well recently i have been getting into a lot of new music and catching some good films, so i’ll have a bit to write about i think. i’ll start with what i’m listening to most recently and that honor goes to a band by the name of ra ra riot.

this band’s story is a little sad honestly. they lost one of their band members last summer in a tragic drowning incident. the band decided to carry on and it’s a blessing to us that they did.

their debut full length The Rhumb Line will almost certainly draw comparisons to this year’s blog and scene darlings Vampire Weekend and the similarities are more than skin deep. Both bands were formed around new york colleges and their sounds even share some tendencies, Ra Ra Riot stands out from VW by avoiding the one thing I disliked a bit about their album. Almost every song on VW’s debut was super poppy, almost TOO catchy.

The Rhumb Line mixes it up a little bit more and the band is better off for it. There are songs which sound like they could be VW B-sides, ones that sounds like they are ripped from the 80′s and still others that recall early Matt Pond PA. Highlight tracks include Ghost Under Rocks, Dying is Fine, and the nervous pop gem Can You Tell.

Album Rating: 8/10