Grifters: C er D?

Once upon a time, I was infatuated w/ the 2nd-to-last Grifters album (the one w/ the Jim Woodring cover, their 1st on Sub Pop - I can remember everything but the album's name, and I'm too lazy to bother looking it up). And then I saw Those Bastard Souls live, and all the fun cheekiness of the Grifters (their best quality) was replaced by this stiff earnestness. Boo hiss. (Yeah, it was only 1/4 of the Grifters - Mr. Dave Shouse, if I recall correctly - but, still, guilt by association can still bring about a conviction.) After that, my taste for the Grifters slowly faded. I have their last album around here somewhere, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me.

While FULL BLOWN POSSESSION, their second Sub Pop CD, does little for me, I must give "mad props" to ONE SOCK MISSING, CRAPPIN' YOU NEGATIVE, AIN'T MY LOOKOUT, and the EUREKA EP. They all have moments that would have best been left on the cutting room floor, granted.

And the live show! Man, they would suck now and again, but on an on- night they were just a terrific live band. And they did a great cover of "Rainin' Babies" as well.

Their best moment, IMO, was the version of "Junkie Blood" that came out on 7".

My friend saw them play in Tuscaloosa for 2 1/2 hours. They were going to play every song they knew, but one of them got too drunk or something to go on. Surprise.

My first experience of The Grifters was seeing them open for Fugazi on freaking hot race day in Indianapolis a couple of months before Crappin You Negative came out. One of the best shows I ever saw, it was in this old run down theatre and it was so damn hot you could see clouds of steam rise from the crowd, when you were at the back.

I saw them a couple of years later in Lexington after Ain't My Lookout came out in a small club. Another good show. The drummer was so loose and could drive the band where he wanted.

I think getting all of the side projects and the fact that they were together for so long before anything really started to happen for them hastened their departure. There are some good songs on the frist Those Bastards... record that would probably have been even better as The Grifters with some live dynamics and not just tracked together.

On another note, I was always impressed with the sound of Crappin You Negative and Eureka for being pretty good for being done quite a bit with 4 tracks.

Ain't My Lookout is quite good, a bit better than Full Blown Possession, which I have grown to like with time. The biggest change of their last couple of albums is that their sound is pretty high gloss and doesn't have nearly the weird exploding guitar sounds like their first two albums, but the songs are all pretty good.

I never heard that very first ep before One Sock Missing, but it is supposedly not all that hot.

One Sock Missing has some good songs but with much less fidelity than Crappin' You Negative. "She Blows Blasts of Static" is a great song and the title fits how it sounds so very well.

we never played in Las Vegas. I've never even been there.

Stan and I both play in Dragoon. Check us out. You might hear where some of the grifters' patented chaos came from. Also if you check out our myspace page click on BOB on our friends list for a look at me and Stan's ( and John Stivers) high school band. the impetus behind much of the grifters improvisational nature (though right now, all that's up on the page are selections from our goofier side)

Scott is playing with Memphis Babylon (Choppergirl backed by a rock band)
and he runs Hoodoo Labs which has been producing a lot of great Memphis rap.

I'm not sure what's up with Dave's projects. I know Kevin March left to do a project with Craig Wedren (Shudder to Think).

There's been talk of reunion shows but I'll go ahead and say that I'm the hold-out. I'm finally in a band I really love and frankly Dave left us in the dust on his quest for whatever and I don't particularly relish the thought of returning to that situation. So.... sorry but the only time Dave wants to work with us is when his other projects hit a lull and I loved the band too much to watch it be reduced to some kind of fall-back position.

And I have to say this. Every single article or online discussion or blog or whatever that I've ever read about us describes it as being the songwriting team of Shouse and Taylor. That's not the way it was.

Yes, there are some songs that are completely Dave, like Eureka IV, X-Ray Hip, Queen of the table Waters, Felt-Tipped Over, #1 to name a few.

There are a few songs that are completely Scott's like, Sain, 10,000, Hours, Piddlebach, Shark.

And there are some songs that are completely mine like, You be the Stranger, Fixed in the Sky, Here Comes Larry (all instrumentals. in fact, You Be the Stranger was performed by me, Stan, and John Stivers. So there's a performance by BOB on our last record truth be told.)

BUT the grifters were mainly a collective. MOST of our songs were written by commitee. There are a lot of songs that I brought in as basically instrumental guitar rock that would end up having lyrics written for them. I brought in Corolla Hoist, Maps of the Sun, Covered With Flies, passing Out, Mysterious Friends, Wreck, Holmes, Happy, Casual Years and Contact Me Now and they became grifters songs at practice. Which was sometimes a gut-wrenching experience. I was pretty bummed out by the way the song Happy became 'Bastard Soulsified'.

Songs like Rats or Side were things that Scott had that we worked up at practice. Those songs are so chaotic sounding because of the way we would drunkly eviscerate them. (grifters practices were usually a buffet of beer, weed, acid, liquor)

There were songs like Bummer which started as a jam on one of Scott's riffs then Dave took it home and came up with a verse and some lyrics.

There were some songs that started with John Stivers giving me a riff that I brought to practice and they became grifters staples like, Founder's Day Parade and most notably Junkie Blood (which started out as a BOB song)

So I'm sorry if I ruined some of the mystery surrounding our stuff but I often feel like even though I did some of the best work I've ever done with the Grifters my contribution was completely nebulous. Nobody knows what I did and as a result, most of what I did is attributed to Dave or Scott.

I never wrote any lyrics (not many anyway) but I'm all over those records. I usually played as much guitar on any given record as Scott or Dave. Covered With Flies, Corolla Hoist, Maps of the Sun, Mysterious Friends all have a whole lot of my guitar playing on them.

I know I've attained McCartney-level pettiness with this post but it drives me nuts. Really. Do you like it when someone else gets credit for your work?

And for what it's worth, I truly feel that Scott is the most under-appreciated lyricist of the 90's. And my favorite songs of ours are X-Ray Hip and Felt Tipped Over (both Dave tunes)

-Tripp

sorry for nerding up your board

naw, Columbia was always a bright spot on tour.

from what i can remember.

xpost

The analogy I always use to describe it is... it's like a girlfriend you use to have. The sex was incredible and it was a wild time BUT you fought a lot and she was always flirting with other guys. So you break up and it's a nasty break-up.
But a couple of years later you run into each other and enough time has passed that really all you remember is the great sex and it turns out you're both available at the time so you jump back in the sack and give things another try. Then sure enough, a week later you realize you have all the same problems you use to have and you kick yourself for being stupid enough to get back together.

did you move to NYC with all the other Columbians?

xpost

KCOU KCOU 88.1 BIG STAR ALEX CHILTON JODY STEPHENS GRIFTERS MEMPHIS GREG DULLI VAN DYKE PARKS ROAD TRIP TO CHICAGO ROLLERBLADES KCOU JEFF BREEZE UP AGAINST THE WALL MOTHERFUCKER.

And nah, Tripp. It was up in the rafters of the Blue Note while Seam was playing. Grifters are still in my top five Memphis bands.

yeah, the Clears were Alicia Trout and Shelby Bryant and Brad.... something.

Alicia is like the queen of memphis now. she's awesome.
if you go to myspace look for River City Tanlines or Contaminated Records.

Shelby put out some stuff on Steve Shelly's label . Look for
Cloud Wow Music.

but yeah, FBP is sorely lacking in the chaos department.

LPOE? If so, yeah that was on time. I tried to make the Murphy's show w/ Wallendas the other night, but was road worn. (Juicy J was, up until a couple of months ago, my boss. I know S. from when Yvonne B used to make me go to yoga with her. Ok, she didn't make me.)

Kristen found me via the grifters myspace page so that was cool.

Stan's 15 year old son runs the grifters page but I give him stuff for it all the time.

I'll try to put up that live version of Crashing Jet sometime.

Also, if you look on our friends list and go to Flecton Big Sky that's our old friend Miche Jette. the songs on his page are from his record that features der grifters backing him up (as well as Califone). Those recordings represent the last time the grifters recorded together.

we did record 2 songs later that year but the tape was lost forever so the Flecton recordings are it.

rad ... I will check that out

I saw Kristen a couple years ago at (drumroll) ... an nyc Bloodthirsty Lovers show. ha.

I still see Tim whenever Califone's in town. Which is never enough for me.

just don't pee on anybody.

Jacko asks if scat is acceptable.
Does Mempho have canals?
Our longboat is a bit special

Just been out into the cold ,grey, rainy gloom and it's dicking fucked flooded!
Advice to get Tennessee please?

oh shit - i've done a wrong un again with my THUMBNAIL SKETCH

FREEKOZOID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TWAT
sorry , night night

wot a fuckin freak
care in the community haa failed again

i just got full blown posesssion yesterday

my first grifters record

i love it

scuzz blues are my favorite blues

My fav band ever - get One Sock Missing, Ain't My Lookout and the first 2 EPs (The Doink Years). Those are my favorites.

that is about their least scuzzy record big HOOS, you've got some primo scuzz-blues discovery in store if you get some of the other ones

crappin you negative

Crappin You Negative is A++ scuzz, sounds like a rock band should.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtTCPiw-If0

Yeah but the end of "The Sweetest Thing" may be their most gorgeous moment.

i am

the mambo king

Wrapped tight in my tarantula skin

their most gorgeous moment = gotta be something off the Eureka EP. maybe Founder's Day Parade.

Dragoon (Tripp and Stan from the Grifters + Bobby from Trusty) has something out now:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003FF8860/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_mp3a

Dragoon is still slugging through.

myspace.com/dragoonmemphis

trying to get the first record done. Everything's recorded just need to mix a few things. And get it mastered. And do all the art.. it'll never get done..

― griftertripp, Wednesday, May 7, 2008 10:41 AM

their most gorgeous moment = gotta be something off the Eureka EP. maybe Founder's Day Parade.[

Founder's Day Parade is indeed a gorgeous tune.

The Grifters are still one of my favourite bands ever along with Ramones, Buzzcocks,Du, Mats et al - 'famous' bands if y'like

i think "wonder" is a pretty song

friend of mine just ripped a Grifters live show from cassette

http://soundcloud.com/dan-lehr/the-grifters-cha1994

live in Chattanooga, November 4th, 1994, at the Barking Legs Theater

Snake Oil
Bronze Cast
Wonder
Maps of the Sun
Holmes
Sain
Dead Already (incomplete)
Side
Steam
the Casual Years
Tat
Skin Man Palace
Corolla Hoist
Ground
Return to Cinder
10,000
Encrusted
Felt Tipped Over
Shark (incomplete)
You Don't Miss Your Water
Love X (incomplete)

I <3 this thread

Reformed?
Reunion shows for you lucky Memphibians

dammmmmn

!

Already happened. Video at http://www.rocketscienceaudio.com/ (you have to register)

Yeah but... I want to see them on the east coast :(

Wandering Boy Poet - thanks so much for the almighty link.

Given that they won't be visiting Ol' blighty again, any clues as to how to save this vid in case it walks?

It's some annoying new format. I've grabbed the (literally) 1000 or so fragments, but the methods for joining them don't seem to work for me (& I haven't got anything that'll play the fragments). Need to get back onto researching it.

Cheers WBT. please keep me updated. Not been lazy there, I'm just not tech and too fucking burnt out to learn

I haven't tried it, but the Firefox "Download Helper" add-on might work. It doesn't catch on to every web player but you can get lucky.

Evan. Thanks. Hopefully you have e mail?

i just dug out the eureka ep for the first time in…a decade?

some observations just because i wonder what this sounds like to other people almost 20 years on

eureka iv -- i still like this song, although what was up with gold boys and ray guns in the 90s? it sounds weird now.
his jesus song -- awesome, still love this and i would not mind being in this band
x-ray hip -- what the fucking fuck is going on with the singing/lyrics in this song. awful. otherwise it's fine but not memorable
there's also a song that sounds like an alex chilton impersonator

i guess part of it held up ok. that's not bad! the only song i could really get into was his jesus song. this video is pretty awesome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=995hAm-wcys

Relistened to it, still think it's their most solid release, though other albums contain some better songs.

I've always linked Eureka with Urge Overkill's Stull EP from a few years previous. Comes right between the promising/catchy/eccentric minor league album and the major label jump. Features an eclectic bunch of stuff, some much more accessible than anything previous, some out-there. Like a last-minute housecleaning before getting more focused. Actually there's a bit of similarity between the two bands' career arcs, probably due to the state of the music business at the time more than anything else, I'd guess. Especially:

Supersonic Storybook/Crappin You Negative
Eureka/Stull
Ain't My Lookout/Saturation
Full Blown Possession/Exit The Dragon

One Sock Missing is my favorite Grifters album, and one of my favorite albums from the 90's.

I only saw them once at a small bar around '95? They were good and sloppy or sloppy good I guess.

I still remember some drunk from the back kept yelling out, "Rolling Stones!"

I guess I could see them covering a couple of the 'Exile' songs.

mmhmm

Grifters show in September at Gonerfest and two in November in NYC

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2014/08/memphis_legends.html

drudgesiren.gif

got my tickets for Glasslands already. thinkin I'll go to both of the new york ones. one of my favorite live bands of all time.

see u at mercury lounge

high five

I need to get on this.

awesome, got glasslands tickets.

I just saw this, and it was too great not to mention. Bunch of blue-collar guys just jamming on the street. I'm guessing they'll do a Bad Company cover...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL6ctSaNQVg

Oh, to be, the state of the art, of boho/alt

nobody loves babies in bars
better than yourself

Still salty I missed the NYC show in 2014.

Cool jerk
No particular slogan
Signs are for the bottomless pit
Where nobody's going

love that song so much

i am

the mambo king

― mookieproof, Monday, April 19, 2010 1:31 AM (twelve years ago)

Wrapped tight in my tarantula skin

― CaptainLorax, Monday, April 19, 2010 2:45 AM (twelve years ago)

The situation's growing hopelеss
So I pretended not to noticе