new band was called Cartoon Boyfriend. Lead guitarist Dave Suh and drummer Bill Swartz, the latter having played on Fig Dish's previous album, were then brought in. New drummer Jason Batchko was then added to the official lineup after the band got signed, and Swartz had departed. As opposed to Fig Dish, where lyric-writing duties were shared among guitarist/vocalist Rick Ness, Smith and Willison, all of Caviar's lyrics came from Smith. Caviar released their debut self titled album in 2000, under major label Island Records, receiving modest success. They would release their second album, The Thin Mercury Sound in 2004, under smaller label Aezra, which was a subsidiary of EMI Records. Although recording guitars for the album, Suh would leave the band prior to its release, and was replaced by Peter Muschong of The Tossers for subsequent shows.