Paper Symphonies

a little diddy about… Ra Ra Riot

Ra Ra Riot has proved their worth as one of the bands to watch in 2010. They blew audiences away with their indie rock/chamber pop sound on their debut album, and now they are back with a new album, demonstrating their candid ability to both rock out and make beautiful string accompanied music.

Almost exactly two years after signing to Barsuk, and the release of their first full-length debut, Ra Ra Riot presents their highly anticipated second album, The Orchard, on Aug. 24.

After gaining a lot of unforeseen exposure since the quintet formed in 2006 and making their first appearance at the CMJ Music Marathon, Ra Ra Riot has infested the musical hearts of listeners far beyond their start at Syracuse University. Representing some of the unexpected places brilliant new music can rise out of, this band confirms that talent and quirky innovativeness can go a long way in the indie scene.

The Orchard was mixed by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, with the exception of one song, which was mixed by Rostam Batmangli of Vampire Weekend, who has been working with Riot’s frontman Wes Miles on their recent side project Discovery. Ra Ra Riot’s sound was already similar to that of Vampire Weekend’s, and now that Miles and Batmangli have been working closely together the influence is even stronger.
As expected, this album is fantastic fun, but it also smoothly and sophistically combines the standards of today’s pop/rock—high pitch vocals, and fast-paced drumming—with the classically somber mood of a miniature string section.

Ra Ra Riot recently released a music video for the track “Boy,” and announced tour dates for this fall.