Hurray for the Riff Raff | |
|---|---|
 Alynda Segarra, the band's frontperson, in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New Orleans,Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Americana |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels |
|
| Members | Alynda Segarra |
| Website | hurrayfortheriffraff |
Hurray for the Riff Raff is an American band formed in New Orleans in 2007 by Alynda Segarra, a singer-songwriter fromthe Bronx,New York.
As Segarra's project, the group originally performed different styles offolk music while releasing several albumsindependently.
Alynda Mariposa Segarra (formerly known as Alynda Lee) was raised by their aunt and uncle inthe Bronx where they developed an early appreciation fordoo-wop andMotown. They are ofPuerto Rican heritage.[1]
Segarra became a regular attendee ofhardcore punk shows atABC No Rio when they were young.[2] They left their home in the Bronx at age 17, spending time crossingNorth America, hoppingfreight trains.[2]
Around 2007, Segarra became a part of theDead Man Street Orchestra, a hobo bandTime magazine documented in a 2007 photo essay.[3] Segarra traveled with the group for two years, releasing two independent albums and embarking on freight train tours across the country.
In 2008, Segarra self-released Hurray for the Riff Raff's first studio album,It Don't Mean I Don't Love You, followed by another self-released album,Young Blood Blues, in 2010. In February 2011, Hurray for the Riff Raff were featured in an article in UK newspaperThe Times based around theHBO TV seriesTreme, with their track "Daniella" having been included in the show's selection of New Orleans' essential songs.[4]
On March 21, 2011, Hurray for the Riff Raff released their self-titled CD onLoose Music in Europe, composed of Segarra's favorite songs from the band's two previous records. Tracks from this indie-label debut release by the band received airplay onBBC Radio 2 andBBC Radio 6 Music.
In May 2012, Hurray for the Riff Raff releasedLook Out Mama on their own label, Born to Win Records, as well as onLoose Music in Europe.No Depression said it "sounds like something The Band would’ve had playing on a Victorola while makingMusic From Big Pink in Woodstock."[5] The album was recorded inNashville, Tennessee at The Bomb Shelter Studios and produced by Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes).[6] The record features the single "End of the Line".
My Dearest Darkest Neighbor was then released on July 1, 2013, throughMod Mobilian Records andThis Is American Music. The album was previously available only as aKickstarter reward and in limited local release and featured handmade covers.[7][8] Tracks on the record include songs byTownes Van Zandt,Billie Holiday,Leadbelly,John Lennon,Lucinda Williams,Joni Mitchell,Hank Williams, andGeorge Harrison, and features Segarra's interpretation ofGillian Welch's "Ruination Day".
The Wall Street Journal describes Segarra's singing thus: "She has a subtle, expressive voice that she wraps around songs that draw on the sounds and styles of the American South, and her lyrics often take unconventional tack on traditional subjects."[9]
Spin previewed a video of the band's song "St. Roch Blues".[10]
In February 2014, Hurray for the Riff Raff had theirATO Records debut withSmall Town Heroes.[11] The record featured “The Body Electric,” a song that NPR's Ann Powers called “The Political Song of the Year” in 2014 and says the album "sweeps across eras and genres with grace and grit."
Describing Segarra's music,NPR says "Segarra's morning-after alto might be the least showy great voice to hit the national scene this year."[12]
In early July 2016, the band played the Danish festival ofRoskilde to an enthusiastic audience.[13] In December 2016, they announced a new record,The Navigator, onPitchfork with the first single from the album, "Rican Beach." The album was released on March 10, 2017, onATO Records.[14]
In late 2018, Segarra joined organizers of theNewport Folk Festival to travel toPuerto Rico and deliver instruments to various public schools.[15] During that visit, Segarra played their first concert at La Respuesta inSanturce.[16]
In 2019, Hurray for the Riff Raff's "Pa'lante" won Best Music Video at theSXSW Film Festival Jury and Specials Awards.[17]
In 2021,Nonesuch Records announced Hurray for the Riff Raff's debut album on the label.Life on Earth was released on February 18, 2022. Its eleven new “nature punk” tracks on the theme of survival are "music for a world in flux—songs about thriving, not just surviving, while disaster is happening."[18] Leading up to its release,Stereogum made it their album of the week, noting that the album's "sonic backdrop is fluid yet unmistakable no matter what form it takes. Even at their most synthetic, these tracks come across as earthy and alive—an extension of their environment. Even at their smallest and quietest, they feel huge."[19] The album was met with critical acclaim upon its release.[20]
Hurray for the Riff Raff released their eighth studio album "The Past Is Still Alive" on February 23, 2024.[21] TheAssociated Press named the album to its list of the best work from 2024, calling it a "beautiful portrayal of the U.S." and noting that Segarra pulled from their background as ahitchhiker, train hopper and outsider artist to document adventures "that can only happen far from home."[22]
Segarra lives in Chicago,[23] isnon-binary,[24] and uses they/them pronouns.[25]
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | It Don't Mean I Don't Love You | self-released |
| 2010 | Young Blood Blues | self-released |
| 2012 | Look Out Mama | Born to Win Records /Loose Music |
| 2013 | My Dearest Darkest Neighbor | Mod Mobilian Records/This Is American Music |
| 2014 | Small Town Heroes | ATO Records |
| 2017 | The Navigator | ATO Records |
| 2022 | Life on Earth | Nonesuch Records |
| 2024 | The Past Is Still Alive | Nonesuch Records |
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Crossing the Rubicon (EP) | out of print |
| 2011 | Hurray for the Riff Raff (Compilation) | Loose Music |
| 2012 | Live at 2012 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival |
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| National | |
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