Newport Folk Festival Band to Watch – Hurray for the Riff Raff

This week marks the release of My Dearest Darkest Neighbor, the latest release from Hurray for the Riff Raff. Lead by Alynda Lee Segarra, Hurray for the Riff Raff have a blues-tinged indie folk sound that invokes a more stripped down Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside or Alabama Shakes.

My Dearest Darkest Neighbor is a collection of mostly covers along with two originals. The songs run the gamut of influences, from the more obvious folk and blues of Bob Dylan’s “Black Jack Davey” and Joni Mitchell’s “River,” to the classic country of Townes Van Zandt’s “Delta Momma Blues” and Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” She also has more contemporary influences like Gillian Welch’s “My Morphine.” The tracks drawing the most attention are her pair of solo Beatles covers: John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” and George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord.” The fact that on her previous album, 2012’s Look Out Mama, she had a song titled “Ode to John and Yoko” shows that she wears her love of The Beatles proudly. Segarra has said, “These are my attempts at the folk tradition of writing a song where someone else left off,” and it works. Each song is arranged in a way that makes even the most familiar uniquely her own.

Check out their cover of “Jealous Guy” below, as well as current tour dates which include a Saturday slot at the Newport Folk Festival. You can also find their website here and My Dearest Darkest Neighbor on Amazon here.

Jul 08               Bottletree w/Clear Plastic Masks...                 Birmingham, AL

Jul 09               Barley's Taproom w/Clear Plastic Masks...     Knoxville, TN

Jul 10               Grey Eagle w/Clear Plastic Masks...               Asheville, NC

Jul 11               The End w/Clear Plastic Masks...                   Nashville, TN

Jul 13               Woody Guthrie Folk Festival                         Okemah, OK

Jul 14               Cain's Ballroom w/Alabama Shakes               Tulsa, OK

Jul 15               Popejoy Hall w/Alabama Shakes                    Albuquerque, NM

Jul 17               Hollywood Palladium w/Alabama Shakes     Los Angeles, CA

Jul 18               Hollywood Palladium w/Alabama Shakes     Los Angeles, CA

Jul 19               The Pearl Theater w/Alabama Shakes Las Vegas, NV

Jul 20               Vancouver Folk Festival                                 Vancouver, Canada

Jul 21               Vancouver Folk Festival                                 Vancouver, Canada

Jul 23               Vogue Theatre w/Alabama Shakes                 Vancouver, Canada

Jul 25               Harkness Memorial Park w/Judy Collins        Waterford, CT

Jul 26               Prescott Park Arts Festival                             Portsmouth, NH

Jul 27               Newport Folk Festival                                                Newport, RI

Jul 30               Iron Horse                                                       Northampton, MA

Aug 01              Knitting Factory                                             Brooklyn, NY

Aug 02              Cafe Nine                                                        New Haven, CT

Aug 03              Hygienic Art Park Concert                             New London, CT

Aug 04              Colony Café                                                    Woodstock, NY

Aug 07              Black Cat                                                        Washington, DC

Aug 08              Musikfest                                                        Bethlehem, PA

Aug 09              Jonny Brenda's                                                Philadelphia, PA

Aug 10              Lincoln Center - Hearst Plaza                         New York, NY

Aug 11             The Kennedy Center Millenium Stage           Washington, DC

Sep 06             Bunk Bar (Acoustic Duo) MFNW                 Portland, OR

Sep 07             Sisters Folk Festival (Acoustic Duo)              Sisters, OR

Sep 08             Sisters Folk Festival (Acoustic Duo)              Sisters, OR