Aaron Raitiere

Artist Information

Biography

John Prine, Howlin' Wolf, Doc Watson, Dave Van Ronk, Guy Clark, Beck. ...a sound you've heard before...
... like Willie, Waylon, Townes, Jerry Jeff, Tony Joe, Gram Parsons, Peter Rowan, Tom Russell, Paul Geremia...
...mostly songs about love, life, dogs, food, cars, people, places, love, and other stuff.
...call it traditional acoustic blues bluegrass alternative country
with regular original words,
and sometimes long words too,
put to a melody,
and sung with a drawl.

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Originally from Danville, Kentucky, Aaron grew up in a musical family, surrounded by the sounds of bluegrass, folk and blues music. The left side of his family is made up of coalminers and farmers, while the right side of his family includes academics and professors. He went on to attend college in Ithaca, New York, where he formed his first band, Woodman.Milkman.Doctor.
The trio recorded an album in 2004, entitled 'Logs, Milk and Medicine', blending Raitiere's clever mix of humorous and heartfelt lyrics with sounds of alt-country, blues, rock and pop music. The group eventually disbanded but Raitiere continued his adventures by making moves to Austin, Texas and Gainesville, Florida. Within a year of the 'Logs, Milk and Medicine' release, Raitiere came out with a new solo album in 2005 entitled 'Lazy Dog'.
Not one for sitting idle, Raitiere moved out of Florida to pursue an education at Middle Tennessee State University and, in 2009, graduated from the audio engineering program. He continued to churn out songs by the notebook-full and soon came out with several projects, including a childrens' album entitled "Songs for Cool Kids". The record was jointly released under Raitiere's label, One Tooth Records, and Old Boy in December of 2010. Geared toward cool kids and cool adults alike, the songs mix Raitiere's trademark wit and imagination with a down home country blues sound.

-Chris Merkley, OLD BOY RECORDS
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"Love is an Ability", by J. Stein/A.Raitiere is a winner in the song contest at the Nashville TED Conference.
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Steve Goodie's recording of 'What's In My Hotdog?', a song co-written with Aaron Raitiere was recently aired on the Jan. 29, 2011 episode of Dr. Demento's world famous comedy radio show along with songs by Shel Silverstein and R. Crumb.

Setlist here: http://dmdb.org/cgi-bin/plinfo.pl?drd11.0129.html
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Aaron's songs 'Wild in Wyoming', 'All Hat and No Cattle', and 'Crazy Bout You Moon' have won seat in Barbara Cloyd's Play For Publishers Workshop at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashvillle, TN at the end of the month of FEB 2011.
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Aaron's song "I Believe in Life" featured in Commonwealth Cancer Center's 2011 statewide KY ad campaign. The ad has been nominated for a "KY Addy".
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Aaron's new kids record "SONGS FOR COOL KIDS" is complete. Hear songs and buy the album at www.amazon.com.
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"All Hat and No Cattle" wins a scholarship to Skip Ewing's Horse and Writer Retreat in Wyoming.

"Leavin' You For Me" wins Honorable Mention in the 2005 International Songwriting Competition for Roots/Americana Music reaching the final round after competing with over 11,000 entries from more than 70 countries.

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New Album complete and for sale at
www.onetoothrecords.com
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NEW SHOWS announced, now booking 2011 COUCH TOUR:

Gainesville, FL
Asheville, NC
Paducah, KY
Lexington, KY
Danville, KY
Murfreesboro, TN
Nashville, TN
Savannah, GA
Homestead, FL
Miami, FL
Hollywood, FL
Key West, FL
St. Augustine, FL
Charleston, SC
New York, NY
Jackson Hole, WY
Santa Fe, NM
Taos, NM
Richmond, VA
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BUY Aaron's solo CD, Lazy Dog here:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/raitiere

Instrumentation

Aaron Raitiere, vocals, guitar

Discography

Solo:

Oh, Uh-huh, Yeah, Alright : 2002
Songs to Fall Asleep To : 2003
My Dog, Stinky. : 2004
Lazy Dog : 2005
Kissin' Machine : 2009
Country Songs :2009
A Collection of Smidgets, Boogers, and Half-Songs :2009
Even more Smidgets, Boogers, and Half-Songs :2010
ROCKS OUT :2010
Strange Angel :2010
Songs for Cool Kids :2010


WMD - Logs, Milk, and Medicine : 2004

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

Audio

• I Ain't No Zebra, I'm a Bumblebee - Raitiere
  Listen  
• Crazy Bout You Moon
  Listen  
• Radical Road
  Listen  
• Wild in Wyoming - Raitiere-Stein 2010
  Listen  
• Butterface
  Listen  
• I Believe in Miracles
  Listen  
• Sometimes You Gotta Rock Out
  Listen  
• All I Can Play is RocknRoll
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Yim Yim
• In A Bar Room Far From Home
• Ode to a Pizza on the Way
• Crazy Bout You Moon

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• ALBUM REVIEW - LAZY DOG [+ Show ]
  

  -Jeff Russell 02.NOV.06 Sometimes simplicity and melody are just the way to go, and Aaron Raitier...-Jeff Russell 02.NOV.06
  
  Sometimes simplicity and melody are just the way to go, and Aaron Raitiere’s latest album Lazy Dog is a perfect example. With influences including Johnny Cash, Howlin’ Wolf and Gram Parsons, Raitiere’s mix of acoustic blues, country and bluegrass presents impressive songwriting, and is also pleasing to the average ear.
  
  His alternative country-bluegrass style is something you’ve heard before, but the presentation of the genre is astute and almost brilliant. Songs such “Lazy Dog Blues” and “Leavin’ You For Me” leave the listener ready to move with porch-stompin’ attitude, and Raitiere’s placement of lyrics suggests a humorous tone with an underlying twist of reality. In many regards, Raitiere shows the signs of a true storyteller, bringing his down-home Kentucky upbringing to the forefront.
  
  By listening to the album you can understand why Murfreesboro resident Raitiere is more than just another modern dirty bluegrass player, he grasps in detail the images of the country lifestyle. He takes the simple life and presents a picturesque scenario, revealing the humor of country life, but also the troubles of the common working man. The only issue with this album is it lacks variety, and a few of the songs sound a bit too similar, but this may because Raitiere is following a distinctive bluegrass/country style.
  
  With a degree from Cornell and an Honorable Mention Award in 2005 for the International Songwriting Competition in Roots/Americana Music (competing against 11,000+ entries), Raitiere has shown his talent in arrangement and melody. His deep, smooth voice is able to carry the message of his songs well, and his delivery of lyrics is very deliberate, allowing the song to build almost to the breaking point, but then slowly falling back to his hook lines, leaving room for the listener to take a deep breath and relax.
  
  Raitiere’s use of simple three-chord progressions actually makes it that much more enjoyable to listen to. The production of the album is not bad for a lower budget recording, but the feel of the actual sound makes you think to a time sitting with friends by the fire and talking about everything from work to old flames.
  
  Basically, the album just makes you feel at home. Check it out at onetoothrecords.com.
  
  

• Raitiere Keeps The 'Grass' in Bluegrass [+ Show ]
  

  "Staying true to his Kentucky roots, Raitiere maintains the traditional bluegrass sound while managi..."Staying true to his Kentucky roots, Raitiere maintains the traditional bluegrass sound while managing to keep the 'grass' in his modern country blues-bluegrass tunes."

• International Songwriting Competition [+ Show ]
  

  "Leavin' You for Me" is a Finalist. 11,000 entries, 70 countries. Winners announced in March. V...
  "Leavin' You for Me" is a Finalist. 11,000 entries, 70 countries. Winners announced in March.
  
  Vote online for the song
  
  www.songwritingcompetition.com

• Aaron Raitiere [+ Show ]
  

  Influenced primarily by old songwriters and blues singers, Aaron has been writing and performing ori...Influenced primarily by old songwriters and blues singers, Aaron has been writing and performing original songs since his childhood in Kentucky. His imaginative songs and soulful voice are a pleasure to even the most critical ear.
  
  - Alan Rose, Muse Magazine
  
  www.musefest.org

• Music Joins Families [+ Show ]
  

  Tuesday December 21, 2004 Music joins Raitieres and Norrises By JENNIFER BRUMMETT Staff Wr...Tuesday December 21, 2004
  
  Music joins Raitieres and Norrises
  
  By JENNIFER
  BRUMMETT
  Staff Writer
  
  Aaron Raitiere likes the guitar. He likes being a
  vocalist. His first love, though, is songwriting.
  
  
  "I like to write lyrics and
  invent progressions and melodies," says the Boyle County native, adding he'd
  like to learn to play the drums. "I can't read music but I can tell a good
  story.
  
  
  "Anyone who can play three chords on a guitar can play my songs. I
  just like the fact that the stories are mine."
  
  
  Raitiere, who recently
  graduated from Cornell University with a degree in American studies, says his
  music is "nothing complicated."
  
  
  "Just simple chords with my own words," he
  notes. "I say it's the blues if that's what people are listening for. Whatever
  gets me a job.
  
  
  "In Texas, I say it's country. You can't really get any shows
  if you don't play country. In New York, I said it was Bluegrass, just because
  there weren't many other Bluegrass bands around there to compete with. So I
  guess people who like the blues and Bluegrass usually like my music."
  
  
  His
  father, Colin Raitiere, who is a member of local band Billyblues, calls
  Raitiere a poet.
  
  
  "He writes songs like Guy Clark or Townes van Zant," Dr.
  Raitiere says. "He's a storyteller. He sometimes throws in perplexing melodic
  twists that I just love.
  
  
  "His songs sometimes seem far more passionate and
  perceptive than you would expect from someone his age, but then again, he can be
  sardonic in a kind of jaded way. A lot of it is upbeat, and frenetic - lots of
  different stuff."
  
  
  Raitiere performs Dec. 28 at The Dame
  
  
  Raitiere's early
  exposure to music was through is father, whose band will open for Raitiere Dec.
  28 at The Dame in Lexington. Raitiere also performs Dec. 30 at Fat Moe's in
  Paducah.
  
  
  "I've been around (my dad's) guitars for as long as I can remember,"
  Raitiere explains. "But more importantly, he has always encouraged me to think
  for myself. He's made it easy for me to pursue my interests without giving me
  too much instruction, and encouraged me with honest criticism rather than clichd
  advice.
  
  
  "He gave me my first guitar, but I taught myself how to play."
  
  

Setlist

Setlists are 90% original.
Can perform 2-3 sets over the course of 3 hours.
Roots Music
Acoustic/Original blues/bluegrass/country

Basic Requirements

Calendar