In 2006, six avid young musicians under the name of Ra Ra Riot struck up campus stages and venues in their hometowm of Syracuse, N.Y., demonstrating both chops and crazy energy. Their style was fresh and innovative, capturing audiences with swooning string sections, melodious pop hooks and taught rhythms.
Featuring a cellist and violinist as core members, Ra Ra Riot combine its indie rock background with haunting classical aesthetics, resulting in a dramatic, affecting discography. Such unconventional instrumentation, when coupled with the band's knack for exultant rhythms and melodies, makes for an intimate and grand sound.
The band's emotional strength was put to the test early when drummer John Ryan Pike drowned after a show in 2007. Ra Ra Riot decided to carry on and recorded The Rhumb Line later that year. The group quickly became one of the biggest buzz bands in indie rock, acknowledged for its poise and optimism in the face of dark times.
With the arrival of its sophomore album, The Orchard, Ra Ra Riot shows us how much the band has grown stylistically during the past three years. Hear them play a live set from the World Cafe studio.
This is a repeat performance from World Cafe.
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