Customer Reviews

Whip It on

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The garage rock revival has gotten so much press the last year that critics have had to invent the term New Garage to keep track of bands like The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. But before you decide to jump off this already overhyped bandwagon and go searching for the next big thing you should definitely check out The Raveonettes. The band consists of Sune Wagner (ex-Psyched Up Janis) and Sharin Foo and according to Rolling Stone's David Fricke they are:

"not only Denmark's hot gift to the New Garage. They make tight blazing pop of the top order, the kind that can quickly become a personal passion -- and a radio phenomenon".

Not bad for a couple of kids from Copenhagen.

Earlier this year the Danish duo released the EP Whip It On, which is now available outside of Denmark, and there has been a buzz surrounding the band ever since. The eight track EP clocks in at a hectic 21 minutes and combines the noise of The Jesus and Mary Chain and the power of The Ramones with cool sounding melodies. Every song has a wall of fuzz-guitars and loud drums, but the thing that lifts the songs is the blend of Wagner's dark voice with Foo's seductive harmonies. The duo usually sings in a monotonous style with a lot of tight harmonies, which makes them stand out from the rest of the garage bands. And when Sharin Foo sings in that breathy femme fatale-like voice in the chorus of Veronica Fever it'll make the hairs on your arms stand up straight. Other highlights include opener Attack of the Ghost Riders (which sounds like The Jesus and Mary Chain sprinkled with Dick Dale guitars) and the anthem-like Cops on our Tail, which will have you screaming Going Fast That's The Way We Go in no time. And the EP's closer Beat City has tempo and badass lyrics, which will leave you wanting more. The only miss among the eight tracks is Bowels of the Beast, which is a lot slower than the rest of the songs and sounds too much like Black Sabbath.

The Raveonettes are touring Scandinavia this fall with a one-off gig in London in September and has since the release of Whip It On recorded three tracks with producer Richard Gottherer (who produced early Blondie, Richard Hell, and The Go-Go's records), which will probably appear on a full length album next year. But until then you'd be well-advised to check out this roaring debut from the hottest Scandinavian act since The Hives. This is your shot at checking them out before they get huge.

Review appeared originally at blogcritics.com

Wow. This CD is the best thing to happen to music in a long time. I can't say enough good things about it.

The sound? Think Psychocandy. Super-cool attitude, feedback-heavy, with a subtle surf-music vibe at times. And unlike other CDs that have been compared to Psychocandy (like, say Flying Saucer Attack or something), this CD is more than just feedback. It actually Rocks!! And has good songs!!

And although this could almost be a collection of Psychocandy B-sides (sounding more so than anything off Barbed Wire Kisses), The Raveonettes aren't just copying one of the best CDs of all time. There's more to them than just that aspect, and the music is definitely their own.

This is the first CD I've heard in years that gave me that "OH MY GOD I"M IN LOVE WITH THIS CD" feeling. I thought I'd never get that feeling back. I definitely recommend this one.

This album is magnificent, it's so simple it's brilliant. Like The White Stripes, The Ravonettes are a duo. Sune Rose Wagner & Sharin Foo, from Denmark, are now European breakthrough artists with the release of 'Whip It On'. Although none of the songs are over 3 minutes long, they satisfy the ears. That's one of their strange rules, that & all songs are recorded in B Minor.
All of the songs are good, but the ones that stand out would have to be "Attack of the Ghost Riders," "Do You Believe Her," "My Tornado," & "Beat City."
The sound of "Do you believe her" is incredibly sexy. In fact The whole entire album has a mysterious, haunting, & sexy sound. As long as the Ravonettes keep making albums like this, they'll be legends.

Outstanding debut. Anyone who loves LOUD and noisy guitar and Jesus And Mary Chain will dig this. Buy it. (And it's cheap, too!)

I'm not usually into musically simplistic three minute pop punk, but I can't get this EP out of my stereo. Yes, this duo does wears their influences on their sleaves, but it's incredibly catchy and well-written for what it is, so who cares? Plus, I think they display a wider range of influences than they get credit for. For example, as a longtime metalhead, I state with confidence that the tuned down riff on "Bowels of the Beast" is total Black Sabbath worship. And considering the title of the song, it's obviously meant to be. Also, "Cops on our Tail" seems very much to be referencing The Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian," itself rather retro, but one has to admit that channeling the '60's through the '80's is a brilliant move. I bought this CD for $1.99 at a used CD store and it may well be the best use of two bucks I've ever made.

This album is a strange one. After only hearing "Do You Believe Her", I immediately went out and purchased the cd.

After it was put into my cd player, it was like nothing I've heard before. I mean, sure, some would say it all sounds like one long song, but the beauty of the way this EP is put together is magnificent.

Each song has a haunting value about it.

All in all, it's just a fantastic listen, especially for those who dig the new old-rock-revival type thing. It has a bit of a 60's influence, and that makes it all the more enjoyable.

This is good stuff.

The Raveonettes certainly have their own distinct music stylings. The cd sounds relatively lo fi with a guitar sound that is very reminiscent of the fuzzy distortion used by such bands as Jesus and Mary Chain and B.R.M.C. It is difficult to find a comparison for the very ominous sounding vocals so I won't bother, but when joined with the crunchy guitar riffs, The Raveonettes produce a sound that makes you want to shave your head and get naked . . . well that's what I did. Just kidding. In conclusion: sick band, great sound, solid cd. Yea.

Rock 'n' Roll! With Jesus and Mary Chain, Pixies and the Ramones in mind this Danish hard rocking band of sublime noise are climbing towards the stars. The album contains 8 tracks of compact energy explosions. I don't really know what to say, this is the best music I have encountered for years! Rock On Sune and Sharin!!!

The Beach Boys inspired "The Endless Summer" and Steppenwolf became rock legends thanks to "Easy Rider". The Raveonettes blend the free-love 1960's with the high tech tech world of the 21st century to deliver an updated, fresh -- but still classy and classic disc full of tunes.

The Raveonettes sound hot from the first chord on this EP. So I waited a few days before listening again, just to see if they really are the real thing. They are. Drawing heavily from groups like The Ramones, The White Stripes, Dick Dale and Cheap Trick, overall the package is the best new ROCK (as opposed to POP) music in some time. Better songwriting and vocal talent elevates them above recent acts like The Vines and The Hives, and being able to capture their live energy in a studio setting makes this CD cooler than The Strokes' "Is This It?"

You can go back and listen to this, and fall head over heels for the songs and sound again too, drawing satifaction from knowing you were right the first time. The Raveonettes make tight blazing garage/surf/punk shaded rock of the top order: the kind that can quickly become a personal favorite -- and maybe even spawn a radio hit or two.

Songs here are heavily drenched in Dick Dale twang, with a hint of great girl-group pop, and even Velvet Underground like noise (singer-bassist Sharin Foo adds that Nico-ambiance big time). But the Raveonettes played it all at once. It was like listening to out-takes from ''Nuggets''. Best cuts: "Attack of the Ghost Riders," "My Tornado" and "Beat City."

What makes me think that these guys will hit the big time? The Raveonettes deliver what's missing from most current garage/punk: good vocals. Lots of groups howl, yelp and stomp. But Wagner and Foo sing together in a compressed, modal boy-girl blend, against hurricane feedback and booming trebled bass guitar. It sounds like Ramones fronted by Deborah Harry or Avril Lavigne.

Get it now, and join the buzz. You'll pat yourself on the back for being on the cutting edge later.

When listening to this album, I feel its images evoke a movie full of surfing, car chases, lonely walks through the desert, and raves, all filmed in a film noir style.

The Raveonettes, with their jangly, simplistic lo-fi chords seem to have been pulled straight out of rock-n-roll's nascent years. However, the album takes a darker spin. Not only are the lyrics of a more plaintive, depressive tone, but the monotonous minor key brings the tone down into rock's dank basement.

Critics cite the minor key as a weak point for the album, but what few understand is that this is a concept album, the concept being "I wonder what would happen if we wrote an entire album in a single key?" The answer is that you get an album that flows seamlessly from track to track, lulling you into a place where all that seems to matter anymore is the music.

Critics also claim that this band has absolutely no versatility, which seems true for this album. They should give "Pretty in Black" a spin, because it seems that after "Whip it On," the band decided to take a different turn and let all of their influences shine.

It's hard to name a star track from "Whip It On," but I think the story the album tells is best summed up in the final track, "Beat City." The raucous chords and melodious harmony line whip up the images that stick with me every time I listen to this album. Other favorites are "Veronica Fever," "Do You Believe Her," and "Bowels of the Beast."

Comparisons are drawn between The Raveonettes and The White Stripes. Both bands are guy-girl duos, but that's where the parallel seems to end. While WS lovers will enjoy this album, the sound is largely different from WS's sparse, laid-back melodies. Fans of Garbage will like the Raveonettes as lyricist Sune Rose Wagner may be seen as the second coming of Shirley Manson, and the brooding words are sometimes reminiscent of Garbage's ranting lyrics. Also, fans of Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Cheifs, Hot Hot Heat, the Bravery, and the Arcade Fire would be wise to give this album a spin.