The Rakes
Encyclopedia
The Rakes were an English
indie rock
band
from London
. They split up in October 2009.
post-punk
/art rock
scene, a genre shared by bands such as Bloc Party
, Maxïmo Park
, and The Futureheads
. However, it could be argued that the Rakes originated from the east London/Whitechapel
punk
scene – along with The Others
and The Libertines
.
The Rakes wrote songs about working life, mundane routines and escapism. Their debut album
, Capture/Release
, spawned the singles
"22 Grand Job", "Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)", and "Retreat". Several of their singles have appeared in the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart
and Capture/Release reached #32 in the UK Albums Chart
. 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.
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's third album, called Klang
, was recorded at Karl-Marx-Allee
in Berlin
in a studio that was the former East German Government
's centre for radio broadcasts.
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 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 were quite famous for their fashion sense, and the particularly distinctive dress style: stripey tops or smart polo shirts, black drainpipe jeans and black trainers. They were 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. 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".
On 22 October 2009, The Rakes announced that the band was to split with immediate effect: "The Rakes have always been very adamant and proud of the fact that we give 100% to every gig we’ve ever played. If we can’t give it everything then we won’t do it. That was the rule we set ourselves from day one".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They split up in October 2009.
History
The Rakes formed in 2004. Since coming to fame in 2005, they were associated with the BritishBritish people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
/art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
scene, a genre shared by bands such as Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
, Maxïmo Park
Maxïmo Park
Maxïmo Park are a British alternative rock band, formed in 2000. They are signed to Warp Records. The band consists of Paul Smith , Duncan Lloyd , Archis Tiku , Lukas Wooller and Tom English...
, and The Futureheads
The Futureheads
The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig...
. However, it could be argued that the Rakes originated from the east London/Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
scene – along with The Others
The Others (band)
The Others are an English rock band, signed to Poptones in July 2004 and their eponymous debut album was released on 31 January 2005.-Career:...
and The Libertines
The Libertines
The Libertines were an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty . The band, centred on the song-writing partnership of Barat and Doherty, also included John Hassall and Gary Powell for most of its recording career...
.
The Rakes wrote songs about working life, mundane routines and escapism. Their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Capture/Release
Capture/Release
Capture / Release is the debut album by The Rakes, released on August 15, 2005. The album peaked at #32 in the UK. NME named it the 13th best album of 2005 and received general critical acclaim. It was released in the U.S...
, spawned the singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"22 Grand Job", "Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)", and "Retreat". Several of their singles have appeared in the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and Capture/Release reached #32 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. The final single release from Capture/Release, "All Too Human", was released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 27 February 2006 and reached their best chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
position (#22) to date.
The Rakes' second album, Ten New Messages
Ten New Messages
Ten New Messages is the second album from London based indie rock band The Rakes. The album was released on March 19, 2007 and reached number 38. The first single from the album—"We Danced Together"—was released on March 12, 2007 reaching number 38 on the British singles chart...
was released by V2 Records on 19 March 2007. This album was produced by Jim Abiss (who has also worked with Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
, Editors
Editors
Editors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...
and Kasabian) and Brendan Lynch (who has worked with Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
). It was recorded in Mayfair Studios in London during the autumn of 2006.
The band's third album, called Klang
Klang (album)
Klang is the third and final studio album by the English indie rock band The Rakes, released on March 23, 2009. The album was preceded by the first single "1989" on March 16. The Rakes recorded the album with Chris Zane in Berlin, Germany, a decision that lead singer Alan Donohoe explained is...
, was recorded at Karl-Marx-Allee
Karl-Marx-Allee
The Karl-Marx-Allee is a monumental socialist boulevard built by the GDR between 1952 and 1960 in Berlin Friedrichshain and Mitte. Today the boulevard is named after Karl Marx....
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in a studio that was the former East German Government
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's centre for radio broadcasts.
The Rakes accompanied Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
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
White Rose Movement (band)
White Rose Movement were a post-punk/electro band from London, England. The band is named after the German anti-Nazi resistance movement White Rose...
, Duels
Duels (band)
Duels are an English indie band from Leeds formed in 2005. They have been described by The Guardian as "one of Britains most ambitious groups"...
, Young Knives, Switches
Switches (band)
Switches were an English indie rock band, consisting of members Matt Bishop , Ollie Thomas , Thom Kirkpatrick and Steve Godfrey .-Career:...
and Klaxons
Klaxons
Klaxons are a British indie rock band, based in London. Following the release of numerous 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on 29 January 2007....
. They also completed their first tour of the UK since the release of Ten New Messages, including their biggest headline concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
to date, a sold out show at Brixton Academy
Carling Academy Brixton
The Brixton Academy, officially called O2 Academy, Brixton, is one of London's leading music venues, nightclubs and theatres. Situated in Brixton, South London, England, the building has hosted a range of leading rock acts since becoming a music venue in 1983...
.
The Rakes were quite famous for their fashion sense, and the particularly distinctive dress style: stripey tops or smart polo shirts, black drainpipe jeans and black trainers. They were associated with the Fred Perry
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row...
, Dior Homme
Dior Homme
Dior Homme is the menswear division of Christian Dior SA, the French clothing retailer. Dior Homme is currently under the creative direction of Kris Van Assche since spring/summer 2008...
and Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
brands. Fashion designer Hedi Slimane
Hedi Slimane
Hedi Slimane is a French fashion designer of Tunisian, Italian-Brazilian origins. He studied political sciences , and Art History at the École du Louvre, and was also educated as a tailor...
was said to be so impressed by the band's music and dress sense that he based one of his collections around them. The Rakes also provided the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to the Dior Homme fashion show, with the song "The World Was A Mess, But His Hair Was Perfect".
On 22 October 2009, The Rakes announced that the band was to split with immediate effect: "The Rakes have always been very adamant and proud of the fact that we give 100% to every gig we’ve ever played. If we can’t give it everything then we won’t do it. That was the rule we set ourselves from day one".
Albums
- Capture/ReleaseCapture/ReleaseCapture / Release is the debut album by The Rakes, released on August 15, 2005. The album peaked at #32 in the UK. NME named it the 13th best album of 2005 and received general critical acclaim. It was released in the U.S...
(15 August 2005) V2V2 RecordsV2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
#32 UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... - Ten New MessagesTen New MessagesTen New Messages is the second album from London based indie rock band The Rakes. The album was released on March 19, 2007 and reached number 38. The first single from the album—"We Danced Together"—was released on March 12, 2007 reaching number 38 on the British singles chart...
(19 March 2007) V2 #38 UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... - KlangKlang (album)Klang is the third and final studio album by the English indie rock band The Rakes, released on March 23, 2009. The album was preceded by the first single "1989" on March 16. The Rakes recorded the album with Chris Zane in Berlin, Germany, a decision that lead singer Alan Donohoe explained is...
(23 March 2009) V2