Alexandra Lawn

Born to Be a Stranger (2014 - 2015)
Music by Otherwhile Singer/Song Writer

Strangers (2014)
Music by RAC Cello RAC's Andre Allen Anjos spent the better part of a decade establishing himself as one of music's hardest-working remixers, crafting a sound that straddled the line between indie and pop with a capital P. On Strangers, his first album of original material, Anjos collaborates with many of the artists whose songs he remixed, including YACHT, Penguin Prison, and Tokyo Police Club, but his most recognizable contribution is still his playful, detailed production work. RAC's sound remains bouncy and just short of busy, dominated by breezy synths and chugging muted guitars. This distinctive-yet-homogenous approach puts Anjos' collaborators in the spotlight, and Strangers works best when the singers have enough charisma to sell this formula. The previously released singles remain highlights: "Let Go," which features MNDR and Bloc Party's Kele, is as bouncy and bittersweet as ever, and a refreshing contrast to the angular rock the band returned to on Four. "Hollywood," a collaboration with Penguin Prison's Chris Glover, has a slick, new wave vibe that evokes Julian Casablancas' solo work. Several of Strangers' newer tracks are nearly as good, particularly the collaborations with Body Language, Tegan & Sara, and Peter, Bjorn & John's Peter Moren. "Ready for It," which features St. Lucia's Jean-Philip and Patricia Beranek Grobler, feels like a 21st century update of Animotion or Human League with its fizzy synth-pop and girl-guy vocals, while the poignant "Tourist" finds Tokyo Police Club's David Monks wondering, "Are we strangers forever or are we strangers for now?" in another of the album's standouts. At other times, Strangers feels so cohesive that it borders on anonymous. Even though tracks such as the pretty piano ballad "We Belong" and the marimba-driven "Seventeen" offer some variety, the album's sameness is amplified by its length; at nearly an hour-long, songs get lost in the shuffle. At its best, Strangers is undeniably and insistently catchy; at its worst, it's a reminder that being a good remixer and a good songwriter isn't necessarily the same thing. Still, there's enough fun -- and potential -- here to make it worth hearing what RAC does next.

The Orchard (2010)
Music by Ra Ra Riot Composer, Lyricist When Ra Ra Riot released The Rhumb Line in 2008, they sounded like a thinking man’s pop band: quirky, melodic, and unconventionally chic, with a small string section that lent a sense of sophistication to the band’s sound. They wrote straightforward songs and performed them with complex arrangements, each member limiting his or her own parts to allow room for the cello, violin, and guitar lines to breathe. On their sophomore effort, though, the musicians sound a little too bogged down by their own cleverness. The Orchard is like The Rhumb Line without the poppy punch; it’s brainy and classy, but it requires its audience to put their own thinking caps instead of their dancing shoes. Individually speaking, the bandmates all sound stronger this time around. Bassist Mathieu Santos plays his instrument like he’s part of the string section, darting his way up and down the scale while still rooting the chords, and frontman Wes Miles sings like an indie choir boy raised on Smiths records. Something happens when all the pieces fit together, though, and the result is a knotted record on which the highlights (“Too Dramatic,” “Shadowcasting”) are split up by less kinetic songs. Maybe the guys have started looking to their contemporaries for influence -- “Massachusetts” couldn’t sound more like Vampire Weekend if it wore an Oxford shirt and graduated from Columbia -- or maybe they purposely set out to create a headier, introspective, and altogether more challenging record. In either event, The Orchard doesn’t go down as easily as The Rhumb Line did, even though it still has some satisfying moments.

The Rhumb Line (2008)
Music by Ra Ra Riot Cello, Group Member Although Ra Ra Riot began generating a buzz in New York City at the same time as Vampire Weekend, their ascent from Manhattan's underground to a major label's roster wasn't nearly as quick. Drummer John Pike died in June 2007, putting a temporary halt to Riot's momentum, and the band's long-awaited debut didn't receive the same rush-release treatment awarded to other hipster hitmakers. The Rhumb Line arrives eight months after Vampire Weekend's debut, but the delay actually serves the band well, since it distances them from the hype and resulting backlash that saturated Vampire Weekend's emergence. The bandmates pay homage to Pike in the liner notes (the album is dedicated to the late drummer, who also receives credit for his songwriting and lyric contributions), yet the true tribute rests in Ra Ra Riot's music, which sounds far more polished and focused than 2007's self-titled EP. Perhaps most noticeable are the performances by cellist Alexandra Lawn and violinist Rebecca Zeller, who alternate between short, focused bowstrokes and legato-style lines. Indie rock isn't a typical home for string sections, but Zeller and Lawn integrate themselves well during songs like "Can You Tell" and "Winter '05," two elegant numbers that revolve around the girls' contributions. Frontman Wes Miles sings those songs with sweet vibrato and a hint of an English accent, sounding like the sort of polite rock star you'd like to bring home to Mom, and guitarist Milo Bonacci deserves kudos for playing sparse, tasteful riffs that leave enough empty space for the other bandmates. Whether they're channeling the '80s on "Too Too Too Fast," mixing indie pop with lyrics lifted from an e.e. cummings poem on "Dying Is Fine," or covering Kate Bush's "Suspended in Gaffa," Ra Ra Riot sound elated to have finally arrived at this point: the release of their debut, the payoff after a very tough year, and the proof that they're one of 2008's most promising newcomers.

Ra Ra Riot (2007)
Music by Ra Ra Riot Member of Attributed Artist, Cello, Group Member