Barsuk to Release 10th Anniversary Reissue of Debut LP THE RHUMB LINE on 8/17

Barsuk Records is proud to announce a 10th Anniversary reissue of Ra Ra Riot's debut album The Rhumb Line on August 17, 2018. Originally released on August 19, 2008, The Rhumb Line was hailed as "a blissful chamber-pop breakthrough" in a 4-star Rolling Stone review (who included it in their top 40 albums of the year) and praised by Time Out New York as "classically pretty, but without getting all fussy about it." The album peaked at #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart, where it remained for 12 weeks.

"This has been a fun opportunity for us to consider how long we've been making music together, and how lucky we are because of that. We never want to take anything for granted, and we're so excited to revisit this record - which is still really meaningful to us - and share it again with the world," said bassist Mathieu Santos. Vocalist Wes Miles added these details about the reissue itself: "It's beautifully redesigned by our own Milo Bonacci with a second disc of unreleased gems, live tracks and demos. It's a real alternate universe Rhumb Line double LP."

In the poignant liner notes for the reissue, Santos notes, "The Rhumb Line, like most debuts, is the sound of the band becoming. Along with producer Ryan Hadlock, engineer Matt Doctor and our drummer Cameron Wisch, we spent a total of six weeks living in the studio's converted barn and trying, somehow, to compress two years into ten songs. Naturally, the specter of John [Pike]'s absence permeated every last moment of the sessions, but once we had decided to see the album through - to celebrate the songs we had developed together, to honor the dreams we had all shared - the burden, however slightly, first began to subside. For a moment, there was no baggage, no despair, no expectations - there were just some kids in the woods making music."

This 10th anniversary reissue includes the original album plus 11 additional live and demo tracks, 9 of which are previously unreleased. The album will be available digitally and as a limited-edition 2xLP set, hand numbered and limited to 2,000 copies worldwide. The limited edition vinyl will be bound in a linen-like cover with gold-foil stamping.

In addition, available for pre-sale now at RaRaRiot.com, the band will be offering a hand numbered alternative version with a linen-like cover, blue-foil stamping and opaque blue and gold colored vinyl limited to 500 copies. Vinyl Me Please will also be offering their own member exclusive blue and gold swirl vinyl edition limited to 750 copies available HERE.

In celebration of this release, the band will be playing a limited run of intimate shows at which they will perform The Rhumb Line in its entirety. Available only at RaRaRiot.comfrom today until May 31, VIP pre-order ticket bundles are available. The $75 package includes 1 pre-order ticket, 1 copy of the band exclusive version of the vinyl reissue and 1 t-shirt (which is a reprinting of the shirt that was sold on the original Rhumb Line tour and is available only in this bundle). The dates include an August 17 show at Brooklyn's Elsewhere and an August 25 show at The Lodge Room in Los Angeles. General admission tickets for the shows will go on sale on June 1 and the full schedule is listed below.

Ra Ra Riot is Wes Miles (vocals), Milo Bonacci (guitar), Mathieu Santos (bass), Rebecca Zeller (violin) and Kenneth Bernard (drums).

LP One:

1. Ghost Under Rocks
2. Each Year

3. St. Peter's Day Festival
4. Winter '05
5. Dying Is Fine
6. Can You Tell
7. Too Too Too Fast
8. Oh, La
9. Suspended In Gaffa
10. Run My Mouth

LP Two:

1. St. Peter's Day Festival (Daytrotter Session October 15, 2007) *
2. Each Year (Alternate I419 Mix)

3. Can You Tell (My Name Is Wesley Demo)
4. Too Too Too Fast (My Name is Wesley Demo)
5. Winter '05 (Early Tape Demo)
6. Oh, La (Daytrotter Session September 15, 2008) *
7. Dying Is Fine (Live at Pianos, August 26, 2006)
8. Suspended in Gaffa (Live at The Bowery Ballroom, March 7, 2008)
9. Run My Mouth (Live at The Echo, September 25, 2008)
10. Ghost Under Rocks (Live at The Echo, September 25, 2008)
11. Hounds of Love (Live at The Echo, September 25, 2008)

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