Ra Ra Riot Plays Webster Hall, 1/25; BETA LOVE Out 1/22 on Barsuk

NPR Music "All Songs Considered" premieres the title track "Beta Love" from Ra Ra Riot's third album. Beta Love is set for release January 22 on Barsuk Records with pre-order starting today. The album marks the band's first outing as a four piece with members Wes Miles on vocals, Milo Bonacci on guitar, Mathieu Santos on bass and Rebecca Zeller on violin forming the core of the group. Beta Love's songs are informed by the works of cyperpunk novelist William Gibson and futurist Ray Kurzweil's musings on the technological singularity and transhumanism.

Inspired by their lean new lineup, the recording process found Ra Ra Riot's members exploring and re-defining their roles within the new makeup of the group. They built upon demos created mostly by Miles and producer Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello, Wavves) at Sweet Tea Studios in Oxford, MS. For the first time in their history the band recorded in a warmer climate and found themselves stimulated by the balmy Southern air and the physical setting of Oxford. Joined by session drummer Josh Freese (Devo, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer) the band enjoyed exploring its potential, experimenting with new influences and exciting sounds.

Santos said of the sessions, "Making the record was a lot of fun for us, because we were in a completely different environment, trying a completely new approach. We'd been used to arriving at a session with every song totally arranged and figured out, but in Oxford, a lot of the creative decision-making happened in the studio, on the fly. We wanted to be outside of our collective comfort zone for this record. We wanted to be open to new things happening. There was a lot of building up and tearing down with Dennis-a lot of problem solving, a lot of trial and error, and that was really exciting for us."

Formed in the basements and attics surrounding Syracuse University in 2006, Ra Ra Riot released their debut The Rhumb Line on Barsuk in 2008. NPR Music said their 2010 release The Orchard's "10 songs positively burst with sophistication, precision and polish."

Ra Ra Riot will tour extensively in the new year. Please see a full list of tour dates below.

Ra Ra Riot, Beta Love Track List
1. Dance with Me
2. Binary Mind
3. Beta Love
4. Is It Too Much
5. For Once
6. Angel, Please
7. What I Do For U
8. When I Dream
9. That Much
10. Wilderness
11. I Shut Off

RA RA RIOT TOUR DATES
* with Passion Pit and Joy Formidable
† with Passion Pit
‡ with Guards
§ with Vampire Weekend & Ultraista

December 8 /// Chameleon /// Lancaster, PA‡
December 9 /// Arch Street Tavern /// Hartford, CT‡
December 11 /// Upstate Concert Hall /// Clifton Park, NY‡
December 12 /// Mohawk Place /// Buffalo, NY‡
December 13 /// Haunt /// Ithaca, NY‡
January 23 /// 9:30 Club /// Washington, DC
January 25 /// Webster Hall /// New York, NY
January 26 /// Paradise /// Boston, MA
February 2-3 /// Hostess Club Weekender /// Tokyo, Japan§
February 7 /// Venue /// Vancouver, BC
February 8 /// Neptune Theater /// Seattle, WA
February 9 /// Wonder Ballroom /// Portland, OR
February 11 /// Fillmore /// San Francisco, CA
February 12 /// El Rey /// Los Angeles, CA
February 15 /// Belly Up /// Solana Beach, CA
February 16 /// Club Congress /// Tucson, AZ
February 17 /// Lowbrow Palace /// El Paso, TX
February 19 /// Kessler Theater /// Dallas, TX
February 20 /// The Belmont /// Austin, TX
February 21 /// Fitzgerald's /// Houston, TX
February 23 /// Proud Larry's /// Oxford, MS
February 24 /// Masquerade /// Atlanta, GA
February 25 /// Cat's Cradle /// Carrboro, NC
February 26 /// Grey Eagle /// Asheville, NC
February 28 /// A&R Music Bar /// Columbus, OH
March 1 /// Metro /// Chicago, IL
March 2 /// Der Rathskeller /// Madison, WI
March 3 /// Triple Rock /// Minneapolis, MN
March 5 /// Blind Pig /// Ann Arbor, MI
March 6 /// Lee's Palace /// Toronto, ON
March 7 /// Il Motore /// Montreal, QC
March 8 /// Higher Ground /// S. Burlington, VT
March 9 /// Pearl Street /// Northampton, MA

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