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The Grifters make music because what else would they do. They only recently had to stop working menial day jobs when not on tour. Their average age is about twice that of Silverchair's. A couple of them are proud parents. And oh yeah, they're from Memphis, Tennessee, a city with considerable musical heritage. Peter Guralnick, Stanley Booth, and Nick Tosches, among others, will provide elements of this history for you, if you have time to visit your local library.

 

The Grifters are four people. Stan drums with such groove-laden precision that metronomes have committed suicide after hearing him play. The bass playing is unrelentingly inventive, and frequently carries the melody of a Grifters song. Neither "lead" nor "rhythm" guitar are specified, but there's a lot of both in their sound. Their voices collide and glide with each other in a call-and-response-derived, layered singing style that is solely Grifter-ish. Their songwriting technique is itself unique to indie-rock: parts weave together unexpectedly, echoing the movies' jump-cut or the po-mo splice of the hip-hop song. The words are imagistic, but not crappy poetry. In all, one could simply say the Grifters use very old stuff--rock beats, rock rhythms, rock sounds--to come up with some of the most intelligent, original, and "new" rock music around.


Ain't My Lookout is the Grifters first full-length record since signing to the Sub Pop label, and it shines like the goddamn sun. It was recorded, like the two preceding it, with the acclaimed Doug Easley at his Easley Studios. "We were totally surprised we came up with such a poppy record this time," Scott blushes. "We didn't expect it to turn out that way, but we're really pleased and excited about it at the same time."

 

"You see, we go in and record in a day or two and what happens, happens," Dave explains, touching on the difference between live and recorded takes of any of their tunes. The Grifters never play a song the same way twice. The recorded version is just a template for different arrangements and versions. The Grifters are one of the most engaging live bands in the world. In support of Ain't My Lookout, the group will be doing extensive touring of the US and abroad.

 

A Special Message From The Grifters:
Hello friends, it's good to see you again. When we last jawwed, we were 4-trackin' it and doin' it at home. Creative control on all that stuff. But then we decided it was time to make the leap, you know? I, for one, was broke! At some point you've got to put your foot down and say NO MORE USHER'S GREEN STRIPE! So, after a dizzying ordeal we ended up, obviously, with our friends at Sub Pop. And since clearing the proverbial broom we found out that things didn't change so much at all. We still have creative control and everything's alright. Not that it's really a big deal because bands don't really catch that much shit for selling out anymore. Do they? Well, at least we haven't started singing about the world's injustices. Nope, all the songs are about the same stuff, girls, liquor, the solar system, you know. We think you'll dig it. Well, we're going to imagine that you're digging it, whether you do or not. So, anyway, we'll see you this year sometime. WE LOVE YOU!

You should visit the Shangri-La Records web site. They've put out all of the other Grifters' records. Also, The Grifters may be coming to your town! Check the tour schedule.

"Ain't My Lookout" came out on February 13, 1996.

Tracks

  1. Covered With Flies- (314K WAV or RealAudio)
  2. Parting Shot
  3. Mysterious Friends
  4. Boho / Alt
  5. Pretty Notes
  6. Day Shift - (380K WAV or RealAudio)
  7. Last Man Alive - (297K WAV or RealAudio)
  8. My Apology
  9. The Straight Time
  10. Return To Cinder
  11. Give Yourself To Me
  12. Fixed In The Sky
  13. Radio City Suicide

    Buy it now!

video


Discography
- as A Band Called Bud: Dad cassette, self-released, 1989
- Disfigurehead 7" EP, Doink, 1990
- The Kingdom Of Jones 7" EP, Doink, 1991
- So Happy Together LP/CD/cass, Sonic Noise, 1992
- "Soda Pop"/"She Blows Blasts Of Static" 7", Shangri-La, 1992
- "Corolla Hoist"/"Thumbnail Sketch" 7", Shangri-La, 1992
- One Sock Missing LP/CD/cass, Shangri-La, 1993
- "Under The Ground" (split w/Crain), Simple Machines Holiday Series, Oct'93
- "Holmes"/"Junkie Blood" 7", Darla, 1994
- "Bronze Cast"/"Confidential" 7", Shangri-La, 1994
- Crappin' You Negative LP/CD/cass, Shangri-La, 1994
- "Queen Of The Table Waters"/"Return To Cinder" 7", Sub Pop, 1994
- Eureka 10"/CD, Shangri-La, 1995
- Ain't My Lookout LP/CD, Sub Pop, 1996
- "Wicked Thing"/"Organ Grinder" 7", Sub Pop, 1997
- Full Blown Possession LP/CD, Sub Pop, 1997

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 ©1995; sub pop records