They are real good, and unlike much chugging drone rock they have a tasty sense of style. A strange Danish James Dean meets a dark girl group style. I just hope they're not the future of music, I need more variety than they can give. Whip it on is really a much better listen than I thought it was going to be, by the first song in you realize that if let out of their self-imposed restraints these guys could really elevate creepy, repetetive, space rock, girl group, doo-wop, garage rock, bands back into the national spotlight. Or maybe not. we'll see. And not to be a pain in the neck but my annoying internal spelling editor noticed that you misspelled 'Raveonettes' in the subject line. Not that it matters, I just notice these things even when I shouldn't.

When their full length is released later in this year I'll be really interested to hear what else they've come up with, and whether these Danish folk will show much growth. For now the Ep is revving my engines pretty well.

Seth

I noticed you're new to these parts, so welcome!

Here's a review donewaiting.com England correstpondent wrote about a live Raveonettes show: http://www.donewaiting.com/emm/index.php#000503

I don't care how you spell their name.

Yo, French, are you living la vida SXSW?

rob

I'm listening to this record again and I am loving it more and more.

Great music for nightmares.

Oh man you really should take a listen. The Raveonettes are like a Rock 'N' Roll virus, you might not want them at first, but sooner or later you'll need 'em. Infection isn't a simple process. Your trepidation about the band is almost identical to the way I felt when I first laid my eyes on the thing: "Oh boy do they look cool", sarcasm evident. Once you let yourself sit through the album you realize they're as distinct from the White Stripes, as Led Zeppelin is from the Yardbirds, or as distinct as the Foo Fighters are from Nirvana. I don't use these lofty names to lend credibility or compliments to the band, but they really are quite interesting. Listen to it on repeat for a little, and let their chugging, 40's noir chic, Spector-esque, blue tinged space rock thrill you and your loved ones this fine spring. I'm liking these guys incrementaly more and more, similar to the slow process I experienced to become enamored with Interpol, both have been worth the hassle. Sometimes it isn't easy to like certain objects of quality. Keep trying....

Seth

I'm not really saying I'm trying to disregard these bands on principle or anything. I guess I'm just a little bitter about watching the Flat Duo Jets do (almost) the same thing and flounder while trying to find a larger audience. A few years ahead of their time I suppose. Check out Flat Duo Jets if you get the chance.[/quote]

I'm not really saying I'm trying to disregard these bands on principle or anything. I guess I'm just a little bitter about watching the Flat Duo Jets do (almost) the same thing and flounder while trying to find a larger audience. A few years ahead of their time I suppose. Check out Flat Duo Jets if you get the chance.

as always, thanks for the recommendations. i don't know if i'll buy the ablum, but i'll pay closer attention, and let youse know what i think.

(first paragraph, read!)

Raveonettes Relish Major Label Jump

By Todd Martens


Denmark's the Raveonettes record all their songs in one key, limit themselves to three chords, and impose a strict time limit on each song of less than 180 seconds. The end result is a campy monster mash that falls somewhere between the Cramps and the films of Ed Wood.

It's safe to say the Raveonettes don't mind restrictions. While singer/guitarist Sune Rose Wagner wants to create nothing more than "'60s rock-out songs," the co-ed duo approaches its deceptively simple rock with a meticulous recording process that borders on conceptual art.

"We apply all these rules because we don't like to spend time in the studio," Wagner says. "We don't even allow overdubs. This way everything has a spontaneous energy to it. We just want to limit our time in the studio so everything stays cool and fresh."

"Whip it On," the fashionable duo's debut EP, released last year on Denmark's Crunchy Frog label, received rave reviews, and a November gig at New York's one-time punk haven CBGB caught the ear of Columbia Records chairman/CEO Don Ienner. The label quickly purchased the rights to the EP, and in less than 16 months, Wagner and musical partner Sharin Foo went from a pair of unknowns in Northern Europe to Columbia's bid for the next big thing.

"It was really important for us to have our first gig outside of Denmark at CBGB's," Wagner says. "We wanted to pay tribute to all the bands that played there, and we thought our music would fit in with the history of the club. As soon as we played CBGB's, a bunch of American labels became interested in us, so we bought the rights back from Crunchy so we could be free to pick whatever label we wanted."

Wagner is quick to point out that the Raveonettes were never after indie cred, and is unashamed to admit that he and Foo went to New York with the specific intent of flying home with a major label in tow.

"Living in Denmark was an incredibly boring existence," Wagner says. "People weren't interested in our music, and there was no scene. We want to go places with this music, and we realized that in order to do it on the scale that we want, we need a major label. It's hard when you come from Denmark, so we went to New York with a finished product, and explained to Crunchy that we had bigger plans for this band. We chose Columbia because they were the first major label to really come on in a big way."

The Raveonettes have already recorded a full-length album, produced by Sire Records co-founder Richard Gottehrer, but as "Whip It On" keeps picking up steam, Columbia is letting the full-length sit on the shelf. Thanks to some recent support dates with college radio favorite Interpol, and an ongoing MTV2-sponsored tour with the Mooney Suzuki, Columbia intends to promote "Whip It On" through the summer. A spokesperson says the full-length may not be released until September, which is fine with Wagner, who says he is in no hurry.

"This whole thing is happening really fast," Wagner says. "As far as we're concerned, 'Whip It On' is still new to us. We had actually planned on releasing a follow-up EP in the same style as 'Whip It On,' but then that got so popular that we never got around to releasing it. Everything we recorded for that will be on our first full-length."

For the upcoming album, reportedly titled "Chain Gang of Love," the Ravenoettes switch keys, moving away from the darker pull of B-flat minor, which drives "Whip It On" through its rockabilly romp of comic book imagery, to the brighter B-flat major. "The album is much more melodic," Wagner says. "It has a bigger sound to it, and there's a fourth chord here and there, but that happened purely by accident."

Wagner is aware that Columbia's interest is largely due to the success of the Strokes, White Stripes, and the Vines, but he isn't he concerned about following a trend. In fact, he welcomes the challenge of standing out from a crowd.

"In Britain, we have sold-out everyday, and it's good for people to hear good music for a change" he says. "We're not just some garage band off the street. Our music is much more timeless and long lasting than anything associated with a trend. People will pick up on that. We're something special."