Ra Ra Riot Do Letterman, Extend Tour!

In case you don’t remember me gushing about their Barsuk debut, The Rhumb Line, let me remind you: The Rhumb Line is really good, which brings me to my next point. All of us down south who were left out on the band’s initial jaunt will now be treated to a special wintery evening with the Syracuse 5-piece. Some dates have been announced in the South (and one in Baltimore) fresh on the heels of a fantastic showing on Letterman. Dates, and youtube of said performance, lurk below. My day just got better.

Ra Ra Riot 2008 Tour Dates
10/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Soundfix
10/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s * %
10/16 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom % *
10/17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
10/18 – Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East Downstairs * %

10/25 – London @ Push – Astoria 2
10/26 – London @ London Forum $
10/28 – Newcastle @ Newcastle Academy $
10/29 – Glasgow @ Glasgow Barrowlands $
10/30 – Liverpool @ Liverpool Academy $
10/31 – Bristol @ Bristol Academy $
12/03 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground # !
12/04 – Albany, NY @ Valentines # !
12/05 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall !
12/09 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House # !
12/11 – Louisville, KY @ 930 Listening Room # !
12/12 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In # !
12/14 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle # !
12/16 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar # !

# with So Many Dynamos
* with Walter Meego
% with the morning benders
$ with Vampire Weekend
! with Princeton

[mp3] Ra Ra Riot – Can You Tell

Ra Ra Riot – "The Rhumb Line" Analysis

On the first day of fall, the first day that the breeze has a little bite to it that is, the first day the leaves begin to accumulate, the first day the sun starts setting at 6:30, the first day you don’t need the air conditioning in your car – on that day, make sure you have Ra Ra Riot’s The Rhumb Line. It’s a summer record for the colder months, if that makes sense. Often dancable, but always lush in it’s arrangements. Better suited for the first lazy day of Winter Break with friends than lounging by the pool, and those are my favorite kind of records.

Ra Ra Riot would have you think they’re just a fun dance band. I mean, their name is Ra Ra Riot, after all, but that is a complete fallacy. The best way to describe a Ra Ra Riot song would be words like “Orchestral,” “up-tempo,” or “hooky.” The formula seems to be this: An immediately gripping hook, speedy, double-time-on-the-high-hat drums, knotty guitar riffs, Cursive meets Heifetz orchestral violin part, melodic bass line, end. And that’s a winning combination no matter how you spin it.

Over the course of 37 minutes you’ll discover a snowy day anthem to play when the fireplace needs lighting in Winter ’05 – a symphony of sleigh bells, violin, and clean electric guitar, A made for fast late-night driving anthem in Ghost Under Rocks, one to add to your party mix in the synthy Of Montreal meets Jens Too Too Too Fast, and a lesson in melody writing in Suspended in Gaffa.

[mp3] Ra Ra Riot – Dying is Fine

Pre-order The Rhumb Line from Insound – Best 12 bucks you’ll spend this week.

Ra Ra Riot Sign to Barsuk!

Well this is good news! The wonderful Ra Ra Riot have inked their names on the dotted line with the also wonderful Barsuk Records. The North-Easterners will satisfy a niche in Barsuk’s corner they haven’t quite tapped yet, I’d say. A bit more dancy than the pop of The Long Winters, a bit more sophisticated than the average band whose pop is more dancy than the Long Winters (read: english sounding voice and strings = success!). I, for one am excited to see such a great band get such a great home.

A few dates this year to see too.