The Grip Weeds
Giant on the Beach
(Rainbow Quartz)

B

The Grip Weeds rank as one of the more eclectic members of the mind-bogglingly cool Rainbow Quartz stable of artists. The band’s specific brand of charging, cosmic roots-rock doesn’t stray from the neo-psychedelic RQ norm. What gives the paisley-lovin’ quartet a step up is its sure... er... grip on the subtle nuances of the style. The band is led by the über-talented Reil brothers, who wrote or co-wrote all of the album’s 13 tracks. I Believe tips it’s wool hat to Mike Nesmith, and there are more than enough Byrdsian harmonies to keep the longhairs rolling doobies all night long. Kurt Reil’s up-front drumming raises the energy level to dizzying heights on songs that would probably even sound great as simple acid-folk tunes. Wah-wah wonderful.

Jeff Monk