Ra Ra Riot
is an American indie rock band from Syracuse, New York, consisting of vocalist Wes Miles, bassist Mathieu Santos, guitarist Milo Bonacci, cellist Alexandra Lawn, violinist Rebecca Zeller, and drummer Gabriel Duquette.
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RA RA RIOT TICKETS
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History
Ra Ra Riot formed in 2006, playing at houses and venues around the
Syracuse University campus. The band started to attract attention due to their energetic live shows, enough to gain an appearance at the
CMJ Music Marathon, fewer than six months after their formation. Following this appearance, their live show received the first of several favorable reviews from
SPIN.com, who called them "one of the best young bands we've heard in a really long time".
[1] They went on to open for
Art Brut and
Bow Wow Wow in
New York City, toured the
UK twice on their own,
[2] then returned, opening for the
Editors [3] (footage of which can be found on
Crackle); they also toured
North America supporting
Tokyo Police Club. Their first solo headlining tour of the
U.S. was completed in 2007, and in early 2008, they embarked on a second.
[4] The band was also invited to play the Iceland Airwaves Festival, in
Reykjavík,
Iceland. They have recorded three sessions on the national online radio station
WOXY and two for the acclaimed
[5] Daytrotter sessions at
Futureappletree studio 1
in
Rock Island,
Illinois.
In 2007, they made their first appearance at
South by Southwest and headlined a show at the South Street Music Festival in New York City. The band returned to appear again at the South by Southwest Music Conference in March 2008.
[6]
After a show in
Providence, the band's original drummer, John Ryan Pike, of
Hamilton, Massachusetts, went missing in the early morning of
June 2,
2007 at Wilbur's Point in
Fairhaven. His body was discovered the following day in nearby Buzzards Bay; Pike was believed to have drowned.
[7] Ra Ra Riot issued a statement a few weeks after Pike's funeral that they would continue as a band.
In the winter of 2007, the band signed to major label
V2 Records. To celebrate their new label deal, Ra Ra Riot released "
Dying Is Fine" and "Each Year (RAC Mix)" on
7" vinyl as an
A/B single. In December 2007, the band announced that they had finished recording new songs for their debut
LP. During their show in
Cambridge, MA on
April 25,
2008, the band announced their new album "would be released in August. If not August then September" 2008.
[8]
On
May 19,
2008, the band announced that they had signed to
Barsuk Records. Their debut album
The Rhumb Line
was released on
August 19,
2008 in the
United States and
Canada. It was released in
Europe via V2/Cooperative Music on
September 22,
2008.
Discography
Albums and EPs
- Ra Ra Riot
EP (2007, )
- The Rhumb Line
(2008, Barsuk) #109 US
Singles
- "Each Year" (2007, Fandango Records)
- "Dying Is Fine" (2007, V2)
- "Can You Tell" (2008, V2)
References
- SPIN.com - We Depict a Ra Ra Riot
- Ra Ra Riot announce debut UK shows
- Ra Ra Riot to accompany Editors on tour
- Ra Ra Riot Amped for Tour
- Best Music Blog Winners
- Ra Ra Riot listing at SXSW festival
- Ra Ra Riot Drummer John Pike Found Dead
- Ra Ra Riot News