The Milwaukee based quartet create a raucous brand of straight-ahead, blistering rock-and-roll, grounded in a an obvious love for the blues. What began as a casual song swap between drummer Joshua Harper and lead singer Benjamin Hall has grown through two years of touring and recording into a band of friends who play with undeniable guts. With wildly diverse musical backgrounds, from touring through the deep south in a gospel rock band, to studying jazz percussion, these four gentlemen combine to create foot-stomping tunes and frenetic live performances.

In 2009, the Ragadors debut, self-titled EP was pressed from a live studio session with J. Christopher Hughes at Posthistoric in Milwaukee, WI. After more than a year of touring, backed by unwavering support from their listeners, the group began sessions on their first full-length record in spring 2010. Blackinkyswells is a recorded interaction between The Ragadors and a cavernous room on Milwaukee’s south side; a subversive affirmation of the possibilities that flow between the down beat and silence. Ben’s desperate, pleading lyrics, in stark contrast to a satisfyingly confident delivery, unearth stories soaked in the complication of humanity.

The Ragadors pay homage to the mothers and fathers of their muse with a sound nurtured in the wood-paneled basements of the midwest. With songs that harken the honest spirit of the blues, this record attempts to realize life’s perennial struggle between dissonance and harmony. This is roots music through and through.

Their debut full-length album, blackinkyswells, is available now on iTunes,
Amazon mp3 and eMusic.

Having already carved out a significant place for themselves, The Ragadors venture forth to new territory. Look for them in your city in the fall of 2010 touring in support of their new record, blackinkyswells.

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