2013-01-25
Ra Ra Riot was formed "in the basements and the attics surrounding Syracuse University" and its third album moves the band from string-backed rock into synth-pop territory, a bit of departure from their opening records (some of you may recognize their hit "Boy" from a Honda Civic commercial). They still have the operatic lead vocals of Wes Miles, however, and they've written lyrics to match the electronica behind the voices. These 11 pop tunes are all three minutes or less, pleading for some human interaction in a Twitter age: "I wanna reach you with this binary mind" (#2); "In this city of robot hearts ours were made to beat" (#3); "Oh I watch the whole earth in a little box" (#10). The songs are bursts of energy trying to make a quick musical connection; on the best of the songs--the first three, "Angel, Please" and "When I Dream"--they succeed. 01/13 Michael J. R-Pop/ElectronicThe Black Cats
The Famous Rockabilly Of The Black Cats
CLOUD CULT
Unplug
ONWARD, SOLDIERS
Monsters
Liam McKay and the Saints
Confessions to a Lover
CASS MCCOMBS
Humor Risk
Joseph Arthur and The Lonely Astronauts
- Temporary People
The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.