Jared Grabb: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Dulcimer, Banjo, Mandolin, Organ

Base of operations: Chicago, IL

MP3s at www.myspace.com/jaredgrabbsolo
Website at www.jaredgrabb.com

Biography:
Jared Grabb has been performing and recording since 1995. He has played in a great many bands, the most notable being The Forecast (Eyeball Records) and Scouts Honor (No Idea Records/Thinker Thought Records). He was the principle songwriter for Scouts Honor, and he assisted songwriting in The Forecast. He has toured the country many times and performed alongside acts such as Against Me!, Joey Cape, Minsk, Fire When Ready, Sundowner, The Junior Varsity, Jena Berlin, Bridge And Tunnel, Grant Hart (Husker Du), The Gunshy, Picture Books, Why Intercept?, Landmines, The Great Redneck Hope, Lewis & Clarke, Jake Bellows (Neva Dinova), One AM Radio, The Forecast, Rescue, Moneen, and Park. Jared Grabb has also performed in Germany, at Around The Coyote Festival in Chicago, IL, at Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, PA, at Launch Music Conference in Lancaster, PA, and twice at The Fest in Gainesville, FL. Mr. Grabb released his most recent album titled "Where Do You Hide Your Love Songs?" on March 9, 2010. The album is FREE in CD format at shows. Thinker Thought Records sells the album as a vinyl LP and digital download.

Similar artists: Rocky Votolato, The Good Life, Chuck Ragan, Tim Barry, William Elliott Whitmore

Discography:
"Pulling Weight" Thinker Thought Records 2012
V/A "Ten Years Of Thinker Thought" Thinker Thought Records 2011
Jared Grabb & Wesley Wolfe "Jared Grabb & Wesley Wolfe" digital Thinker Thought Records 2010
"Where Do You Hide Your Love Songs?" LP/digital Thinker Thought Records 2010
"Where Do You Hide Your Love Songs?" CD Self-Released 2010
"Crude Songs (2003 Demos)" Self-Released 2008
Jared Grabb/The Lesser Birds of Paradise "Reading Light" Thinker Thought Records 2003
"On The Inside" Thinker Thought Records 2002


Jared Grabb - Download printable press photo 1 (1600 x 2400 jpeg) - by Brett Rhoades


Jared Grabb - Download printable press photo 2 (2400 x 1600 jpeg) - by Brett Rhoades


Jared Grabb - Download printable press photo 3 (2400 x 1600 jpeg) - by Brett Rhoades

Track Listing:
1. La Salle (Jared Grabb)
2. Climb Up (Wesley Wolfe)

Press:
"Three bites of the same tasty apple: Those curious about the advanced craft of the solo-recording Wolfe's 2010 sophomore prize Storage (the astute PopMatters called it one of the finest pop records this year) will be equally served by either that or the reissue of his previous 2007 debut, Dumb Children. In both cases, the Carrboro, NC bartender makes records that sound like full bands, avoiding the curse that afflicts too many go-it-alone, would-be Phil Spectors.  On both albums, he builds his tunes outward, using simple folksy acoustic guitar as this base before adding sonic delights on top: a spare, repeating lead guitar line or ringing scratchy electric here, a sleigh bell or piano there, a unique drum rhythm at will.  Having enticed, his songwriting comes natural, with comely verses and choruses that bite hard, and a voice that compares favorably to The Dimes' Johnny Clay.  Newcomers cannot go wrong with either Dumb or Storage.

"As well, Wolfe placed a song on the split 7" (also for purchase digitally) that appears on neither LP, and is more quality.  With its double-timed acoustic plucking, it's particularly Dimes-like, methinks-at least until the contrasting Pete Townshend power chords appear like deus ex machina!  Meanwhile, his friend Grabb, whose most recent solo LP Where Do You Hide Your Love Songs? I reviewed last issue, offers another slice of his winsome, quick-paced folk-pop that seems so refreshed after the heavier metallic ballast of his Scouts Honor records." - Jack Rabid / The Big Takeover #67

"Chicago 's Jared Grabb and Carrboro , North Carolina 's Wesley Wolfe will release this split 7-incher September 7th, 2010 on clear vinyl and digital download from Thinker Thought Records. Both songs, 'La Salle' by Grabb and 'Climb Up' by Wolfe are captivating in their own right, but act as yin and yang when played back to back. On their own both would be strong singles, but their volume is equal even as they are different in terms of delivery.

"Paired together they elicit a shorthand of storytelling in the listener's mind. Musically, they play aesthetically as a fictional past and present, 'La Salle' as an energetic and vibrant moment in time and 'Climb Up' many years later as reflection and illumination. 'La Salle' is an upbeat number, built around acoustic guitar playing that ascends and descends with a subtle Latin feel. Grabb sings with twisting vocals, 'We're young and poor and different,' a lyric that sticks around even as the song ends. His singing is warm and inviting, layered with a crooner's sensibility.

"'Climb Up' is, to a degree, dreamlike, due to smooth and crystallized vocals matched with the song's strolling nature. The song's initial gentle acoustic picking is met with heavy-handed electric guitar strikes that are fuzzed and reverberating. The effect is powerful, echoing in the background like emotional alarm. Its plodding tempo works like a trance - lulling and hypnotic, delivering comfort more than as an effort to dislodge. Its a complex song, but comes off as quite simplistic - a handful of musical ideas placed together with elegant effect.

"While Grabb's song is memorable for its catchiness and hook, Wolfe's is for emotional resonance. The split single from these singer-songwriters should serve as an invitation to dig deeper into their respective catalogs." - Brian Tucker of Bootleg Magazine

Track Listing:
1. Born Of The Woods
2. Stuart Nelson
3. Bathe In The Rays
4. That Ring
5. Devil Between
6. True Blue
7. Musta Been A Ghost
8. 2nd Story Cody Court
9. Path For Walking
10. Durango
11. Lindsay's Lullaby

Press:
"Folk songs infuse element of indie rock for something different." - Creative Loafing

"After getting his ya-yas out for seven years with his darkly heavy, Melvins-like metallic- post-punkers Scouts Honor, Chi-town singer-songwriter Grabb returns to the folk-pop of two earlier solo records that coincided with their 2002-2003 launch. Otherwise, Where’s rootsy, ear-friendly music, with its slabs of picked acoustic, banjo, mandolin, and keyboards, would have been a jarring surprise. Perhaps after 442 (I dig precision!) screaming gigs with SH before their cessation last year, he found it refreshing to relax, and the inflections of outlaw country and ‘30s blues keeps Where as inviting as earnest lyrics such as “The only place I wish to be is pressed up to your body”—balancing icy suicide ‘n’ murder ballads a la Mississippi John Hurt, Carter Family, Johnny Cash, and Nick Cave, in the tragic “Stuart Nelson” and maniacal “True Blue."

"Speaking of Scout’s Honor, it’s hard to shift from the considerable space and thought, and even bolts of tenderness on Grabb’s new work to the bitter bludgeoning that his old band doled out—let alone the bracing juxtaposition of Grabb’s Ian MacKaye-like bellows versus his countryside folk voice. But those brave enough to try it will find some sludgy, screaming skull catharthis on Buried, the trio’s third and final LP. The promo sheet’s claim that it is the band’s “heaviest, most abrasive” effort is easily born out by the black harsh riffs and peeved vocals, as if the band wanted to go down raging against their own demise. It comes with a DVD documentary chronicling the band’s history and farewell gig, March 29, 2009." - Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover #66

"Latest indie-rocker (well, sludgy rocker punk) to take the acoustic highway. Apparently, not for the first time. This is his third solo CD, with Mr. Grabb handling the vocals, guitars, banjo, mandolin, and organ with occasional help on drums and bass on a couple of tracks. Occasionally, the vocals are a little strained, but overall, the quality of the songwriting and instrumentation carries this along quite nicely. Fans of the solo work of the likes of Chuck Ragan would do well to indulge." - Ramsey Kanaan of AMP Magazine #101

"Who knew Jared Grabb had a softer side? Formerly of Chicago hard-rock acts Scouts Honor and The Forecast, he has traded in his ferocious guitar riffs and angst-filled vocals for banjo, mandolin, and a laid-back vibe. Where Do You Hide Your Love Songs is full of thoughtful lyrics and melodies..." - Carter Moss of Illinois Entertainer

"Simple, gusty rock and folk songs." - WBOR 91.1 FM Brunswick, ME

"The musical progression through which Jared Grabb led his band, Scouts Honor, over the years, involved a rough folk-punk sound at its outset and by the end had become a filthy, sludgy stoner rock sound. So perhaps it makes sense that Grabb's first solo effort would be a little more in line with Scouts Honor's earlier stuff, but often stripped of any heavier instrumentation and presented with a graceful air. Where Do You Hide Your Love Songs? moves with an easygoing, pop-tinged folk and even occasionally bluegrass-esque trajectory." - Brian Shultz at PunkNews.Org

"Jared Grabb, formerly of Chicago in-your-face rockers Scouts Honor, is showing off his earnest side with his new solo material, which is a bit more subdued than the intensity of his old group. Instead of shouting and pedal-to-the-metal guitar riffs, Jared showcases his delicate yet poignant vocals over simple acoustic melodies." - Richard Giraldi of LoudLoopPress.Com 

Track Listing:
1. My Heart Does Not Travel (Jared Grabb)
2. Restoration of Beauty (Jared Grabb)
3. Josephine - Loud Version (The Lesser Birds of Paradise)
4. Boy - Loud Version (The Lesser Birds of Paradise)

Press:
"This collaborative effort boasts two songs by each. Jared Grabb's acoustic gems are, as always, poignant and endearing. The Lesser Birds' songs are good; 'Boy (Loud)' is the better track of the two, with rollicking guitars and chugging drums. Also features illustration by Grant Reynolds. It's a worthwhile acquisition."- Punk Planet

"Reading Light is a four song split CD featuring two of Thinker Thought Records'artists. Jared Grabb provides two acoustic tunes, singer-songwriter style with strong vocals. The Lesser Birds of Paradise pick up the pace with some driving indie pop. Both artists have well crafted songs that continue to impress after repeated listens. This is a good introduction to Jared Grabb and the Lesser Birds of Paradise."- Impact Press

"In this artistic creation, Jared Grabb collaborates with Chicago's The Lesser Birds of Paradise to produce laid-back yet uplifting music. Jared Grabb performs tracks 1 and 2, introducing the listener to heart-wrenching, story-telling songs; while The Lesser Birds of Paradise take a more electric, straightforward approach in tracks 3 and 4. This four-song release showcases both artists' guitar strumming and vocal skills as they wrap you up in their acoustic rhythms and soothing melodies."- Skratch Magazine