The Grip Weeds Unearth 1960s Rock Gems

Garage rock and psychedelic rock are genres which continue to have strong appeal for a legion of fans. Thanks to the advent of digital music platforms like Little Steven’s Underground Garage on Sirius XM, and a host of CD and vinyl re-issues of music from the 1960s, songs from the era are being re-discovered by longtime devotees, and heard for the first time by appreciative younger listeners. The Grip Weeds, a New Jersey based psychedelic pop/rock band, recently released DiG, an album featuring the band’s unique interpretations of music from the era. The band has been a long-time staple of the indie rock, psyche-pop and power pop scene since their formation in the late 1980s. DiG is the group’s way of celebrating the music that inspired them, and showcasing their compelling interpretations of songs like “Porpoise Song” by The Monkees and “Shape of Things to Come” by The Yardbirds.

DiG is a superb record, featuring a wide-ranging selection of tunes, including FM radio staples like “Journey to the Center of the Mind,” originally by The Amboy Dukes, to lesser known nuggets like “I Wonder” by The Gants. In fact, “nuggets” is a key word here, since that was the title of a now legendary 1972 collection of garage rock and psychedelic music curated by Lenny Kaye. In a nice bit of symmetry, Kaye provides the liner notes for DiG. The album is truly a celebration of the garage rock and psychedelic eras. DiG is filled with nuggets, gems, and unearthed treasures, from “I Love You” by The Zombies to Thunderclap Newman’s anthem “Something in the Air.” Familiar and much beloved tracks like "Lies" by The Knickerbockers sit comfortably next to lesser known (but incredible) songs such as “Lie, Beg, Borrow and Steal” by Mouse and The Traps. Check out the band's outstanding version of that song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2_4Fb8dvAQ&list=OLAK5uy_k1REZLxeU9ELFvJ1SbsLLjlA_ZlVqKyeA&index=5.

The album is magnificently produced by guitarist and singer Kurt Reil, whose fine work gives these songs immersive depth and real atmosphere. The band is in outstanding form, and the unbridled enthusiasm of Reil and his bandmates Kristen Pinell Reil on guitars, percussion and vocals, Rick Reil on vocals, guitar and keyboards, and Dave DeSantis on bass is evident on every track. It’s hard not to smile, dance around the room and play air guitar when you hear the band’s charged up versions of “Louie, Go Home” by Paul Revere and the Raiders, ”Outside Chance” by The Turtles, or "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” by The Electric Prunes. DiG’s sound runs the gamut from the band's joyful interpretation of “Little Black Egg” (a track included on the deluxe edition of the album) to standout versions of The Velvet Underground’s “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” and The Rolling Stones track “Child of the Moon.” DiG is an album filled with high water marks, and essential cuts.

If you’re looking for even more to “DiG” the album is available in a two-disc deluxe version, which includes eleven additional songs. There’s also a very special edition of the album featuring a third disc entitled A Deeper DiG, which is available exclusively via the band’s website. A Deeper DiG includes a collection of wonderful rarities, including early live performances, demos and a radio appearance by the band. DiG is clearly a passion project for The Grip Weeds, and I look forward to hearing their next disc of original music, as I'm sure working on this album has energized the band. You can check out DiG, which is now available on JEM records at https://www.gripweeds.com. For more on the creation of DiG, check out my interview with Kurt Reil over at CultureSonar by following this link: https://www.culturesonar.com/the-grip-weeds-dig-some-cool-covers/, and here's a link to a trailer for the album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3Vtf-SgibQ.

"Kolchak's Coming Back...In Style!"

The 1970s was a great decade for TV horror fans. The genre flourished in the made for television movie genre with films like Trilogy of Terror, Gargoyles, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, and of course, The Night Stalker. Based on a novel by Jeff Rice, the now-classic 1972 telefilm told the story of a vampire-like killer on the loose in Las Vegas, and the efforts of a down on his luck reporter named Carl Kolchak to convince the authorities that the killer actually was a vampire. The movie effortlessly blended horror and humor, as Kolchak hunted down the vampire, while butting heads not only with the authorities, but also his long-suffering editor, Tony Vincenzo. Scripted by genre veteran Richard Matheson, and directed by John Llewelyn Moxey, The Night Stalker was a ratings smash, and a sequel, The Night Strangler, followed in 1973. That film was once again scripted by Matheson, but behind the camera this time was Dan Curtis, of Dark Shadows fame, who had produced the original movie. The story pitted Kolchak, now relocated to Seattle, against another eerie menace, an immortal man whose killings had stretched across decades. The Night Strangler was another ratings success, and after plans for a third telefilm didn't work out, ABC decided to produce a weekly television series.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker premiered on September 13, 1974. The series featured McGavin, back in his rumpled seersucker suit as Kolchak, and Oakland returning in his role as Vincenzo. Set in Chicago, the series found Kolchak battling werewolves, zombies, witches, and aliens. While it only lasted one season, the series left an indelible impression on a generation of kids, including myself. One of those kids was Chris Carter, who went on to create The X-Files. Carter cited the series as a significant influence on the adventures of Mulder and Scully. Kolchak: The Night Stalker featured a lot of great talent behind the scenes on the show. David Chase, who also worked on The Rockford Files and later went on to create The Sopranos, was a writer and story editor for the series. Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, years before their success with Back to the Future, penned the episode "Chopper," about a headless motorcycle rider, and Hammer horror veteran Jimmy Sangster scripted “Horror in the Heights” which is widely considered by fans to be one of the series' best episodes.

The complete series has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber. The label previously issued well done special editions of both The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler. Kolchak; The Night Stalker: The Complete Series features all twenty episodes of the show, which have been given excellent 2K hi-def restorations. There are commentaries for all of the episodes by noted writers and film historians like Kim Newman, David Schow, Amanda Reyes and Gary Gerani. I've listened to several of the commentaries at this point, and they’re insightful, engaging and informative. Also featured are interviews with David Chase, who discusses his time working on the series, and Dana Gould, creator of Stan Against Evil, who talks about the series influence on him. Another fun bonus feature included in the set are 14 original ABC network “coming attraction” promos for the series. There's also a booklet with an essay by Mark Dawidziak, author of The Night Stalker Companion. 

Darren McGavin is perfect in the role of Kolchak, and Simon Oakland is terrific as his editor and friendly nemesis, Vincenzo. Their scenes together are a marvelous (and entertaining) acting duet. The supporting characters in the newsroom, portrayed by Jack Grinnage and Ruth McDevitt, are also wonderful in their roles. And if you’re looking for a who’s who of 1970s TV personalities, legendary comedic actors and classic era movie stars, look no further than this show, where you'll spot Carolyn Jones, Phil Silvers, Larry Linville, Jim Backus, Keenan Wynn, Cathy Lee Crosby, Tom Bosley, Lara Parker, Nina Foch and Tom Skerritt in supporting roles. The show also features some genuinely frightening moments, in episodes such as “The Vampire” and “The Zombie,” which can still send a chill down your spine, even all these years later. The other aspect of the series that holds up well today is the suggestion of cover ups by the authorities, who often try to conceal the supernatural or otherworldly aspects of the menaces that Kolchak faces. The show was airing in the shadow of Watergate, and it sometimes echoed the conspiracy themes of films like The Parallax View and Three Days of the Condor. It’s no surprise that Chris Carter took inspiration from the show when he was creating The X-Files.

I’m a long-time devotee of both the TV movies and the series, and have great affection for McGavin and the show. It's a lot of fun to revisit these episodes, and while not all of them are classics, there are a few, such as "Horror in the Heights" and "The Spanish Moss Murders" that are very effective terror tales. Even the weaker episodes offer the fun of watching this terrific cast, led by McGavin in his definitive role (along with some cool guest stars) work their magic. If you’re a fan of the series, this set is a must have. It’s clearly produced by people who paid care and attention to this release, and wanted to give the series the best presentation possible. Kino Lorber has done a spectacular job with these episodes, as well as their previous editions of The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler TV movies. Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Complete Series is highly recommended. Here’s a link to Kino Lorber's site for more info: https://www.kinolorber.com. As Kolchak says in the The Night Stalker telefilm "Don't look now, baby, but Kolchak's coming back...in style!"

Peter Swanson's Perfectly Murderous Tale

Is there such a thing as a “perfect” murder? In Peter Swanson’s novel, Eight Perfect Murders, the answer appears to be yes; at least, in the literary sense. Malcolm Kershaw is a widower who co-owns and runs Old Devils, an independent bookstore in Boston, which specializes in mysteries. He’s approached by Gwen Mulvey, an FBI agent, who asks him about a post he’d written for the store’s blog several years ago about “Eight Perfect Murders” in fiction. The list includes works by Agatha Christie, James M. Cain, and Ira Levin. It turns out that someone is using the lethal methods from the books featured in Malcom’s blog post to commit several real-life murders. Gwen wants to know if Malcolm has any insights regarding the crimes, and if he has a connection to any of the victims.  That’s the initial setup of this deliciously twisty tale by Swanson, the author of The Kind Worth Killing, Before She Knew Him and Every Vow You Break.

The story is narrated by Malcom, and it’s notable that he admits from the outset that not all narrators in fiction are reliable. We’re seeing and hearing the story from his perspective, and he might not be giving us all the facts. While he helps investigates the killings, Malcolm reveals to us that he knows a bit more about what’s going on than he initially admitted to Gwen. As the story continues, there will be several twists and turns in the tale. Secrets will be revealed, and some dark truths about Malcolm’s past will come to light. Malcolm is a complex character. It’s no accident that one of the books on his list is Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, a novel which features an unreliable narrator. That’s one of a number of literary in-jokes and Easter eggs which are peppered throughout the novel by Swanson. Old school mystery fans will have a lot of fun catching all the meta-textual references to classic novels and films.

The supporting characters, including Malcolm’s co-workers at the Old Devils bookstore, are enjoyably quirky, and Swanson’s in depth descriptions of the Boston area locations featured in the story add color and atmosphere to the novel. There’s even a femme fatale of sorts lurking within these pages, which is one of several noir-ish touches in the story. This is a fast-paced, entertaining read that will keep you turning the pages, and there’s one last twist to the proceedings which comes after you think the story has ended. Eight Perfect Murderswill enthrall mystery aficionados, independent bookstore mavens and cat lovers. Yes, there’s a cat named Nero who inhabits the bookstore, a lovable feline who has a backstory which fits into the framework of the novel. This was my first book by Peter Swanson, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be definitely be checking out some of his other novels. Eight Perfect Murders is available online and in old-fashioned brick and mortar bookstores as well.