New Music - Grand Champeen

Grand Champeen are about as pure and straightforward a rock n’ roll band as you’re likely to find. Taking their cues from the gloriously sloppy hayday of such great Twin Tone bands as The Replacements and Soul Asylum, they’ve been playing together for 17 years, and putting out records since their 2000 debut, Out Front By The Van. Of that record All Music said, “Grand Champeen's debut album is an exhilarating work reminiscent of early-'70s Rolling Stones, the Minneapolis scene of the 1980s, and the No Depression movement of the 1990s: in short, the album takes some of the best music of the last 30 years and puts it all together in under 40 minutes”. High praise indeed, and being that those are three of my favorite eras/bands/musical movements it should come as no surprise that I think Grand Champeen kicks some major ass.

After releasing two more ragged and rawkin’ albums for Glurp, 2002’s Battle Cry For Help and 2003’s The One That Brought You, and years spent playing live, the band decided to take some well earned time to regroup. They returned earlier this year with Dial T For This, their debut on the In Music We Trust label. Featuring a tighter, more melodic version of the band, Dial T For This showcases their new emphasis on song craft over their earlier alcohol fueled thrash. Some might decry the new direction, but Grand Champeen is confident of the album, calling it “their best record” and not hesitating to reveal that it was “recorded and mixed to tape, without the aid of Pro Tools or any editing software”. But even a tamer Grand Champeen still rocks harder than most bands can brag to on their wildest nights. Check out the following 3 tracks from the new album, or go to the Grand Champeen myspace and listen to a few other songs from Dial T For This, including my favorite - “Wounded Eye”.

MP3 :: Different Sort Of Story
MP3 :: Raul Vera
MP3 :: Rottweiler Hair
(from Dial T For This. Buy here)
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Bonus MP3 :: One And Only
Bonus Video :: Bottle Glass
(from The One That Brought You. Buy here)

Bonus MP3 :: Miss Out
Bonus MP3 :: Cottonmouth
(from Battle Cry For Help. Buy here)

Bonus MP3 :: Threw A Fit
(from Out Front By The Van. Out of print.)
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