Rachel’s was a collective of musicians formed in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1991.
Jason Noble (who came to prominence as the guitarist and occasional singer for Rodan, a band who, like their Louisville peers Slint, stretched post-hardcore clangor to meditative locked-in instrumental lengths) played music individually after Rodan’s breakup and referred to himself as Rachel’s but then began collaborating with core members violist Christian Frederickson and pianist Rachel Grimes.
While the trio formed the core part of the band, the group’s recordings and performances featured a varying ensemble of musicians (Edward Grimes, Eve Miller, Bob Weston, Dominic Johnson, Wendy Doyle, John Upchurch, Kyle Crabtree, Kevin Coultas, etc.), who played a range of string instruments in combination with piano, guitars, electric bass guitar, and a drum set that included a large orchestral bass drum.
The group had performed in libraries, churches, rock dungeons, ballrooms, gardens, bowling alleys, and movie theaters across North America and Europe.
They have often worked with filmmakers, dance companies, stage productions, printmakers, and photographers.
Their recordings and shows have elicited numerous descriptions including “subversives with a cello”, “classical post-rock”, “post-classical”, and “lo-fi Louisville loafers”.
Rachel’s disbanded in 2012, when Jason Noble died of cancer on August 4, 2012.
Edward Grimes died on March 25, 2017.
This mixtape is a tribute to them and their influence on me over the years. Requiescat in pace.