The Kirby Grips

Unifying gleaming and bright melodies of '60s pop with the energy and intensity of styles like punk rock, funk, and other modern sound composites, the Kirby Grips create original and artsy tunes. The Kirby Grips first formed in San Francisco in 1995, determined to create a luminous alternative pop style of their own. Constituted of vocalist and guitarist China Tamblyn, bassist Liz Byrne, and drummer Michele Kappel, the trio started by playing all around the Bay Area club scene, eventually enjoying an always engaging response from their audiences. Their themes presented not only a catchy sound compound, but also straight-to-the-edge keen lyrics, disclosing the trio's unique spirit, going beyond a simple donation of melodies. Swiftly conquering its own space around San Francisco's alternative arena, the band then started preparing its first recordings. After offering Fireman, their first 7" disc, the band got into the studio to record the EP The Celery Stalks at Night. The Cherry Stem Concertos appeared in 2000, and not long after, the Kirby Grips contributed to How Many Bands Does It Take to Screw Up a Blondie Compilation, a disc issued via the Sympathy for the Record Industry label.