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Underground > Radio & Music >

The Rakes

17:43 / 08.06.06

I was listening to The Rakes' Capture/Release in the library yesterday, and I realised it's one of my favourites of the albums I've been listening to this year. All of their songs seem to be about drinking too much, feeling unwell, having a horrible job in finance, and going to your horrible job in finance while feeling unwell as a result of drinking too much. As well as relating to these themes quite deeply on a personal level, I like the music. The lyrics remind me of His n Hers / Different Class era Pulp -there's a sense of complicity in all that is unpleasant, and being complained about, in the songs. It's worth bearing in mind that I also like indie music a great deal, so if you don't chances are good The Rakes won't be for you.

Anyway, I'd like to know what other people think, so here are some YouSendIt links (good for 7 days / 100 downloads):

Binary Love
Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

18:35 / 08.06.06

I'll be interested to hear these. All I've heard from the Rakes is the 18-minute version of "The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect" that the recorded for the Dior Homme show last year, and it's really something—brutally repetitive, hypnotic but scruffy.

Which makes it sound like Can. And really, what, these days, doesn't sound like Can? Well, actually, "The World Was a Mess." "The World Was a Mess" sounds nothing like Can. Shocked the hell out of me, too.

07:17 / 09.06.06

I had a listen to these tracks this morning before heading out the door - didn't really get pay attention to the lyrics, but some first impressions: Binary Love reminded me of The Postal Service, a little bit. Without the more melodic vocals - just that synth/indie combination, quite enjoyable, whereas WWWPCS sounded much straighter. Again, didn't really listen to the lyrics - yet.

There's a whole interesting discussion to be had, I think about the merits or otherwise of songs about work/everyday life. Should music reflect dour reality? Or should it provide us with a transcendent escape into pop nirvana? Perhaps a subject for another thread, though the former would give me a chance to talk about Cocksparrer which is almost certainly wrong. More thoughts as I listen more.

And Jack, does everything really sound like Can these days?

09:44 / 09.06.06

Binary Love is one of my favourite tracks off Capture/Release but it's also one of the most uncharacteristic. I see the Postal Service reference; I do love the fact that the synthesiser/processed guitar/whatever part sounds like a modem blooping. And I really like the lyrics.

lord nuneaton savage

13:44 / 09.06.06

No-one has ever managed to sound like Can. Apart from Can, who were very good at sounding like Can, I think.

I will start a thread on Can one day, I promise.

15:54 / 09.06.06

No-one has ever managed to sound like Can.

Hasn't stopped an aaaaaaaaaawful lot of people from trying, though.

21:49 / 09.06.06

Paleface: Binary Love is one of my favourite tracks off Capture/Release but it's also one of the most uncharacteristic

Yes, I had a brief agonise as to whether to link to that one -but I thought it was probably an interesting one in terms of where they could go musically, if not where the rest of the album goes. And, it's also one of my favourites, so I wanted everyone to hear it.

Illmatic: Should music reflect dour reality? Or should it provide us with a transcendent escape into pop nirvana?

I've been thinking about this one all day... I suppose that in my life, I do things which involve escaping dour reality, but I also do lots and lots of complaining about aforementioned dour reality. And since by far the majority of my music collection is about escaping d. r., when I find a record that's actually joining me in complaining*, it feels like a bit of a treat -like that's another bit of my life that is covered by the music I listen to, where maybe it wasn't before.

*obviously I know they are not really joining me, but nevertheless I feel like they are singing that song just for me.

14:07 / 10.06.06

It's funny, the second song seems to me more meaningful than it's immediate content. Not sure if this makes sense - on the surface, it's just a song about feeling dismal becuase you're hungover (which we can all empathise with). I felt this sort wretched state kind of represented a general ennui, purposelessness which it's really easy to get caught up in with modern jobs. Spent several years there myself!

Edited to say: I don't know why the hell I was on about Cocksparrer previously, no similarity whatsoever, it's just that's the first thing I think of re. songs about work.

16:33 / 10.06.06

Not sure if you're familiar with their stuff, Illmatic, but I've found The Swans to be very good, lyrically (and musically!) on the subject of work.

In songs such as 'Failure', 'Why Are We Alive?''Raping A Slave' and 'Time Is Money' they seem to be getting close to the essence of what it means to be made to do anything other than sit around pondering the nature of existence all day, all day. And it's not pretty.

02:52 / 12.06.06

Vincennes: I haven't heard them yet, but maybe you'd like Next ig Thing Hot Chip? It strikes me that they might be occupying some similar ground lyrically?

18:56 / 12.06.06

You had me at the name 'Hot Chips' to be honest. I'll look into those and let you know what I think, thanks for that!

wretched state kind of represented a general ennui, purposelessness which it's really easy to get caught up in

Yeah, I liked the undercurrent there of just letting everything in your life drift by a bit (one too many watery metaphors there, and mixed as well -sorry) -certainly don't get the impression the narrator would be more interested if he weren't hungover...