Joel Rakes
Joel Rakes just recently moved to Nashville from the Northeast, and let me tell you... are we glad to have him in town! With "head-bopping" folk melodies that you can't get out of your head, some killer banjo playing, and a huge passion for music, Joel Rakes is one of those singer/songwriters you don't want to let slip passed you without taking a listen.
His first EP, released in 2008, entitled "A Sudden Change in the Atmosphere," was produced by Mike Odmark (producer for Daniel Ellsworth, Tyler James, etc.) and set the stage for all Joel has to offer from the banjo-boppin country feel of "A Square Wheel" to the mellow, relaxing sounds of "Dutch Blitz." His newest project, "The Philadelphia Sessions," is a live-in-studio album put together in honor of Joel's years spent in the city and really "ups the ante" for what is to come. If you don't believe me, take the track "Something So Beautiful," for example: roll your windows down, go driving in the country, and try to fight the smile that song brings to your face. I promise, it's hard to do.
Joel is up on the rise in Nashville after gaining popularity along the Eastern seabord, earning second place in Philadelphia's Beta Hi-Fi festival, and after having an original Christmas song selected as one of Sufjan Stevens' "top 35" out of over 650 entries. If you don't trust my taste in music, trust Sufjan... this guy is good! He's currently working on a new EP, so keep an eye out and stay tuned, because Joel Rakes is on his way to your listening ears.
Cheers,
Amanda Q
His first EP, released in 2008, entitled "A Sudden Change in the Atmosphere," was produced by Mike Odmark (producer for Daniel Ellsworth, Tyler James, etc.) and set the stage for all Joel has to offer from the banjo-boppin country feel of "A Square Wheel" to the mellow, relaxing sounds of "Dutch Blitz." His newest project, "The Philadelphia Sessions," is a live-in-studio album put together in honor of Joel's years spent in the city and really "ups the ante" for what is to come. If you don't believe me, take the track "Something So Beautiful," for example: roll your windows down, go driving in the country, and try to fight the smile that song brings to your face. I promise, it's hard to do.
Joel is up on the rise in Nashville after gaining popularity along the Eastern seabord, earning second place in Philadelphia's Beta Hi-Fi festival, and after having an original Christmas song selected as one of Sufjan Stevens' "top 35" out of over 650 entries. If you don't trust my taste in music, trust Sufjan... this guy is good! He's currently working on a new EP, so keep an eye out and stay tuned, because Joel Rakes is on his way to your listening ears.
Cheers,
Amanda Q
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