Three Imaginary Girls - The Rakes

The State of Music Today for February 2009

Erik Gonzalez — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:06:29 +0000

So, what will he be called? Normally, when one gets knighted, you go by your first name, but wouldn't that seem odd?

Sir Stephen?

It would only be proper for him to be dubbed as only he could be:

Sir Morrissey.

Yes, indeed, I am advocating that the patron saint of modern rock be knighted by the same woman that he and his bandmates once declared dead.

Is there any other citizen of Great Britain that has been more culturally influential and significant over the last quarter century than Morrissey? No*. No one has had the same lasting legacy while still staging comeback after comeback (does that, then, count as "coming back"?) than the king of mope.

Song of the UK, NME style

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:09:50 +0000

I've decided to undertake a project each week to run down the Top 10 songs on NME and try to listen to every song (and trust me, I've acquried all the songs legally, let me tell you) and try to post a link it on the web too!.

Quite possibly one of the worst ideas ever

Erik Gonzalez — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:21:17 +0000

Now I'm all for free music, but the latest idea in free MP3 distribution sounds horrifying. We7.com and V2 records (UK) is partnering to release free mp3s by Bloc Party, the Rakes and Cold War Kids, amongst others. Free you say? Yes, free, if by "free" you mean they will have a "micro-ad" grafted to the start of each track! There is a reference to being able to remove the ad "after a period of time". Sounds like a winner to me! (Ugh).

(Hat tip to NME for this one).

Our Imaginary Editor Picks: Best of 2006

three imaginary girls — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 08:00:00 +0000

I'm so proud of the Pacific Northwest music scene, as she has given us some of the best records released anywhere (although Suburban Kids, Art Brut, Manhattan Love Suicides, and Graham Coxon — I love you like a sister). If I may have a moment, may I publicly declare love for my favorite releases of the year?

I'd like to see anyone even try to stop an imaginary girl mid-gush....

(clears throat) Math and Physics Club, how I adore your heart-melting lyrics and wispy guitar noodles. BOAT, you took lo-fi up a notch with smart songs about parts of speech and addictive melodies (you really deserve your #1 crown). Thermals, dear Thermals. At first I questioned your whole "World being taken over by Christian Fascist" theme, but being the committed Hutch-ite that I am, I listened over and over and became hooked on TBTBTM. Or was it the fact that one of the lines orders folks to strip down to their underwear? Either way, now I LOVE the anti-Christian Fascist Thermals. The Trucks, you gave us all a theme song and a reason to dress up. Eux Autres, although I still have trouble pronouncing your name, I thank you for your nonchalant elegance and understated coolness. Your brother-sister-duo-ness gives me hope that the White Stripes aren't the end of the line. Although I do love me some Jack and Meg, your rhythm section is stronger and your fashion-sense equally scalable to the masses. I thank you for that. I look horrible in white and red. Patience Please, although you are the only EP on the list, you have earned your placement with your spastic indie-pop licks and slight naiveté. I hear you have a full-length planned in 2007? Oh, 2007... you have a lot to live up to!

Um, Liz, I thought you were just going to give us your list...?

Oh yeah, my list! Phew. Here's my list...

Math and Physics Club, Math and Physics Club (Matinee)

BOAT, Songs That you Might Not Like (Magic Marker)

Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, #3 (Minty Fresh)

The Thermals, The Body, The Blood, The Machine (Sub Pop)

Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock And Roll (Downtown)

The Trucks, The Trucks (Click-Pop)

The Manhattan Love Suicides, The Manhattan Love Suicides (Magic Marker)

Graham Coxon, Love Travels At Illegal Speeds (Parlophone)

Eux Autres, Hell Is Eux Autres (Grenadine)

Patience Please, Parallel Plots (Jigsaw)

Goddamnit, how did I forget Art Brut in my list?? Ack! Ahh well, I'm still in love with Emily Kane, and here's my list...

Figurines, Skeletons (The Control Group)

The Knife, Deep Cuts (Rabid Records)

Heartless Bastards, All This Time (Fat Possum)

The Long Winters, Putting the Days to Bed (Barsuk)

Math and Physics Club, Math and Physics Club (Matinee)

The Trucks, The Trucks (Click-Pop)

The Rakes, Capture/Release (V2)

Band of Horses, Everything All of the Time (Sub Pop)

Heather Duby, Heather Duby (Sonic Boom Recordings)

The Doll Test, Gasoline and Banks (Unsmashable)

My list is in no particular order. If you're one of those people who longs for order, well... email me and I'll whip something up. Otherwise, behold my faves of 2006:

The Grates, Gravity Won't Get you High (Cherry Tree)

Joseph Arthur, Nuclear Daydream (Megaforce)

The Decemberists, The Crane Wife (Capitol)

Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere (Downtown)

The Gossip, Standing In the Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars)

Regina Spektor, Begin To Hope (Sire)

Lily Allen, Alright, Still (Capitol)

Justin Timberlake, FutureSex / LoveSounds (Jive)

Psapp, The Only Thing I Ever Wanted (Domino)

Silversun Pickups, Carnavas (Dangerbird)

But don't just take our word for it. See what our readers had to say by reading the results of the Best Northwest Releases of 2006 Readers' Poll {they're way smarter than we are anyways}.

I'm so proud of the Pacific Northwest music scene, as she has given us some of the best records released anywhere (although Suburban Kids, Art Brut, Manhattan Love Suicides, and Graham Coxon — I love you like a sister).

Capture/Release

Erik Gonzalez — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 07:00:00 +0000

7.9

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000EQ4754/wwwthreeimagi-20

rakes06jul.jpg

If I had a dime for every band from England that takes equal portions of Gang of Four, the Clash, and Public Image Limited and turns it into vaguely ironic rock music, I would be a very, very rich man. I mean, disgustingly rich at this point. That said, why am I pleasantly surprised by so many of them? Am I just a sucker for the sound? Am I feeling sympathetic to England after they got wiped out by Portugal in the World Cup (thank you very much Wayne Rooney). Am I not getting enough oxygen? Likely, it's some bizarre combination of these, but hey, the upshot is that I really get a kick out of The Rakes' Capture/Release.

The Rakes are most similar to their British brethren Bloc Party, but a little less serious and polished than that of the Benetton Ad boys. The Rakes seem to fill the musical void (alright, maybe its not a void because that implies that something had to be there) between aforementioned Bloc Party and Art Brut — they've got guitars, thick British accents, prominent drums that sound raw and unfiltered, and they sing about the rock lifestyle and other youth-related themes. "Strasbourg" careens in to open the album like a punk-ified Pulp song about meeting in West Germany, 1983 and having "nothing left but the vodka on your breath." "Retreat" takes a little less aggressive edge with a real dance-rock feel like Bloc Party's "Banquet" and the same could be send for "22 Grand Job." This might be the Achilles' Heel of Capture/Release, where some of the familiarity breeds a tad of contempt when the songs begin to blend together without notice.

Luckily, the Rakes change the pace with "Open Book," which has aspects of the Clash and Madness blended into an infectious song about lying awake at night full of anxiety about love. They do an excellent job of melding tension with a touch of light-heartedness, with ever-so-brief digressions into what might be new wave ska guitar (really, its good, although it might not sound that way). "Binary Love" has an odd Depeche Mode feel to it, which might be on purpose considering the title, but there's a low, sinister rumble to the vocals that make you think David Gahan is creeping up behind you. When you combine it with the intro to "We Are All Animals" (which could be from a cover of the Cure's "Close to Me"), you can really see the Rakes wearing their influences on their sleeves. But then"We Are All Animals" departs from the Cure station and heads back into punk rock by the time you get to the chorus, making it a surprisingly refreshing song.

There's definitely something to be said for opening a song with a long, rolling bass and drum-driven intro at probably goes beyond "intro" when it actually represents almost half the song. "T-Bone" has one of the most engaging three and a half minutes to come out this year. The most Clash-like track, "Terror!" is also one of the best on Capture/Release, with a horrifically catchy melody that is balanced by the apprehension created by the stripped down arrangement. The closing "All Too Human" takes it back to a more electro-beat takeoff from the Pulp songbook and wraps up the album nicely.

If anything negative can be said about Capture/Release it's that there's really nothing on the album that is truly distinctive to the Rakes. They've really nailed down the dance-rock sound, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you'd never call it "that Rakes sound." However, we in the music reviewing business (ok, is it a "business" if I don't get paid as such?) tend to put a lot of weight into impressing us with originality and honestly, we tend to be seduced by noise (Atari Teenage Riot as best album of 1997 anyone?) just because it's different. So, why not enjoy something even if it doesn't shatter the Earth with new sound? That the Rakes: good clean fun.

They've got guitars, thick British accents, prominent drums that sound raw and unfiltered, and they sing about the rock lifestyle...

SXSW 2006 Rundown

three imaginary girls — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 08:00:00 +0000

15 Mar 2006

sxsw06mar1.jpg

South by Southwest, where have you been all my life? If I believed in an afterlife, this is what my idea of heaven would be: endless days and nights with no greater concerns than caffeine, alcohol, and indie rock. Except there would be fewer lines, and more cabs.

I can't believe a world where so many (really attractive and nice) people care about new and interesting music exists. What an amazing experience. I'm booking my hotel room and pass as soon as they announce the 2007 dates. Who's with me??

Please note that the photos were taken by us; we can't rule out intoxication, but we also can't rule out that we're just that unskilled with a camera. Oh! Except for the gorgeous Long Winters photo, provided by the amazing Gregory Perez.

Without further ado, read our SXSW 2006:

Top 10 of the Pops!

Honorable Mentions

Totally Overrated

Thank Yous

Top 10 of the Pops! (in alpha order):

Art Brut
I can't stress this enough. If Art Brut comes to your town, go! Whether you are familiar with them because of their placement on KEXP's playlist or you've yet to be introduced, you will love them within one song of their live performance. The cockney-heavy vocals a la The Streets and the hooky guitar jabs spotlight the clever lyrics that are ideal for constant quoting among your group of friends. Move over, quips like "You're so money you don't even know it" — we've now got things like, "This IS my singing voice" and "I've seen her naked... twice!" Thanks Art Brut. "Popular culture, no longer applies to me."

Band of Horses
Band of Horses featured slide guitars, emotive vocals, and nothing less than I expected from two former members of one of my favorite Seattle bands of all time, Carissa's Wierd. While CW expressed life's sadness to the level of morose, Band of Horses were more in the "tear in my beer" cathartic vein of indie-melancholy, and I'm sure will (or have) drawn comparisons to other twangier indie-rock luminaries like My Morning Jacket and Wilco. The fact that they were playing in a field outside Poke-e-Joe's BBQ only added to the Texas of it all.

Billy Bragg
I think I experienced the luckiest day of my life in Austin. How else could I have found myself at a picnic (with free booze and tacos), surrounded by an audience of about 50 people watching Billy Bragg as he played his entire first album in order? Crazy! As you'd expect, the man was armed with timeless songs and sharp banter that could inspire action from even the most humdrum of souls. In between songs he offered words of solace to our blue-state comforted selves. He encouraged us as he talked about how he felt pride when he saw how the outrage and compassionate minority is gaining strength in our nation. He jumpstarted my belief that music can bind people, give weight to ideas and, music industry be damned, fuel change. Take that Toby Keith.

Figurines
Brit bands are a dime a dozen. Bring on the Danes! I had the pleasure of seeing Danish indie-rock sensations Figurines at the Crocodile in Seattle just days before SXSW. Here's my theory on Figurines: you need to hear them three times. The first couple of listens, you think, "Wow, nice songs!" By the third listen, you realize that not only will Skeletons undoubtedly rank in your top 10 of the year, but that you also plan to name your as-yet unconceived children "Christian" — as half the band members are called Christian — even though you are a devout agnostic. Spend some quality time with the record, and you're hooked — or as the fellas sing, "It takes time to get it together for a long time." Figurines have it all: spot on guitar work, inspiring lyrics, rugged hooks, distinctive and appealing vocals... plus swagger, pout, sweet dispositions, and hipster good looks. Think Northwest edge meets Euro-charisma. Now imagine standing right up front, watching these likely superstars rock you on a true Texas dive bar floor. It's surely a 'tell-the-grandkids-about-it' sort of SXSW memory...

Galactic Heroes
I've loved the Galactic Heroes since the first time I heard the sweet jangle of "Coffee And Pastries" from their album Every Sidewalk. Their repertoire embodies all that is sweet and nice and queen bee. Their songs hopscotch through tales of love, friendship, baby blue Volvos, and gleeful happenstances without turning trite or phony. But, given that the two leading members live in different cities, seeing them perform these tales of joy together in lovey Seattle has felt like a pipe dream.

Thank goodness for a massive 1000+ band festival for bringing us together. Live, they broke new GH ground... mainly due to a sudden, unfortunate event that forced their drummer to miss the show. That, on top of the fact that the guys hadn't been able to practice together in quite a while, made for a certain air of... uncertainty. So what did they do? They rocked the house! They gave homemade shakers (made from plastic Easter eggs filled with rice) to the 25 audience members in the front so that we could provide a backing beat to the songs. Then, halfway through the set, Mike (who had just started learning the drums) took to the set and simultaneously sang and drummed. As you would expect, the songs were scaled down but the end result was a lo-fi Lucksmiths-esque set that left the audience grinning from ear to ear.

The Gossip
Playing at 1am on a stage in a parking lot, I was able to fully appreciate the force that *is* Gossip front-diva Beth Ditto. Against the evening chill after a hot Texas day, she channeled that old soul of hers to exorcise the traditions and skeletons of the South. This, with intense, archaic, bare bones rock foundation laid by her two fellow Gossip-ers (Brace Paine and Hannah Blilie), made for a set of hymns for hipsters. As Beth chimed lines like "I don't want the world, I just want what I deserve." I was reminded of all that is great about independent music. Whereas the masses accept songs from The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs as the end all of soul inspired, angular anthems, The Gossip are the real thing. Glory glory hallelujah!

The Long Winters
Long Winters' frontman John Roderick has the rare ability to win over the drunkest/surliest of audiences with the power of just one sideways pleasantry. In between eloquently espousing about the his excitement of sharing the bill with Smoosh and the underlying music industry presence at the festival, Roderick made the crowd sway to the LW songs old and new. Poles on each end of the spectrum were hit as we enjoyed old favorites ("Stupid," "Unsalted Butter"), newbies ("the commander thinks aloud" from the recent Ultimatum EP), and we got a sneak listen to songs from their upcoming release (to be released in July?). I was so relieved to not only hear the new songs, but find out that they are glorious! Countdown to the new Long Winters album begins... NOW!

The Magic Numbers
As my friend Barbara said to me during the show, the world can't be too bad a place when a band as amazing as The Magic Numbers headlines a major label showcase (Capitol Records) at SXSW. As talented as they are unlikely, this band of two sets of siblings charmed the audience with their extraordinary song writing, their incredible vocal harmonies, and more importantly, with their dazzling sense of joy expressed through music. They've been compared to the psychedelic Flaming Lips as well as the folksy 60's of the Mamas and the Papas; both comparisons are apt. More joyous than an afternoon spent with good friends and free Jack Daniels!

Margot and the Nuclear So-And-Sos/The Rakes
OK, I cheated to sneak an extra band into the Top 10 list. But you have to hear about them both, and both have new US releases on V2-affliated labels, so I thought it only fair to munge them. Margo and the Nuclear So-and-Sos — I agree, that name is tedious at best — were a complete surprise, a dense wall of delicious sounds emanating from no less than eight people onstage: two percussionists, trumpet, cello, two vocalists, and all the rock standards. Their debut release drops end of March, and the hype machine has aleady whirled into motion, so expect to know their name soon (even if you can't quite remember all of it). As for The Rakes, I saw them headline two showcases, at the UK show case at Flamingo and the V2 showcase at the Blind Pig. Equal parts updated Blur-pop and JCrew's autumn pullover collection, these savvy Brit rockers got the floor moving with their exuberant performances, and frontman Alan Donohoe has the best angular, nerdy dance moves since Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club

Okkervil River
Will Sheff just might be the most atypically sexy performer alive. As frontman for Okkervil River, he brought to each song so much passion and angst and emotion, rolling over expansive melodies and closed-eye mic grinds, it nearly felt like each member of the crowd had been intimate with him by the end of the {screaming, sweaty, yet all-too-short} set. Musically, the band spins a unique blend of folk earnestness and indie-rock pathos with poignant lyrics, and Sheff's inimitable gravelly voice, which can murmur or howl with equal ferocity. This just might be what igLiz sees when she watches Conor Oberst. I barely made it into this show at the end of the final night (thank you, Heather Hydra!), but it easier was one of the most memorable and electrifying shows of the weekend.

Honorable Mentions (in alpha order):

The Black Angels {Jim Morrison meets Perry Farrell, if you can believe that.}

Camera Obscura {Lovely and precious as I ever imagined.}

Conner {Great new signee to local label Sonic Boom Recordings}

The Cops {Why is it so fun to see hometown bands play in Texas? I dunno, but it is!}

Morningwood {Audicious and crazy and maybe all the free Jack Daniels didn't hurt either},

The Pale Pacific {If I didn't already know of the splendor that is the Pale Pacific, this would have been *that* sxsw showcase... wandering into an under-attended showcase midday, not knowing what to expect... and being blown away. Knowing the Pale Pacific in no way dimished my joy at their too-short-but-oh-so-sweet set.}

The Pretenders {yes, OMG *The* Pretenders!!}

Schoolyard Heroes {If I'd caught more than just the last song, I'm sure they'd have made the top 10}

Smoosh {I can't believe how much more assured and talented they have become. And Asy announced that their next release in June would be on Barsuk Records (!!). The label declined comment, but smiled broadly when asked.}

Something for Rockets {Especially when USE's Noah jumped onstage like a sprite and joyously bounced alongside them}

Stars of Track and Field {Dreamy and swirly despite technical issues}

Sukpatch {They've mastered the synth driven, guitar pedaled, lo-fi psychedelic vocals line up in the vein of bands that they predate (specifically Grandaddy and The Postal Service). The intimate show was like a mid-evening siesta. The swirling keyboards with soothing guitar waves and whispery vocals rejuvenated the saucy crowd.}

Tullycraft {The Tullycraft-ers certainly made Seattle proud as they debuted four new songs to knock the knee high socks off pony-tailed girls across the globe. With their signature guitar hooky, harmonizing vocals and nimble lyrics, the set spanned the spectrum from cute to crack-up. They made the audience feel like they were having the Spring Break that popfest dreams are made of as the band members joked about their rockstar moves and rewarded the best dancing audience members with t-shirts. Surely, their set was the sprinkles on the cupcake of my SXSW experience. Thanks to Dan Machold for the amazing photos.}

Two Gallants {Oh how I love the Two Gallants' way of mixing Bright Eyes and the White Stripes into an authentic / original / religious experience.}

Totally Overrated (in alpha order):

The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster {blew their wad on the first song}, Battle {dull, uninspiring}, Sound Team {so forgettable I couldn't even remember their name}, Two Gallants {I know I'm gonna catch shit for that one, but perhaps my expectations were too high?}.

Other than the bands I had to miss because of double booking, I don't have any regrets. With 1,000+ bands to choose from and limited time, if I suspected something wasn't going to knock me off my feet, I headed next door. There was always something stellar 10 feet away, even if it was just a bathroom with no line.

Thank Yous:

SXSW 2006 would not have been the same without love, support, and cocktails from the following amazing people: BreEllen and April {you RULE, ladies!!!}, Marc at 1 Percent Promotions, Gabe, Cameron, Justin, and Greg {thank you, Cingular!}, Lindsey at V2 {those wristbands ruled!}, Chris the cab driver, the free JANE photo booth, mimosas as the Driskill, DJ Phil and DJ Mike, Heather Hydra, Noah and the USE crew, Derby, Barbara, Scott P. {your list was life-saving, and your company, even better!}, Jason {happy birthday!} and Nabil, the Slender Means van ride, Tes, Jackie, Sarah Q., Paul Tao and the Aversion fellas {and the terrible Las Maritas service}, and the taco stand behind Emos {Seattle totally needs one of those!!}. Woot! Woot!!!

Thanks to everyone for the unbelievably good time. I'm still detoxing from the fun! Too much fun gives you a swollen tongue and a head cold, right?

Read about some of their fave performances from SXSW 2006, including Okkervil River, Art Brut, The Rakes, Billy Bragg, the Long Winters, Galactic Heroes, Figurines, The Gossip, the Magic Numbers, and more. Viva le Austin!