The Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St.) is honored to host the Storie Grubb What the Devil? Album Release Party at 6pm Thursday, Jan. 19. What the Devil? will be available for purchase at the party. As always, this Record Exchange in-store event is free and all ages.

Storie Grubb seems to be confronting his demons…

What the Devil? begins with a BANG on the title track, a classic garage rock anthem perfect for these oddly interesting times we find ourselves living in. In “Bury Me,” we see a softer, more transparent side to Grubb’s lyrics, describing what seems to be war time and the inevitable betrayal of true love. In “Candlelight,” Grubb shares his love of evolution and acceptance of global warming: “Why try cuz everybodies gonna die/So let the oceans come right in/Everybody wants to fight/By candlelight.” The song “Names” describes a world where image, unfortunately, truly is everything, originality is taboo and labeling others is the norm. But fear not, Stories assures us that there are no answers to your questions…

“There are multiple themes at work,” adds Grubb, “like illustrating dreams. Where do we begin? Well, we begin with themes and references that we can ALL relate to.”

What the Devil? was recorded by Storie in his basement in Boise on a very old version of Garageband (2005?). “I write a lot of the melodies and guitar licks on the spot, which I couldn’t afford to do in a proper studio. So recording at home is best for me at this point. I don’t have much of a social life anymore so I just work and work until it’s done.”

Shane Brown, who has played with many notable local bands such as James Plane Wreck, is on drums. Matthew Vorhies of A Mighty Band of Microbes and Fleet Street Klezmer Band plays accordions. K.C. Martin of Velvet Hook and Marquina put down some funky bass (check out “Curtain Falls”). Storie Grubb not only wrote all the songs, he also plays the guitars, ukuleles, bass, tambourines, shakers and vocals.

From dirty garage rock to sweeping ballads of love and horror, Storie Grubb leaves us guessing once again. A final note from our Idafolky: “The world is coming undone around our ears. There’s poison in the water, dirty bloody money in never ending political wars, injustices, inequalities, blatant disrespect for the people’s needs, human rights violations on an unprecedented scale not seen in 50 years and evil to be fought at every fucking turn …but the people still want good dance music. Well, there’s plenty of it out there…this is not dance music.”

STORIE GRUBB AUTOBIOGRAPHY

If I were going to be honest, the Storie Grubb project began in Chico, California, in 1995 when I started to play guitar and write my own songs. I was fifteen years old and completely obsessed with learning the instrument. I used to record on two old tape players, overdubbing guitars and keyboards back and forth, until I had created these half-hour-long gibberish pieces. I remember turning my mom’s little half of the shop into my studio and I spent as much time as I could out there plucking and creating these odd masterpieces.

After barely graduating high school (and being homeless once or twice), I spent a few years just trying to stay alive. I moved a lot in my early twenties… from Grants Pass, Oregon, to Paso Robles, California…I lived in Eureka, California, for a bit and even over to Boise, Idaho for a few months in the summer of 2002. It wasn’t until I was 23 (in 2003) and living in Ashland, Oregon, that I was able to record music again, but this time it was all digital and far superior to the old tape players I was used to. I was also able to stay still for a while and focus on songwriting…

Fast forward a few more years (and about five monikers later), and here I am in Boise, Idaho, with the same sort of set up. I have transformed one of the rooms in my basement into my makeshift recording studio. With an old computer, a few guitars, some keyboards and my ukuleles, I now have a way to share the sounds I hear in my head with whomever will listen.

I have always been a visual artist as well. My earliest memories are of me drawing with a crowd of toddlers around me watching in wonder. The Storie Grubb comic book began in Portland, Oregon, in 2008, where I would illustrate the lyrics to my songs and also draw out my thoughts and feelings about the world and universe around me. I now try to meld these two forms of art together because, for me, where one ends the other begins.

Members and Duties:

Vocals, Guitar, Ukulele, Banjo, Harmonica, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion / Storie Grubb

Accordion and Moral Support/ Matthew Vorhies

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