ON RADAR: Hurray for the Riff Raff

hurrayHurray for the Riff Raff is one of those bands that make you look twice to find the source of that sound. Formed by singer/songwriter Alynda Lee Segarra, this band blends folksy blues sounds together with banjos and fiddles making for a completely unique sound. Something that can only be known as bluesy, folksy, New Orleans style american singer/songwriter.

Lead singer Segarra is what you would call a true gypsy soul. Growing up in the Bronx in New York, she dropped out of highschool and ran away when she was seventeen as she didn’t feel like she really belonged there. And what does a seventeen year old girl do when she runs away? She hops trains across the country of course. Throughout her life she began a deep appreciation of music, playing first the washboard before learning to play the banjo. The first band she joined was known as the Dead Man Street Orchestra which didn’t do too bad for itself, however it didn’t last. She then formed her own band with drummer/violinist Yosi Pearlstein and bass player David Maclay and Hurray for the Riff Raff was born.

Since the start of this bands career they have caught the attention of many major writers and labels with their unique sound. They have been featured in Times, The Wall Street Journal, Spin, and other major publications along with having a featured song in the HBO tv series, “Treme”. With all of this buzz surrounding them it’s no wonder how they got signed on a major label ATO Records, from which they have released their latest album Small Town Heroes.

Be sure to check out their music below and visit their website for tour dates and more, here.