Hurray for the Riff Raff

Posted on August 30th, 2010 by Jim

It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It’s hot outside, but it’s cool in here, and there’s no rain in the forecast for the next million days. Indian summer? Not quite yet, but pretty soon we might fall into that category. These types of afternoons are just beggin’ for you to find a porch, find some friends, and find a beer or two. Put some music on and just sit there – no talking required. The soundtrack to that afternoon? Well if I had my pick, and I usually do, I’d opt for some Hurray for the Riff Raff . Now we’re talking…

Hurray for the Riff Raff / Slow Walk
Hurray for the Riff Raff / Young Blood Blues
Hurray for the Riff Raff / Calmly

Hurray for the Riff Raff is a three piece out of New Orleans, Louisiana. Now the legend (and their bio) says it all began when front woman Alynda Lee Segarra started hopping trains and strumming a banjo. She was schooled on the smoky streets of New Orleans, and lucky for us, has retained that mysterious, old timey sound. When I listen, I hear a direct comparison, vocally, to Chan Marshall of Cat Power. Foggy with a whiskey golden feel, Segarra’s vocals pair up perfectly to her simple, yet engaging banjo work (Banjo’s have such a distinct sound! Woo). The album, Young Blood Blues, is sparsely arranged and I can’t imagine it any other way – they’ve left a lot of space for Segarra’s fragile vocals. Slight backing instrumentation like violin, drums, bass, guitar, and accordion lent by Yosi Pearlstein and David Maclay flesh out the tracks, but the focal point never really shifts from Segarra. The songs are slow, almost funeral dirge-like, and Segarra’s minor key voice doesn’t do so much for uplifting us as it does to inspire rebellion. I can easily imagine this three piece on some dimly lit street corner in New Orleans, everything’s wet and foggy, and they’re playing out the soundtrack of people stumbling home from bars and speakeasies. Right now, it’s hittin’ the spot on this slow, hot Sunday that I wish wouldn’t turn into Monday.

Take a listen to Hurray for the Riff Raff’s songs above (a few of my favorites of the new album) and check out the links below for more information on this band. Currently they are unsigned, which is a sin I’ve been encountering a lot, but you can get their newest album from CD Baby and eMusic. There’s also a really interesting music video of one of their older songs “Bricks” for you to enjoy as well. Hurray for the Riff Raff is currently on tour, but unfortunately aren’t making a stop in the Pittsburgh area. Damn! We gots plenty of riff raff here.

9/2 New Orleans @ Allways Lounge
9/3 Lafayette, LA @ Bourque’s Social Club
9/4 Houston, TX @ Super Happy Fun Land
9/5 Austin, TX @ Hole in the Wall
9/7 Waco, TX @ Beatnix
9/9 Santa Fe, NM @ Cowgirl Bar
9/10 Chama, NM @ High Country Saloon
9/12 Los Angeles, CA @ TBA
9/14 Oakland, CA @ Actual Cafe
9/15 Berkeley, CA @ Fort Awesom
9/16 San Francisco, CA @ Amnesia Bar
9/17 Davis, CA @ Sophia’s Thai Kitchen
9/18 Chico, CA @ Cafe Flo
9/20 Eugene, OR @ Wandering Goat
9/21 Oympia, WA @ The Northern
9/22 Seattle, WA @ Funhouse
9/24 Port Townsend, WA @ Sirens Pub
9/25 Portland, OR @ Slabtown
9/26 Boise, ID @The Cider House
9/27 Provo, UT @ The Compound
9/28 Denver, CO @ Carioca Cafe (Bar Bar)
10/1 Lawrence, KS @ Gaslight Tavern
10/2 Omaha, NE @ The Hole
10/3 Iowa City, IA @ The Mill
10/5 Minneapolis, MN @ Club M
10/7 Madison, WI @ Gates of Heaven Synagogue
10/8 Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
10/9 Chicago, IL @ Reversible Eye Gallery
10/11 Columbus, OH @ Ohio State University
10/12 Oberlin, OH @ Oberlin College
10/15 Brooklyn, NY @ Coco 66
10/16 Boston, MA @ Plough &Stars
10/17 Philadelphia @ Cha Cha Razzi
10/18 Baltimore, MD @ Wind Up Space
10/21 Durham, NC @ The Pinkhook
10/22 Athens, GA @ TBA
10/23 Chattanooga, TN @ JJ’s Bohemia
10/24 Nashville, TN @ The Basement
10/25 Asheville, NC @ Warren Wilson College
10/26 Asheville, NC @ Bobo Gallery
10/27 Huntsville, AL @ Flying Monkey Arts
10/28 Mobile, AL @ TBA