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Continuing from 'Swords', their brilliant dada road-movie debut album, 'Attic Thieves' confirms Ralfe Band a special place as one of England's most original, melodic and richly poetic bands.
Inside its old mirrored room you will find Oly Ralfe's latest almanac of twelve richly varied songs and instrumentals. The recordings here range from the beautifully personal to the eerily comic, with song lyrics peppered with mysterious alter-egos, all reflecting an inventive band journeying across a dreaming landscape uniquely Ralfe Band's.
'Attic Thieves' was created by Oly Ralfe and his music brother Andrew Mitchell. Oly sings, plays upright piano, organ, accordion and Spanish guitar. From Mitchell emanate beatnik drums, scattershot percussion, electric guitar and arrangements borne from a love of great rhythm masters from Django Reinhardt to The Ramones. Other brigands contributing to the sound of 'Attic Thieves' include Messrs Garo Nahoulakian on electric guitar, double bassist Ben Nicholls, Joe Bennett on violin and trumpet, and Rowland Prytherch, mandolin, bass and wayward trombone.
The eclectic Mr Ralfe doesn't just content himself with the music; he is the artist behind the band's artwork and videos, and also the director of the award-winning film 'The Ballad of AJ Weberman'. The movie is a feature documentary about the New York odd-ball and infamous stalker of Bob Dylan. The film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival 2007 and won the Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards. In addition to all this, Oly is an occasional contributor of songs and cameos to the Mighty Boosh radio and TV shows. Handwritten poems and drawings by Oly feature in the new Boosh book 'The Mighty Book of Boosh'.
"Cinematic psychedelia. Menacing gypsies who might just steal you away." PLAN B
"A fascinating piece of work, managing to achieve an eerie atmospheric mood within traditional traditional(ish) instrumental confines... A good claim at timelessness." THE STOOL PIGEON
"One can imagine much of it accompanying the work of David Lynch: there's an uneasy surrealism about it, a sense that despite all the pretty melodies, something nasty lurks within." THE GUARDIAN
"Attic Thieves is a wonderfully rich romp through the fevered imagination of frontman Oly Ralfe. A unique and loveable album with enough dark corners and clever twists to keep the interest up through its twelve perfectly drawn tracks." MUSIC WEEK
"Oly Ralfe makes playful, well-crafted tunes that breath new life into forgotten ways of doing things... Treasures hidden in amongst the rafters, waiting to be found." THE QUIETUS
"Beauty reigns through the melodies, and makes 'Attic Thieves' an album of rare wonder." CLICK MUSIC
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BUY 'SWORDS' ALBUM (INC. BONUS TRACKS!) FROM TALITRES RECORDS
"a whiskey-soured folk trip, from east to west...Ralfe's moon-eyed beauty is simply the work of one vivid imagination." MOJO ****
"Ralfe Band have delivered one of the most arresting debuts of the year" MUSIC WEEK
"chaotic and quirky...a law-unto-itself blend...Works for me." THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ****
"A fantastic album... put them right at the top of the 'albums I must check out list', regardless of your musical persuasion." DJ ****
"strangely addictive" DAZED AND CONFUSED
"an inspired set of star-gazing psychedelia" METRO ****
"Ralfe Band are one of my favourite beat groups right now, and their records take you on a weird and wonderful journey to their own little wonderland." MARK RADCLIFFE
"Its difficult to tell who they've been listening to..." JOHN PEEL
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