I discovered The Rakes through last.fm. They came up in The Strokes radio (which is what I usually listen to at work, surprise, surprise). I subsequently wrote down “THE RAKES!!!!” on a slip of paper and stuck it into my bag to look up later.
A few weeks later, I was cleaning out my room and decided to give my bag a go, too (I am a huge slob). I found three different slips of paper, all of them saying “THE RAKES!!!” in some form or another.
That’s how awesome they are.
Now, take my aforementioned enthusiasm, add a dance club and a stage for lead singer Alan Donohoe to act like a crazy robot on, and you’ve got yourself a formula for success.
Much to my pleasure, they had composed a set list which I heartily approved of. Before going to the show, I was hoping they’d focus on their debut (Capture/Release), their newest album (Klang), but also play “We Danced Together” and “The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect” from the second album (Ten New Messages). And that is precisely what they did. I was thrilled that they played my favourite of theirs, “Violent”.
Each member of the band was aware of their mates and they worked beautifully together, in sync throughout the night. Meanwhile, the crowd (including yours truly) was going crazy. One audience member tried to pull the lead singer down to the floor (this actually eventually worked), and eventually proceeded to jump onstage to dance with Alan (who didn’t seem to mind too much).
It was a great night, I am so lucky to have been able to attend one of their FOUR American shows, especially at such an intimate venue as the Popscene. They already played the Troubadour (LA) but still have two NY dates (Bowery Ballroom on the 6th and Bell House on the 7th).
Set list:
4/5
The Rakes are good at creating catchy dance music with realistic, dreary lyrics. They are not musical pioneers in any way, but they REALLY excel at what they do. I suggest that you check them out, I am quite enjoying their latest album Klang, but I suggest that you start with the following:
The Rakes - The World Was a Mess But His Hair Was Perfect [mp3]
you can find videos of "Violent", "We Danced Together" and "The Lonliness of the Outdoor Smoker" on my YOUTUBE page
more photos:
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