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Double albums have always been tricky. For every Quadrophenia or Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness there are doppelgangers such as Metal Machine Music and Sandinista. Thankfully, Strange Change Machine, the new Grip Weeds double CD/LP collection, falls into the category of the former. Written and recorded while the band were ensconced in reissue projects (2007's reworking of their debut House Of Vibes Revisited, and the 2008 career-spanning Little Steven Van Zandt-sponsored compilation Infinite Soul: The Best Of The Grip Weeds) and outside studio production jobs (Singer/ Drummer Kurt Reil recorded three albums with the legendary Smithereens, along with another three solo projects by Smithereens lead singer Pat Dinizio, among his other studio work), Strange Change Machine is a 24-song tour de force that sees the band perfecting their classic sound while also diving into uncharted musical territory. While self-important musos have debated the validity of the double album for years, the format has allowed the Grip Weeds to deliver the boldest recording of their career.
The Grip Weeds are a critically-acclaimed Psychedelic Rock /Power Pop quartet consisting of brothers Kurt and Rick Reil (on drums and guitar respectively), Kristin Pinell (guitar) and Michael Kelly (bass). Together, the Grip Weeds take elements like the harmonic purity and psychedelic spirit of '60s rock and the visceral power of early '70s classics into the modern era. Surrounded by their vintage equipment, this talented four-piece band records slices of perfect, radio-friendly guitar-pop – psychedelic enough to appeal to record junkies and Sixties-retro fans, but edgy enough to fit seamlessly into a modern rock set.
Brothers Rick and Kurt Reil grew up playing music together in Central New Jersey and their strong musical and familial bond ultimately gave birth to The Grip Weeds. Both share singing and songwriting duties and their close-knit harmony vocals recall those of the Everly Brothers or The Byrds. A capable lead singer, Kurt's explosive drumming resembles that of a young sober Keith Moon, while Rick alternates between crashing power chords and delicate 12-string riffs. Female lead guitarist Kristin Pinell proves that a woman can rock as intensely as anyone; her epic melodic leads draw inspiration from the likes of Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Brian May and George Harrison. Rounding out the foursome, Michael Kelly's bass lines run from lyrical to thunderous.
On Strange Change Machine, guitarists Kristin Pinell and Rick Reil turn in career-defining performances, while drummer Kurt Reil's controlled chaos is the perfect foil for Michael Kelly's aggressive yet melodic bass work. The other major weapon in the Grip Weeds utility belt is their vocal harmonies. Whether the band is belting out intergalactic rock ('Speed Of Life'), a lilting west coast groove ('Be Here Now') or a folk ballad that fuses the Peter Green and Lindsey Buckingham eras of Fleetwood Mac ('Mistress Forest'), the vocal harmonies add an emotional depth that few bands have ever been able to achieve. Lots of bands can rock, and lots of bands can harmonize - few can do both. The greatest revelations for long-time fans occur when the band takes a detour. Whether its the brutal garage rock of 'Don't You Believe It', the Manchester beat tale of a bridge jumper 'Mr. X', or acoustic guitar/flute instrumental 'Love In Transition', the band deftly jumps from style to style without losing their identity or giving the listener whiplash. As if it wasn't enough to perfect their trademark sound and dismantle it all on the same record, The Grip Weeds have also reinvented the Todd Rundgren classic 'Hello It's Me'. While the original is a much-loved 1970s classic, The Grip Weeds replace the song's slicker elements with Nuggets-style grit.
As major record labels circle the drain, the Grip Weeds lead the D.I.Y./indie rebellion on Strange Change Machine. Every inch of this album – from the writing and performing down to the recording, engineering and artwork – was created by the Grip Weeds and the Grip Weeds alone. With Strange Change Machine the Grip Weeds have aimed their vision for rock and roll beyond the reach of the telescopes, so grab hold and enjoy the ride.
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New York Post
The International Pop Overthrow Festival is like speed dating for the rock 'n' roll set. More than 120 indie pop acts perform in 15 shows throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, with each set lasting only about 20 minutes.
The festival, which kicked off this week and runs through Dec. 14, brings melodic bands from near and far to spread the gospel of pop.
Forget Justin Timberlake or Christina Aguilera - this is the music of the Beach Boys, Byrds and Beatles of the '60s.
"The IPO festivals have done great things to create a buzz for 'power pop' music," said Kurt Reil, whose group the Grip Weeds performs at Arlene Grocery next Friday. |
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Q Magazine
Taking their name from John Lennon’s character in the 1966 Dick Lester movie How I Won the War, the Grip Weeds are steeped in both the Beatles and Byrds. As well as alternating between tough, sexy Ticket to Ride guitar lines and slow-mo tidal waves of 12-string jangle-and-chime, they recreate vocal harmonies from both bands. It’s all done with warmth and freshness, though, even if founding brothers Kurt and Rick Reil have been at it for 13 years now (this is their third LP). The sumptuous guitar sounds, crafted by Rick Reil and Kristin Pinell, are the grip Weeds’ glory. But continued cultish obscurity is guaranteed by their lack of a Neil Finn or Noel Gallagher to provide songs of similarly resurrective quality. |
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The Sunday Times
Like Cotton Mather, New Jersey's Grip Weeds are in thrall to the past. Their third album invokes vintage recordings by the Move or the Who, pitched at the mythical moment where pure pop struggled with the onset of rock, a self-styled “serious” music about to break the three-minute barrier. This it embodies a host of contradictions; Kristin Pinell’s guitar solos are both histrionic and utterly inspired; the cod sensitivity of Future Move follows the knockout beat-pop of Is It Showing. Then, suddenly, the slippery stomp of Changed dissolves into a sitar-infused drone and the Grip Weeds are absolved. Life and Love’s tabla percussion resonates in all the right regions; Pinell’s vocal on a cover of Pete Townshend’s Melancholia is suitably... melancholic; and the title track is the kind of slow-burning, snake-charming, psychedelic vamp nobody writes anymore, and maybe never did. |
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Fufkin
It has been several months since a disc that will contend for Top Ten honors in 2004 has arrived in my mailbox - that is not the case anymore. The Grip Weeds fourth full-length disc, Giant On The Beach (on Rainbow Quartz), features 13 tracks of primo pseudo-60s psych-pop that leaves one admiring this band's talent for building on a 60s (Byrds, Kinks, Who, Amboy Dukes) foundation with an originality that many contemporary bands lack. Jangly guitars are sometimes pronounced and sometimes blended into the Grip Weeds' "wall of guitars" sound. It's not the jangly guitars that keep me listening to their songs - it's the great songwriting, great riffs and wonderful harmonies...Long may you run, Kristin, Kurt, Rick and Michael. |
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Magnet
The Grip Weeds have a palpable group chemistry that so many bands boast of but so few actually possess. |
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Bucketfull of Brains (UK)
This is a band of four distinct individual talents that superbly blend together as one, creating a
whole which is greater than its parts and which, without each of these pieces, would be left
lacking. |
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Allmusic
A Grip Weeds song is so distinctive and unique that it obliterates most pop pretenders, retro-mongers, and fetishists. |
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Little Steven
We like to mix it up in Jersey and The Grip Weeds are a great example. A touch of John Lennon (and an appropriation of his character's name in "How I Won The War"), a bit of The Byrds, A dash of The Kinks, pinch of The Who, and a dallop of more muscular Zombies and you get something quite original actually. And quite cool. |
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