Piles of Perfect Guitars!
Hailing from Greensboro, North Carolina, The Raymond Brake was the sound of boys growing up in the shadow of Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, and Polvo, and yet remarkably finding their own unique voice. Profoundly in love with the chaos and rush from tube amps pushing heat beyond broadcasts, The Raymond Brake’s debut Piles of Dirty Winter introduced an enthusiastic band whose beauty was in the innocence and impetuousness of romantic youth. Why start a band really, if one is not willing to turn volume knobs skyward and right.
Piles of Dirty Winter is guitar heaven from beginning to end. The churning mad hornet chording to album opener “Philistine” heralds the blueprint for what follows. No matter the volume and violence, melody reigns supreme percolating beneath the tangled troubled heap. Bass lines plunge, harmonics chime, and strings bend and singe. Initially released as a seven inch, “New Wave Dream” is perhaps a more representative, powerful example of what made The Raymond Brake matter. The song floats gauzy ambient passages that are leveled by the chorus and its colossal guitars.
Following its Simple Machines’ long player, The Raymond Brake released an EP Never Work Ever and eventually disbanded. With a move to San Francisco, guitarist and vocalist Andy Cabic went on to collaborate with indie dance instrumentalists Tussle, and eventually form the critically celebrated folk outfit Vetiver whose new album Tight Knit was released February 17th on Sub Pop Records.
A great guitar band will never go out of style, and The Raymond Brake were proof that the great ones will never be forgotten either.
The Raymond Brake - Philistine
The Raymond Brake - New Wave Dream
Man, absolutely loving the idea behind this site. Nice work. Clicking on “New Wave Dream” brought back some fine memories.