Bleek & Grimm is the nearly anticipated EP of five all-new songs written by Aaron Seymour and Craig Teiken. Seymour’s pensive lyrics and melodic vocals are intriguingly paired with Teiken’s inventive guitar riffs and progressions. The imaginative guitars, bass, drums, percussion and harmonica playing of Rich Mattson elevates these bleak and grim songs to a more dramatic and picturesque landscape . This five-song record is a unique 19-minute blend of grownup-weird-kid tough pop, sensitive rock, and psychedelic folk.
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As the blurred time and place between dreams and reality that became the Minnesota winter of 2020-2021 continued its descent into the cold absurd, vocalist Aaron Seymour (aka ‘Berry Bleek’) and guitarist Craig Teiken (aka ‘Garry Grimm’) got together to embrace and indulge their imaginary alter egos. Wearing winter jackets and face masks, and speaking to each other only when necessary, Bleek & Grimm sat physically distanced at opposite ends of a south Minneapolis attic, and together their imaginations created and/or captured songs that came to them through the cold, opened attic windows.
They brought five of these songs into Uptown Sound recording studio,and recorded them with acclaimed producer/engineer Rob Genadek, all in one evening.
Through the miracle of technology, singer/songwriter/musician Rich Mattson (aka ‘Quarry Quold’) added his own supernaturally inspired electric and acoustic guitar parts, along with bass guitar, field drums, percussion, and harmonica to the recordings, all from quarantine at his Sparta Sound recording studio on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota.
Back at Uptown Sound in Minneapolis, Seymour added layers of harmonic backup vocals. Handsome Matt Darling added his distinctive trombone to the title track. The multi-talented Edie Rae sang some additional subtle background vocals. Studio wiz and musician Rob Genadek added additional percussion and backing vocal tracks. Garry Grimm added backing vocals.
With the help of Bleek & Grimm, Genadek then put it all together, engineering the mixing of all the tracks at Uptown Sound in Minneapolis, where Genadek also completed the mastering.
The result is this strange and hooky EP of midwestern American folk rock; tipsy with imagination, stoned by reality, and drawing a surreal line between acceptance and resignation.
I knew Bob before he was 'Slim'. Then lost touch. Always followed him musically from Buzz Barker and the Atomic Bums to his solo work. I was never much into listening to live music at First Ave or bars so I didn't really get to watch him play and sing. I did see him open for Roseanne Cash once. Take care Bob! clayb
A split cassette archives the recordings of two youthful Massachusetts bands, whose sounds range from math rock to dream pop to punk. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 2, 2018