finetune artist: The Rakes

One of a number of UK art-rock bands to emerge in the early 00s in the wake of the success of the Libertines, the Rakes formed in 2002 when workmates Matt Swinnerton (guitar), Jamie Hornsmith (bass) and Lasse Petersen (b. Denmark; drums) teamed up with Swinnerton's friend Alan Donohoe (vocals) to start a band. Based in London, the quartet made an immediate impact on the city's live circuit with a string of fiery shows marked out by drummer Petersen's alcohol-driven antics and Donohue's jerky dancing. Championed by fellow London scenesters Art Brut, the band made their recording debut in May 2004 with the limited edition 7-inch single "22 Grand Job" (on Trash Aesthetics). The choppy guitar work, basic rhythm section and lazy vocals led many critics to compare the Rakes to American compatriots the Strokes. The follow-ups "Strasbourg" (on City Rockers) and "Retreat" (on Moshi Moshi) earned the Rakes further plaudits, and led to them signing a major label recording contract with V2 Records at the end of the year. The quartet made their debut for V2 at the start of 2005 with the single "Work Work Work (Pub Club Sleep)", on which they offered up another neat encapsulation of the mundane everyday routines of post-millennial English culture. The album Capture/Release followed a few months later and was supported by the band performing at a number of key festival dates during the summer.

Listen to The Rakes at Finetune.

(2006) Capture/Release

Open Book
Work, Work, Work (Pub Club Sleep)
22 Grand Job
Retreat
Strasbourg (Cd)