The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Strange Bird," a re-recording of The Grip Weeds 1988 debut single.  PHOTO COURTESY OF JEM RECORDS

When the veteran power-pop band The Grip Weeds were starting out in the New Brunswick music scene in the late ‘80s, one of the first original songs they played was “Strange Bird.”

The just-released third version of the song written by singer-guitarist-keyboardist Rick Reil is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.

As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “Strange Bird” also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on Sept. 20, on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you can tune in any time in the archives at The Penguin and Mixcloud.

“The first version of ‘Strange Bird’ was recorded in the early 90s, released as our debut single release in 1993 on Twang! Records in Germany and went  out of print for decades,” co-founding vocalist-drummer Kurt Reil said. “The band recut the song a second time and included it on our sophomore album, ‘The Sound Is In You’ online Ground Up Records. Still feeling it could be done better, we took yet another crack at it this year while recording our currently-in-the-works new album, slated for release in early 2025.

“Three times a charm,” Kurt continued. “This is the definitive recording of our earliest song!”

Also cut during recent recording sessions for the new album on Jem Records is "She Brings The Rain," which was the other side of the debut single. It will follow "Strange Bird" and be digitally released in October 2024. Release of the physical version will be concurrent with the upcoming Grip Weeds album of all new material in 2025.

Also guitarist Kristin Pinell and bassist Dave DeSantis, the band will play Oct. 25 at Bowery Electric in New York City opening for The Chesterfield Kings for their new album release.  The Jellybricks will share the bill.

For more, visit https://gripweeds.com.

Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and contact Bob at [email protected].