Orchestral Riot

Ra Ra Riot was not one of the band's I checked out when I first saw their name across the blogosphere this past summer. But then I read about their recent debut disc, The Rhumb Line, in Rolling Stone on the plane to Vancouver and was intrigued. They described them as a mix between Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend, and I guess that's an alright basis for description. Their music gains depth from the classically trained orchestral section yet can still be playful through their vocals even if they are singing that 'dying is fine'. Regardless of any artistic comparisons, I think I've found one of my fall's first gems and one of this year's best new albums.

Ra Ra Riot - Dying is Fine
Ra Ra Riot - Too Too Too Fast

And a bonus mix these guys and Andrew Murray of the RAC did of Tokyo Police Club...

Tokyo Police Club - Juno (Ra Ra Riot/Andrew Murray remix)