Free MP3: Ra Ra Riot, “Boy”

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Every once in a while a new artist or band emerges and brings with them a whole new kind of sound. It might be a unique vocal style, a rhythmic song structure, or a new tone that you’ve never heard before. When [lastfm]Ra Ra Riot[/lastfm] first bubbled to the surface of the indie rock scene […]


Every once in a while a new artist or band emerges and brings with them a whole new kind of sound. It might be a unique vocal style, a rhythmic song structure, or a new tone that you’ve never heard before. When [lastfm]Ra Ra Riot[/lastfm] first bubbled to the surface of the indie rock scene in 2006, they were unlike any other act out there. Their combination of a swooning strings section and intricate, emotional vocals struck a chord with fans and immediately set them apart from the rest.

Not counting a handful of EPs, The Orchard is Ra Ra Riot’s second album, the follow-up to 2008’s The Rhumb Line. The set features the familiar strings, guitar and vocals that make up the core of their sound, but with an additional twist. Percussion is much more present on this set of recordings, making its presence felt on tracks like “Boy” and “Foolish.” The band has managed to evolve their sound without sacrificing the uniqueness of their original aesthetic.

Street Date staffers were treated to a delicious private performance by [lastfm]Ra Ra Riot[/lastfm] earlier this month. Bandmembers Wes Miles, Milo Bonacci, Mathieu Santos, Alexandra Lawn, Rebecca Zeller and Gabriel Duquette showed up at the studio and gave us one of their first run-throughs of songs off The Orchard. Watch below as they perform “Boy,” “Too Dramatic” and “Foolish” off the new album, plus the excellent track “Can You Tell” from The Rhumb Line.

– Matt Simpson

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Exclusive performance of “Boy” live at Street Date in NYC

More live Ra Ra Riot videos + full album stream of The Orchard



If you like what you hear, check out The Orchard at iTunes and Amazon.