Raccoon Fighter
Brooklyn, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2009 | INDIE
Music
Press
"Gritty rock’n'roll–you know, the way it’s intended to be–with just-gravely-enough vocals, jangly guitars, and a chorus that should really soundtrack the final season of Breaking Bad" - Nylon Magazine
"Tough, confident and a little rough around the edges"- USA Today
"Louder and rawer than one might assume from a simple three-piece" - WNYC
“Muscular, melodic local trio Raccoon Fighter shows off its hard-driving soul-punk throb” - TimeOut NY
"Brooklyn-based trio, Raccoon Fighter, have been grinding out consistently excellent garage-tinged blues rock since their inception. Their latest album, Zil, is a testament to their songwriting talents and ability to craft an awesome rock sound." - Relix Magazine
"The supple sonic waves hark back cross the pond to Brit Invasion trailblazers the Troggs and Hollies, before their antecedents locked themselves in the garage and turned that soulful R&B rock sound raw." - Philadelphia Weekly
"Upping the quality garage quotient in Brooklyn"- Brooklyn Vegan
"A bit brawny, a bit rugged and a bit messy."- AbsolutePunk
"Reminiscent of the Black Lips and Diamond Rugs" - FILTER Magazine
"Sounds like the sonic version of a ’69 Camaro Z28." - Nylon Guys Magazine
"A sound that’s both timeless and feels particularly of-the-moment"- Beats Per Minute
"These songs tear through punked-out blues riffs with a fervency The Black Keys only wish they had" - Fabricoh Magazine
"Gritty, bluesy rock with a lot of heart" - The Wild Magazine
"Still suited for backroom brawling, leather-clad hipsters, but done in a way that seems somehow real and truthful. Unforced, natural. You can tell this is the music they’re meant to be playing." - Citizen Brooklyn
"Raw and unapologetic" - The Fire Note
"Straight up rock ‘n’ roll" - GHETTOBLASTER Magazine
"Helluva live act"- Quip Magazine
"Gritty, blues-driven rock that assaults your senses" - Magnet Magazine
"Twangy, almost Duane Eddyish" - Destroy The Cyborg
"Smart Brooklyn sensibility that feels like a surfed out Exploding Plastic Inevitable of the absurd." - Impose Magazine
'Nuggets'-inspired piece of '60s-tinged excellence- The Sound of Confusion
"Pleasantly seductive, slinky style of raw rock" - The Deli Magazine
"Brooklyn's latest top-shelf indie export" - Chaos Magazine
"A raucous caucus of secret-agent cool, lusty hustles and rock-blizzard boogie"- Maximum Ink
"Youthful, Brooklyn N.Y. rockers"- KDHX 88.1 FM
"Witty lyrics, harmonic overtures, and a sense of freedom through experience." - The Blue Indian
"Latest garage-punk stomper" - Goodbye Babylon
"Mark my words, you hear it here first, etc: You will be a fan of this band in the very near future" - Brooklyn Ski Club
"An extended burst of urgent, aggressive bluesy-surfy noise, and it is glorious." - Now This Sound is Brave
"It is punk, it is psych-rock but you could also just call it rock n roll" - Mapanare.US
"Grunge blues rock with touches of rockabilly and surfer vibes that dance playfully with lyrics of heartbreak and misfortune" - Prextext Social Club
"Punk and psych-rock tendencies with a sound louder and more raucous than you'd expect from a three-piece." - Pure Grain Audio
"small band, big sound" -Dirty Fucking Hipster
"Just away from rock revivalism and into something fresher." -Bushwick BK
"Kurt may have passed on, but his style lives on in bands like Raccoon Fighter that blend hard-edged lyrics and melodies with a really emotive lead singer. Same goes for other pioneer bands that had similar-sounds, like The Pixies." - Bits and Watts
Guilt Free Pleasures "particularly tantalizing"
Turn Up The Sound "raw rock and roll"
"Drawing on influences including Iggie Pop, the Pretty Things, and the Rolling Stones, Raccoon Fighter has created a unique sound and secured its place in the burgeoning New York City indie music scene." -Eardrum NYC
"In the same vein of bluesy garage rock as Detroit bands like The Greenhorns." -Best New Bands
"Exciting on the ears"- Secret Note - Multiple
Discography
ZIL- 2013
Liars Feet Ep - 2012
Butcherette 7"- 2011
all music avail at raccoonfighter.bandcamp.com
Photos
Bio
Raccoon Fighter have always been confident: quietly so. Which comes as a blatant departure from their music, which is not - quiet that is. It can only be described as a three part, tumultuous rock ‘n’ roll/ blues assault on the senses. Their sound consists of a gritty, cathartic blend of musical bravado and camaraderie that propels you forward. The gravely, enigmatic vocal offerings of Sean Gavigan combine and compete with those of Gabe Wilhelm and his hypnotic and visionary basslines, while Zac Ciancaglini adds a sharpness and drive rhythmically. With three stellar songwriting talents under one roof, the result is a frenetic and infectious powerhouse.
Off stage, these razor witted, soft spoken guys are quietly understated and refreshingly amiable; a fact that perhaps only amplifies their unbound musical vision. Much of 2012 was spent grafting away in the dignified solitude of their rehearsal space, recording and shaping new material. It is paying dividends; which is no surprise when you take into account the combined musical talent these three Brooklyn transplants via South Jersey possess. Their scything music has recently been called an "infectious form of dirty rock 'n' roll/ blues" and "nothing else but good, hard rock ‘n roll and all its implications of drugs, sex, and sweat".
Their latest album, ZIL, which WNYC Soundcheck called “a swaggering debut”, continues on this raucous path, but has evolved into a more expansive sound. Recorded in Upstate New York and mixed at the renowned Magic Shop in NYC; their dirty, gritty auditory diatribe is still apparent, but is now matched with colorful harmonies and pulsing melodies; Marc Bolan would be licking his lips with envy. Nylon magazine recently tipped ZIL, saying it “should really be the soundtrack to the final season of “Breaking Bad”. Brooklyn Vegan sang its praises, a point FILTER magazine echoed saying it was ‘reminiscent of the Black Lips and Diamond Rugs”. Raccoon Fighters new record will not only set a new bar, it will snap it in two and then set it on fire, just for fun. As the taste makers at Brooklyn Ski Club wrote, “Mark my words, you hear it here first, etc: You will be a fan of this band in the very near future”
The end of 2014 and beginning of 2015 brought the band good fortune as they landed a few major TV placements including 2 songs on the Showtime tv series Shameless beginning with the season premiere and multiple MTV spots. Raccoon Fighter plans to release their Spiral Flag EP on Papercup Music spring 2015.
Band Members
Links
