New EP From Radio Raheem Announced

What happens when a contemporary icon of regional gospel music sits in with a new-wave sound machine? A cultural meeting of the musical minds? Gospel and rock coming together? A sharing of touring war stories? Guess again! It was disbelief - "You want me to sing what?" were the first words uttered by Josephine Howell, now Radio Raheem lead singer, and soulful presence.

This vignette is indicative of a road that intrepid Seattle, Washington-based quintet Radio Raheem, a neon color wheel of 1960s purposeful grooves, 1980s new wave bliss, and Native Tongues-vibing choruses has traveled since its founding in 2011. The Seattle band is releasing a fresh EP, Raheem Rising, and storming dance floors. .

The quintet has garnered favorable comparisons to Talking Heads, Grace Jones, Fitz and the Tantrums, and Beyond Thunder Dome -era Tina Turner.

To create its distinct "dance-o-licious" sound the band traveled back to 1983 and harnessed the energy of fifty 13-year-olds dancing to The Time played through a tape deck, and then traveled back to the present, adding fuzzed out guitars, synths run through guitar effects, hard hitting drums with lyrics about getting busy, dance floor apocalypses, summer love, robots, prom night slow dancing and being a bad ass.

The band is gospel goddess Josephine Howell on vocals, Bryan Cohen on guitar, Paul Christofferson playing bass, Trevor Rasmussen on guitar/keys/sax and Zia Uddin rocking the drums.

In advance of the 7-song EP, Radio Raheem will offer two free downloads and a video for the uplifting and transcendent lead-off single, "Calling the World." The goal of the new EP was to write songs that pushed Josie's voice front and center. Each track on the new EP builds on Radio Raheem's blend of driving beats, catchy choruses and soulful vocals. The quintet plans to bring its dance-o-licious sound to a city near you.

To listen to "Calling the World" and to find out more about the band, visit www.radioraheemband.com/RRB.

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