Riff Raiders Cherry Bar July residency 2022
“ROCK N ROLL DAYDREAM (2020 Album)

10/10 - Powerplay Rock & Metal Magazine (UK)

10/10 - The Hard Rock Show (Ch31 Australia)

96% - 100%Rock Magazine (AUS/USA)

9/10 Metal Temple (Europe/USA)

9/10 Maximum Volume Music (UK)

9/10 The RockPit (Australia)

4/5 STORMBRINGER The Austrian Heavyzine

An album of many shades and hues that hangs together as a cohesive whole tune in for the perfect ‘Rock n’ Roll Daydream’. (Pulse Alternative Magazine UK)

This is a hot modern rock mix that gets it right – pacing, instrumental sonic space, vocal arrangements, guitar tones…everything. (Metal Temple)

One of the finest rock albums to be released this year - Rock ‘n’ Roll Daydream…’The amazing thing is that it is an album full of infectious rock tracks with no filler (HEAVY Magazine)

It is the sound of a band that understands the history of rock n roll, probably daydreamed about emulating their heroes and has now realised that ambition.

This is brilliant. And it is brilliant entirely on its own terms. Classic rock champions, their press release called them. Surely then, they are Raiders of a lost art, if you’ll forgive the pun. (Maximum Volume Music UK)

Rock ‘n’ Roll Daydream is a rock ‘n’ roll juggernaut of 11 addictive tracks making old school rock sound new and fresh’

‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Daydream is one of the finest and authentic rock albums to come out in a long while. It’s pub rock but a little more refined. It sticks in your head from first listen and makes you want to keep playing it over and over as it gives you lots of them happy feels and vibes.

If any band can bring rock back from the underground, it’s RIFF RAIDERS’ (Noise Pollution)

Melbourne band Riff Raiders have just dropped a track (Samantha Jones) that we believe may well be one of the best rock tracks of 2020 (Subculture Entertainment)”

Melbourne hard rock outfit Riff Raiders began life in 2015. Made up of indie stalwarts Marty Powell (guitar) and Jenni Powell (Vocals), joined by the powerful new line up in 2022 of Scott Wilson (Bass), Marty Wagener (Drums) and Josh King (guitar). This band has blown away punters with its authentic approach and edgy finesse to playing rock n roll.

Riff Raiders were shortlisted for the Best Punk / Rock Act for the prestigious Music Victoria Awards (Industry Voted) in 2021 and currently have their latest single Walk of Shame featured on the Rue Morgue Records compilation “Murders in the Rue Morgue Vol II” (Jan 2022).

Since the release of their first album ‘Live Like You Mean It’ in 2017 Riff Raiders have gigged extensively across Australia including key support slots with D-A-D, Baby Animals, The Poor, Palace of the King and The Lazys.

‘Not only is ‘Walk Of Shame’ clever and thought provoking on one level, it’s also a fun and tongue in cheek nostalgia trip, when rock ‘n roll was carefree and full of joy!’ (Beautiful Car Crash)

The band have emerged from Melbourne’s lockdowns with even more energy and drive as they put together their third album in 2022.

Just as COVID19 arrived Riff Raiders hit 2020 with a bang, with their Rock n Roll Daydream tour from February to April in support of their digital and vinyl Double A-Side single landing on February 18th through Rue Morgue Records and then release their brand new album Rock ‘N’ Roll Daydream on 30 March 2020

Rock'n'Roll Daydream is the second album from Riff Raiders, following the February release of double-A side single Best Day Ever / Loaded Gun (Rue Morgue Records) with accompanying twin videos.

The album features eleven champion classic rock tracks that successfully showcase and match the vocal range of powerhouse frontwoman Jenni Powell with Marty Powell’s song-crafting, guitar and production talents.

Lead single from the album Samantha Jones (track 3) and accompanying video tells the true story of a fan who left a vinyl copy of Riff Raiders first album on a train, and the awesome efforts Sammy J went to to get it back to him. Yeah, she's doin' it right! The band was honoured with a Riff Raiders takeover episode of C31 TV’s The Hard Rock Show on 14 March which debuted the videos.

The album has received an outstanding response from critics, particularly in the UK, as well as regular feature spots on digital radio in Australia, UK, France and Germany. (see media page https://www.riffraiders.com/media)

Riff Raiders have well and truly delivered on the promises made on debut album (Live Like You Mean It). This album won over a tonne of rock fans and media said nice things like, “The Gods of Aussie Rock would be proud...” (Beat online) and “a slinky, catchy, classy serve of gotta-have-it rock AND roll…” (100% rock magazine).

HISTORY

The band retreated into ColourSound Studio in early 2017 with producer Gavin Parker, many amps, many guitars and even more pedals to record their debut album of original material - 11 tracks of riff-laden, melody-driven rock co-produced by Raiders songwriter and guitarist Marty Powell. The title track and first single Live Like You Mean It (August 2017) sets the scene perfectly for what punters had to look forward to.

The response to debut single and official lyric video for the title track, Live Like You Mean It has been huge. Over 79,000 views on Facebook to date and the song continues to receive airplay across traditional and digital radio in Australia and in the US, UK and Europe.

Hot on the heels of their acclaimed debut single Riff Raiders released the second single and video D-GAF from their forthcoming album on 1 November 2017. D-GAF and its accompanying video is 2 minutes 47 seconds of punchy, crunchy, guitar-smashing, snare-smacking rock that will have you hitting the repeat button more than once.

The band collaborated with Melbourne artist, illustrator and rock’n’roll good guy, Brooke Penrose featuring his incredible art on all releases and the epic music video for D-GAF which has been viewed over 50,000 times on social media.

Melbourne’s Beat magazine premiered the D-GAF video on November 1st, saying “Once again, Riff Raiders are proving to the world that honest to goodness Aussie rock is far from dead. In fact, they're bringing it back to life with a vengeance.”

Women Who Rock Oz ranked single D-GAF at #6 of 2017 releases, saying “This band takes all your memories of hard "pub" rock and have turned them into an art form. Live Like You Mean It could've been the chosen track from the album of the same name but D-GAF is raw and dirty rock. Of course, that's how it should be.” (18 December 2017)

Riff Raiders then released their debut album, Live Like You Mean It, on the back of the two well received singles Live Like You Mean It and D-GAF on 8 November 2017 with launch shows in Melbourne and Sydney. As part of the promotion, Jenni and Marty were interviewed by Neil Rogers on 3RRR show The Australian Mood as part of featuring the album.

Reception for the album has been amazing, with Cry of the Wolf Magazine (UK) gave the album 8/10 and said “Fans of hard rock will not be disappointed with RIFF RAIDERS. This is pure, modern edged rock and roll. Nonstop energetic and catchy riffs mixed with down to earth in your face lyrics.” (8 Nov 2017)

Live Like You Mean It was voted No.2 in Top Ten Albums of 2017 (Audience Choice) on The Hard Rock Show (CH31TV Melbourne) on 27 Jan 2018 and finished the year on a high note as Runners Up for 2018 ALBUM OF THE YEAR at the BRA Indie Awards in December 2018 (as voted by an international judging panel).

OVERDRIVE Music Magazine ranked the album at #64 in the top 100 most impactful Australian heavy music releases of 2017. (29 December 2017) and on 14 Jan 2018 the album featured on The Hard Rock Show on Ch31 TV receiving an 8.5 / 10 from the host Andrew Brown.

LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT (2017) QUOTES

With Live Like You Mean It, the Riff Raiders have delivered a stirring love letter to rock ’n’ roll, a fist-in-the-air anthem that’s alive on arrival.  This line says it all: “If rock ’n’ roll is dead then why’s this song stuck in your head?”  Jeff Jenkins, The Music/3RRR radio

“Riff Raiders have dropped some classic Aussie Rock that’d make Bon Scott smile”  Beat online

This is pure, modern edged rock and roll. Nonstop energetic and catchy riffs mixed with down to earth in your face lyrics.” Cry of the Wolf Magazine UK

“The first single from the album, Live Like You Mean It sees frontwoman Jenny lead the charge atop a solid old-school rock groove. The gods of Aussie rock would be proud” 
Hysteria magazine

Runners Up 2018 ALBUM OF THE YEAR as voted by international judging panel at the BRA Indie Awards Dec 2018

Debut Album 'Live Like You Mean It' voted No.2 in Top Ten Albums of 2017 (Audience Choice) The Hard Rock Show (CH31TV) 27 Jan 2018

Top 100 Heaviest OZ albums for 2017 (#64) - Overdrive Music Magazine & website 5 Feb 2018

Yeah baby, the debut album from Melbourne’s Riff Raiders finally landed on our desk and it’s a slinky, catchy, classy serve of gotta-have-it rock AND roll. The band tell it like it is: positive, life-affirming rock n’ roll made for singing, sweating and – if that’s your bag – drinking to. 8.5/10 (100% ROCK MAGAZINE 7 June 2018)

“God gave rock’n’roll to ya, but the weekends spent sniffing vinyl in small-town junk shops, and the lunchbreaks spent browsing Cheap Trick memorabilia on eBay – that’s all you. Your latest obsession ought to be Riff Raiders: purveyors of poor impulse control, who build blistering rock hits from the guitar up. And yes, it’s a Les Paul.”  Jenny Valentish, Author and Journalist