Ravens & Chimes
Encyclopedia
Formation
Formed in 2005 while studying music and film at New York UniversityNew York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
,. The original trio of Lack, Brooks, and Rossi named the band Ravens & Chimes because the three met while taking a percussion course in an old zoology room that was used to keep ravens. The band was picked up by Grey Rock Records/Better Looking Records
Better Looking Records
Better Looking Records is a record label with offices in Los Angeles and San Diego. Founded in 1999, Paul Fischer, who DJ'd at KXLU college radio station in Los Angeles and worked at crank! Records, partnered with Dave Brown who ran Holiday Matinee Publicity and Muddle fanzine. The label grew...
after a demo of their song "The House Where You Were Born" made its way from a friend at a party to Colin Reef, owner of Grey Rock, and SVP/CFO of Rhino Records. Asher Lack, the singer and principle songwriter of the band, is the son of downtown New York artist Stephen Lack
Stephen Lack
Stephen Lack is a Canadian painter and a film actor best known for his role as the lead character, Cameron Vale, in David Cronenberg's film Scanners.-Life:...
. Asher Lack, or Mr. Lack , is also a substitute teacher in the New York City Public School System. He frequently substitutes at Stuyvesant High School.
Reichenbach Falls (2006-2008)
Their debut album Reichenbach Falls was recorded by Howard BilermanHoward Bilerman
Howard Bilerman is a Canadian recording engineer, producer, and Grammy nominated musician. He is a former member of the band Arcade Fire, having recorded & drummed on their debut album, Funeral, as well as records by Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Vic Chesnutt, Basia...
and Brian Paulson
Brian Paulson
Brian Paulson is a musician, record producer and audio engineer from Minnesota, best known for recording albums by Slint, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt and Wilco....
at The Hotel2Tango
Hotel2Tango
The Hotel2Tango is a 24-track analogue recording studio situated in the Mile End district of Montreal, Quebec. The current facility is the second to bear the name, and was preceded by a similar operation in the same neighborhood until 2007 when the studio changed locations...
in 2006 and released on October 9, 2007 via Grey Rock/ Better Looking Records
Better Looking Records
Better Looking Records is a record label with offices in Los Angeles and San Diego. Founded in 1999, Paul Fischer, who DJ'd at KXLU college radio station in Los Angeles and worked at crank! Records, partnered with Dave Brown who ran Holiday Matinee Publicity and Muddle fanzine. The label grew...
. The album was mastered by Harris Newman
Harris Newman
Harris Newman is a mastering engineer working out of Grey Market Mastering in Montreal, Canada. His studio shares a building with the Hotel2Tango recording studio, as well as Constellation Records. Newman has mastered hundreds of albums since 1998, for artists including Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, A...
of Grey Market Mastering in Montreal.
The group gained additional notability by releasing a cover of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's song "So Long, Marianne" which even garnered them praise from Cohen himself.
In 2008, German Skateboarding company Isenseven licensed the Reichenbach Falls track "This Is Where We Are".
Holiday Life/Carousel EP (2009-present)
The band recorded their second album, Holiday Life, with Howard BilermanHoward Bilerman
Howard Bilerman is a Canadian recording engineer, producer, and Grammy nominated musician. He is a former member of the band Arcade Fire, having recorded & drummed on their debut album, Funeral, as well as records by Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Vic Chesnutt, Basia...
and Larry Crane
Larry Crane
Larry Crane is an American editor, recording engineer and archivist based in Portland, Oregon. Crane is the editor and founder of Tape Op Magazine, the owner of Portland's Jackpot! Recording Studio, a freelance engineer, and the archivist for musician Elliott Smith.-Career:Tape Op was started in...
. On February 23, 2011 it was announced that three songs from the unreleased album were licensed to the MTV show Skins (North American TV series)
Skins (North American TV series)
Skins is an American teen drama. It is an adaptation of the original British teen drama of the same name. The show premiered on January 17, 2011 on MTV in the U.S. and on Movie Central and The Movie Network in Canada...
, aired in two episodes on March 7 and March 14, 2011. The songs were concurrently released as the iTunes exclusive Carousel EP.
Live Shows
The band has played shows supporting White RabbitsWhite Rabbits (band)
White Rabbits is an American six-piece indie rock band based in Brooklyn, NY, originally from Columbia, Missouri. The band released its debut studio album, Fort Nightly, on May 22, 2007. They currently record for TBD Records.-History:...
, Dan Deacon
Dan Deacon
Dan Deacon is an American composer and electronic musician based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Since 2003, Deacon has released eight albums under several different labels...
, The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable are a three-piece band formed in 2007 in North Wales and currently located in London, England. The band consists of Ritzy Bryan , Rhydian Dafydd , and Matt Thomas ....
, The Whigs
The Whigs
The Whigs are an American garage rock band from Athens, Georgia, consisting of lead singer and guitarist Parker Gispert, drummer Julian Dorio and bassist Timothy Deaux.-Biography:...
, Holly Miranda
Holly Miranda
Holly Miranda is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Besides being trained in piano, Holly is a self-taught guitar and trumpet player. In 2001, she recorded "High Above The City", a 20-track solo album available only at shows. In the fall of 2003, Holly met and teamed up with Alex Lipsen,...
, Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. The lineup consists of lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and lyricist Scott Hutchison, guitarist and bassist Billy Kennedy, guitarist Andy Monaghan, drummer Grant Hutchison and guitarist and keyboardist Gordon Skene...
, Rogue Wave, Voxtrot
Voxtrot
Voxtrot was an indie pop band from Austin, Texas, USA. Their first recordings were released in 2003 and their final shows were in June 2010.-Biography:Voxtrot was formed in Austin, Texas by singer/songwriter Ramesh Srivastava in the early 2000s...
, Hanne Hukkelberg
Hanne Hukkelberg
Hanne Hukkelberg is a singer-songwriter from Kongsberg, Norway.Hukkelberg started singing and playing instruments at the age of 3...
, Har Mar Superstar
Har Mar Superstar
Sean Matthew Tillmann , better known by his stage names of Har Mar Superstar and Sean Na Na, is an American singer.-Life and career:...
, Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
, Tim Fite
Tim Fite
Tim Fite is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, living and working in Brooklyn. His past releases have run the gamut from indie to alternative to country to hip hop.-History:...
, French Kicks
French Kicks
French Kicks are an indie rock group from New York City, USA. Their sound is a mix of garage rock, post-punk, and modded pop.Three of the original four band members, bassist Jamie Krents, vocalist/drummer Nick Stumpf, and vocalist/guitarist Matthew Stinchcomb, are from Washington, D.C. They were...
, The Watson Twins
The Watson Twins
The Watson Twins are an American musical group based in Los Angeles with alternative country and indie folk influences. They are identical twin sisters named Chandra and Leigh Watson....
, The Fiery Furnaces
The Fiery Furnaces
The Fiery Furnaces are a U.S. indie rock band formed in 2000 in Brooklyn, New York. The band's primary members are Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger. The siblings are originally from Oak Park, Illinois, a near-western suburb of Chicago.- Band biography :...
, and opened for Sondre Lerche
Sondre Lerche
-Career:Sondre Lerche was born in Bergen, Norway. Growing up, Lerche was heavily influenced by the '80s pop that emanated from his older siblings' rooms. Compelled by a defining fascination for bands such as The Beatles, A-ha, the Beach Boys, and Prefab Sprout, Lerche began formal guitar...
at SXSW 2011.
Current members
- Asher Lack (vocals, guitar)
- Avery Brooks (keyboards)
- Dave Dawda (bass)
- Rebecca Rossi (piano, vocals)
- Mike Riddleberger (drums)
Former members and additional musicians
- Abe Pollack (bass)
- Brittany Anjou (piano, glockenspiel, vocals)
- Patrick Ford (bass)
- Maya Joseph-Goteiner (violin)
- Nora Kelleher (vocals, flute)
- Mike Thies (drums)
- Rich Levinson (drums)
- James Windsor-Wells (drums)
- Joel ZifkinJoel ZifkinJoel Zifkin is a Canadian musician and songwriter born in Montreal on April 14, 1954. He is best known as a session and live musician for artists such as Kate and Anna McGarrigle and Richard Thompson...
(violin)