The
Raveonettes - Whip It On
Label: Crunchy
Frog Records
Hit, *hit or
Miss?: hit
Rating:
With the garage rock trend not quite showing
the same head of steam it had last summer, it’s a little tough to read
the buzz behind the Raveonettes, a band that answers the question, “What
if the White Stripes came up in the Sweden scene?”
Sure enough, the Raveonettes are a male
and female duo, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo (not quite sure which is
which), making ‘60s style music in a country full of bands doing the same
thing (see also: the Hives, the Division of Laura Lee, the Sahara Hotnights).
However, the Raveonettes earn their own hype not by emulating obscure blues
artists or the Rolling Stones, but by rocking with a dose of ‘60s psychedelic
lounge.
The first single, “Attack of the Ghost
Riders,” which favors guitar distortion as much as the rest of the album’s
eight songs, calls to mind the work of Nancy Sinatra, if Nancy started
tripping on acid in the recording studio.
That’s a good way to describe most of Whip
It On. Songs like “Do You Believe Her” and “Cops on our Tail” carry all
the idyllic catchiness of ‘60s hippie pop without actually being so conveniently
pleasing to the ears. On “Cops on our Tail,” they’re not afraid to tell
the police “fuck you,” turning a Bonnie and Clyde tale into a neo-garage
“Fuck tha Police.”
Also, there are no instrument restrictions
on Whip It On. Despite there being only two Raveonettes, yes Virginia,
there is a bass guitar, and other instruments are allowed too. “My Tornado”
and “Bowels of the Beast” make use of the tambourine (a key psychedelic
instrument) and the jingle bells, respectively, both of which add to the
darker undertones of the melodies.
VERDICT: The Raveonettes are the homage
band at the Summer of Love tribute festival, bursting with sexual and drug-fueled
energy but not bogged down in political statements. Less rock than the
Hives but less pretentious than the White Stripes, their tunes might fit
in well with the “Our Man Flint” series of films that cheekily examined
London’s swingers scene in the Sixties. The Raveonettes are worth checking
out if you haven’t finished living in the past yet.
CD Info and Links
Tracks: Attack Of The Ghost Riders
Veronica Fever
Do You Believe Her
Chains
Cops On Our Tail
My Tornado
Bowels Of The Beast
Beat City
Posted by yrk:
i think we've established that this band is danish. can we lay off now? i will be seeing these guys open up for depeche mode in november! can't wait!
Posted by RUST:
The Raveonettes are the best Danish musicians since... well... actually ever! "CHAIN GANG OF LOVE" is the best album that I have ever had! I was very disapointed that they didn't win any Danish Music Award this year!
Posted by Juliet:
i think the ravonettes rock, are ten times better than anyother dannish band. Sharin is the girl, sune is the guy, btw.
Posted by Da King:
They are a danish band,not a swedish
Posted by by my name:
I'm going to see The Raveonettes play in October in a tiny tiny venue and i've not been this excited about going to see a band(well apart from Beck lately) in a loooooooooong time....hope they don't dissapoint.
Posted by BONINE:
i love the raveonettes they different in this world of conformities but also im sure theyre is sumone out there sounding like them i just havnt come across them and if you know who the kills are they look alike its creepy well in some picture they do!
Posted by Whatever :
Whether they're Danish, Chinese, Japanese or American, they're good. That's what matters. I do find a lot of their songs sound the same but who cares? I'm sure that the reviewer meant that Denmark and Swedan have the same type of music? I'm not sure what he meant by that, but I find a lot of music from Europe is way different than here.
Posted by someone in the world...:
Who are the ravonettes?
Posted by msquito:
The Hives, Division of Laura Lee, and Sahara Hotnights are from Sweden. The Raveonettes are from Denmark, therefore are not "in a country full of bands doing the same thing." Here's an example of a Danish band: Aqua (remember that pathetic "Barbie Girl" song?). I thought being a critic required fact and logic. The truth is that the Raveonettes bring a haunting, noir-esque motif to their music. I think the fact that all the songs on the album are in B-flat minor, no more than three chords, under three minutes long makes them outstanding for refusing to comply to the conventional standards of today's rock music. Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are brilliant, and that is all anyone needs to know.
Posted by Sand:
I think this reviewer is a hack. His frame of reference is way off. Whip it on is a great album, but comparing it to lounge? Try comparing it to The Cramps at least. Or Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood. Or post-punk bands like Swell Maps. You cad. Collect your pay stub and move along. -s.
Posted by Lars Ulrik:
They're from Denmark, not ****ing Sweden! Kind of takes the authority out of your review, now doesn't it?!
Posted by Ghost Rider:
This album is so addicted. I loved it! Ever since I heard "Attack of the Ghost Riders" I knew this band was something to look out for.
Posted by Nobody:
Raveonettes are danish NOT swedish
Posted by el unico:
"shoe" ... i meant show... maybe i should stop masturbating and typing at the same time.... man i'm a freakin' loser
Posted by el unico:
i think the best "garage rock" band right now would have to be the Detroit Cobras... man are they cathchy...i haven't felt this good about a band in years... they've been around since '96 but i have just now got into them... i feel like an a$$ since i missed a shoe in my area cause i didn't know of them at that time :( hope they come back soon
Posted by Veronica Fever:
Great hummable tunes, maybe a bit samey, but that's because all the songs are in B flat minor. Tracks 1, 2 and 3 are the best.
