The Rakes
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| The Rakes | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genre(s) | Indie rock Art rock Post-punk revival |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Label(s) | V2 |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | |
| Alan Donohoe Jamie Hornsmith Lasse Petersen Matthew Swinnerton |
|
The Rakes are an English indie rock band from London.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Rakes formed in 2004.[1] Since coming to fame in 2005, they have been associated with the British post-punk/art-rock scene, a genre shared by bands such as Bloc Party, Maxïmo Park, and The Futureheads.[citation needed] However, it could be argued that the Rakes originate from the east London/Whitechapel punk scene – along with The Others and The Libertines.[citation needed]
The Rakes write songs about working life, mundane routines and escapism.[citation needed] Their debut album, Capture/Release, spawned the singles "22 Grand Job", "Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)", and "Retreat".[1] Several of their singles have appeared in the Top 40 of thew UK Singles Chart and Capture/Release reached #32 in the UK Albums Chart.[2][3] The final single release from Capture/Release, "All Too Human", was released in the UK on 27 February 2006 and reached their best chart position (#22) to date.[2][3]
The Rakes' second album, Ten New Messages was released by V2 Records on 19 March 2007. This album was produced by Jim Abiss (who has also worked with Arctic Monkeys, Editors and Kasabian) and Brendan Lynch (who has worked with Primal Scream). It was recorded in Mayfair Studios in London during the autumn of 2006.
The band has finished their third album, called Klang. It was recorded at Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin in a studio that was the former East German Government's center for radio broadcasts.[4]
The Rakes accompanied Franz Ferdinand on their 'You Could Have It So Much Better. ..' tour during the winter of 2005. They toured the UK throughout January and February 2006 – supported by White Rose Movement, Duels, Young Knives, Switches and Klaxons. They have also completed their first tour of the UK since the release of Ten New Messages, including their biggest headline concert to date, a sold out show at Brixton Academy.
The Rakes are quite famous for their fashion sense, and the particularly distinctive dress style: stripey tops or smart polo shirts, black drainpipe jeans and black trainers.[citation needed] They are also associated with the Fred Perry, Dior Homme and Louis Vuitton brands. Fashion designer Hedi Slimane was said to be so impressed by the band's music and dress sense that he based one of his collections around them.[citation needed] The Rakes also provided the soundtrack to the Dior Homme fashion show, with the song "The World Was A Mess, But His Hair Was Perfect".
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Capture/Release (15 August 2005) V2 #32 UK
- Ten New Messages (19 March 2007) V2 #38 UK
- Klang (20 March 2009) V2
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | UK Singles Chart[2][3] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Strasbourg" | #57 | Original single release |
| 2004 | "22 Grand Job" | - | Original single release |
| 2005 | "Retreat" | #24 | Capture/Release |
| 2005 | "Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)" | #28 | Capture/Release |
| 2005 | "22 Grand Job" (re-issue) | #39 | Capture/Release |
| 2006 | "All Too Human" | #21 | Capture/Release (re-release) |
| 2007 | "We Danced Together" | #38 | Ten New Messages |
| 2007 | "The World Was a Mess But His Hair Was Perfect" | - | Ten New Messages |
| 2009 | "1989" | Klang |
[edit] Compilation/Promo
The song The World Was a Mess But His Hair Was Perfect was included on the 2007 CD 'The State Of Independence'. [1]
[edit] Trivia
In 2008 The Rakes where asked to front The Burberry fashion campaign for that season but turned down the offer due to Burberry's use of fur in their products. Donohoe wrote a letter to the fashion house condemning its use of fur and refusing to take part in Burberry’s upcoming ad campaign.[5]
Alan Donohoe was the face of Fred Perry During their 2007/8 campaign [6]
[edit] External links
- The Rakes official website
- The Rakes interview on CC
- First listen to The Rakes - 1989
- Alan Donohoe interview
- PopMatters interview (November 2005)
- The Rakes Fuel TV interview
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Biography by Heather Phares". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=THE. Retrieved on 4 April 2009.
- ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 449. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b c Everyhit.com - accessed April 2009
- ^ www.therakes.co.uk
- ^ http://www.peta2.com/UK/uk-rakes_burberry.asp
- ^ http://angryape.com/news/2007/02/23/the-rakes-alan-donohoe-new-face-of-fred-perry
