There are four artists named Rake: 1) Rake was an art rock/noise rock musical ensemble from Northern Virginia (near Washington, DC), founded in 1989. Not aligned with the post-punk/hardcore bands more commonly associated with the local underground music scene, Rake took a more experimental route and were more closely aligned with fellow Virginia-based bands Pelt and Wingtip Sloat, throughout the 1990s, a relationship cemented via their principle label, VHF Records. (View full bio for more info) 2) Rake(???) is a Japanese Singer-songwriter born in Sendai. He began an interest in music by playing an antique guitar at his family home, and in high school, was a member of a hard rock band. In university, Rake considered singing for the first time, and began steps to becoming a professional musician. (View full bio for more info) 3) Like a hot western wind blowing across the plains, Rake has become an unavoidable presence on the Canadian rock map. Climbing each step of popularity and critical acclaim carefully and quickly with superbly crafted songwriting and a high energy show, Rake has become the next big thing coming out of the West. Working with such talents as Chad Kroeger, Danny Craig, Joey Moi and Matt Martone, Rake has carved out a distinguishable and unforgettable sound in the rock radio genre as well a sizable following. (View full bio for more info) 4) A New Zealand band associated with the Palmerston North record label Yellow Bike Records, comprised of Graeme Galyer, Paul Hirst and Royce Rees. --------- 1) Rake was an art rock/noise rock musical ensemble from Northern Virginia (near Washington, DC), founded in 1989. Not aligned with the post-punk/hardcore bands more commonly associated with the local underground music scene, Rake took a more experimental route and were more closely aligned with fellow Virginia-based bands Pelt and Wingtip Sloat, throughout the 1990s, a relationship cemented via their principle label, VHF Records. Band members Vinnie Van Go-Go (a.k.a. VVGG, a.k.a. OASTEM! Jim), Bill Kellum, and C-Man (Carl Moller) released their first record in 1989, a 7” 45 rpm single called "Cow Song" and the follow-up EP "Motorcycle Shoes" in 1990. The punkish leanings on these recordings were soon superseded by more experimental offerings such as the cassette "The Day I Remembered Seeing Ice" and the LP "Rake Is My Co-Pilot", the latter featuring a sidelong extemporization on the lead song from the "Motorcycle Shoes" EP. The band's early recordings featured (mostly shouted) vocals, but the band's later work was generally instrumental in nature. Although Rake's main instruments were electric guitar, bass and drums, they made liberal use of tape loops, synthesizers, static, and anything else they saw fit. The band's sound reached a highbrow, minimalistic/ambient peak on 1998 album Resume The Cosmos, which was released by Australian label Camera Obscura but their aesthetic is best summed up by their double CD release "The Art Ensemble Of Rake/The Tell-Tale Moog" which combined lengthy improvisations with found sounds, field recordings and harsh edits. The second disc was largely indexed at 60-second intervals, regardless of the musical content, although one 5-second section was simply a recording of a male voice saying, "Look out: rattlesnake!". Often wilfully mysterious (to the point of providing misinformation, particularly through the OASTEM! website), Rake released a steady stream of vinyl singles, CDs, cassettes and later CDR's, mostly on VHF. However, they were never a touring act, only performing intermittently around the Virginia/ Maryland area. Although they never formally split and members of the band continue to work together, only archive material has been released during this decade. --------- 2) Rake(???) is a Japanese Singer-songwriter born in Sendai. He began an interest in music by playing an antique guitar at his family home, and in high school, was a member of a hard rock band. In university, Rake considered singing for the first time, and began steps to becoming a professional musician. Rake performed as the opening act to Japanese band Kimaguren's (?????) 2009 tour "Kid in the Sky", and the following January debuted under Sony Music Japan, with the single "Fly Away." The song was used as the theme song for the Tokyo Metropolitan Television drama "Taxmen", and while few copies were sold, the song received such extremely heavy airplay across Japan that it topped Billboard's Japan Hot 100 chart for two weeks. Rake, after releasing his debut extended play "all I need is...", performed his first solo concert in July, followed by performances at summer festival Summer Sonic in August. In 2011, Rake had his first hit single, "Hyakuman-kai no 'I Love You'," which was used in a television commercial campaign for Yokohama Tire. The song was successful on the RIAJ Digital Track Chart in its first week, debuting at number six. However, due to the 2011 T?hoku earthquake and tsunami occurring several days after the single's physical release in Rake's hometown, many promotional events for the song were cancelled. Rake was at his home in Sendai at the time of the earthquake. In 2012, Rake released a double a-side single, "Subarashiki Sekai/Taisetsu na Hito" (???????/???? - Wonderful World/Important Person), which "Subarashiki Sekai" was chosen as Uchuu Kyoudai's (Space Brothers) anime ending theme. In July, he released his second full album, "WONDERFUL WORLD" with 13 tracks. The album had a regular (CD Only) and a limited edition (CD+DVD). Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rake_%28singer%29 Official Sony Music Site: http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Arch/ARI/rake/ --------- 3) Like a hot western wind blowing across the plains, Rake has become an unavoidable presence on the Canadian rock map. Climbing each step of popularity and critical acclaim carefully and quickly with superbly crafted songwriting and a high energy show, Rake has become the next big thing coming out of the West. Working with such talents as Chad Kroeger, Danny Craig, Joey Moi and Matt Martone, Rake has carved out a distinguishable and unforgettable sound in the rock radio genre as well a sizable following. Now, with gigs most bands would kill for, opening for the likes of The Tragically Hip, Nickelback, Live and Default, Rake had come out on top with their 2005 release "From Darker Days", packed with fierce, inimitable songs ready to be heard by all of Canada and beyond. Such songs as "Without A Sound" and "A Perfect End" charted Jode Terry’s growth as a songwriter, as well as the emergence of Chris "Maz" Ryan as a vocal force. In 2006, Rake was noteably the only indie band added to the Nickelback 2006 tour as it swept through Alberta. The amazing opportunity has risen the band to all new heights, and resulted in a huge increase of record sales and an ever increasing fan base. With the success of the past year, Rake is heading into the studio for a follow up Record to include new fan favourites such as ‘Deteriorate’ and ‘Take Me Home’. Even before completion, the new year gains light with Rake’s known determination and promises of cross Canada airplay, high-profile support slots and a much awaited headline tour.