Israel Gripka

“Running my mouth like a cotton mill spinning. Your feet stood still, but your heart wasn’t in it.” Guitars and banjos accompany this love story about a man who married, had children, served in the military, came home and tried to learn to survive in the freedom he thought he was fighting for. Powerful short story that is easy to listen to many times, and fills four minutes with many thoughts. I love songs like this that can take my mind into a new direction every time I hear it. Shoutouts for the powerful story hidden deep in Concrete (“every day your seasons change”), and Don’t Run (“this town is dying faster than me”). Israel Nash Gripka - Eartaste

CD Review: New York Town, by Israel Nash Gripka
Artist: Israel Nash Gripka
Title: New York Town
Website: http://www.israelgripka.com
Style: Rock/Folk Rock/Acoustic




One thing I love about this job is that the majority of the time, we get to hear the latest indie music releases before they are released to the buying public. Some isn’t so great, but then there are others that I recommend highly. Israel Gripka is one of the latter.

New York Town is set to debut on the indie market February 17, and though Gripka may be far from a household name (at least at the present), his vocal style is one that has an energy that has to be heard to be totally appreciated.

In addition to his vocals, New York Town is also spiced up by a full band that compliments Gripka very, very well. Add in quality songwriting, and there’s a quality full length CD debut!

As for satisfying one’s curiosity about Gripka’s influences, “Pray for Rain,” invokes tones of Dylan, there is a soulful ballas in “You Were Right,” and there is the lullaby style of “Beautiful.”

These are just examples of the good things about this particular album. Gripka’s vocals are also flavored with the style of John Fogarty, which makes this CD even more fascinating.


February 17 is the day. Music fans, note it on your calendar and pick up New York Town. You’ll be glad you did.

Rating: 4/5 - L. Anne Carrington

he cover is a murky picture that shows a messy haired young man with a guitar sitting in front of a river and with NYC in the background with a threatening sky overhead. Assuming it is on the Jersey side of the river that would be the George Washington Bridge, however it isn't quite clear. (See Old New Yorker Editor's Note below.) Much about this disc isn't quite clear except the music and the songs themselves. They take one back to early very Bruce Springsteen in their sound and delivery; the Springsteen of Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. This is a singer songwriter who came out of the Midwest playing in a band who moved to NYC to expand a solo career. There isn't much background on either the man or his music (and for that matter even the photos don't show him with any clarity so you could pick him out of a crowd). The you place the disc in the changer and you give a listen to a voice that knows what it wants to do, and does it. Just listen to the words of one of the twelve songs he wrote that comprise this disc, and you know this is someone you want to hear more from.

The voice has rough edges on it that give it some force and pushes the meaning forward. The backing band is well schooled with letting the singer present his message and plays with a force that accentuates the meaning and drives it home without obscuring it at all. There is a close to the earth sentiment that runs through the disc and it is presented in a way someone raised in a city wouldn't; concern for rain and seeing it as a healing force and not an inconvenience, and looking at concrete as an obstruction to the earth and growth. The music is folk gone electric to enhance meanings and give it the power it needs to reach a broader population. This is a disc that serves as a harbinger of more good music to follow and this is someone to definitely keep an eye on. - FAME

He may sound like the kind of artist you expect to be playing klezmer music, but New York-based singer-songwriter Israel Nash Gripka is at heart a child of the early 70s with a penchant for sing along folk rock that marks him out as a rival to the errant Ryan Adams. - OMH

This could well be the best album of its kind since Ryan Adam’s ‘Heartbreaker’ took us all by surprise many years ago. If Israel Nash Gripka can keep up this standard of song writing and performing he will rightly classed as one of the major talents we have right now.
- Penny Black Music

New York Town is an impressive debut offering from Israel Nash Gripka, and with his knack for storytelling and a killer chorus he is certainly one to keep an eye out for in the future. As he writes and records more, there’s no doubt he will develop his own voice further, and the rare occasions where his records slip into Americana autopilot will become few and far between - The Line of Best Fit

There once was a man who, after being born and raised in the Midwest amongst endless cows and wide open spaces, moved to New York City and released an album that mixes the ebullience of a storytelling Richard Thompson with the songwriting panache of Ryan Adams. Say hello to Israel Nash Gripka, the erstwhile bard of Brooklyn. Ok, maybe a little over the top but this is a fine, fine record nonetheless. There are times when listening that you have to check and see that you haven’t put ‘Gold’ in the wrong case as the Adam’s similarities don’t end just at the songwriting. His phrasing, delivery, and, as on “Let It Go” the slight uplifting tonal raises are uncanny. I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t hinder the listening experience as you do find yourself thinking, that IS Ryan, surely when you should just be enjoying the masterful songwriting talents of Mr Gripka. And a talent for songwriting he has for sure. The opener “Evening,” a rootsy tale of soured American dreams, has Gripka at full fettle – compelling and convincing. “Pray For Rain,” kind of Springsteen meets John Fogerty in design, and “Concrete,” a nailed-on US Americana chart topper are real foot-tapping fare for those of you who like their songs to have those big chorus that have you singing along after the third listen. The CD arrived is a thin paper sleeve with a blurred picture of Grypka sitting in front of the Brooklyn Bridge. A deliberate attempt has been made to make it look old, dog-eared, and played to death. They needn’t have bothered. A real gem to start off 2009 and a name I will be keeping a close eye on for sure. - Americana UK

If one thing's been hot for 2008, it's alt-country musicians. My Morning Jacket and Jenny Lewis took took over college radio, while Ryan Adams and The Cardinals carried on with their cool retro folk swagger.

Israel Nash Gripka takes the same recipe for success with his February release, New York Town.

For those wondering Gripka's influences, take a listen to "Pray for Rain," the second track on New York Town. The opening has a harmonica so distinct only Bob Dylan could replicate. The rest of "Pray for Rain" is a solid example of folk at its finest with Gripka's wavering voice taking lead.

For a soulful ballad (i.e. the country/folk musician's protocol), check out "You Were Right." There's a bittersweet quality to the song that gives the listener a sense of longing.

Just when thoughts of "this can't get better" slip into listener's mind, Gripka polishes off the album with the ethereal lullaby, "Beautiful."

So if Evil Urges is already soooo last year, mark February 17 in your calendar and pick up New York Town. - REVUE

Israel Nash Gripka
"New York Town"
Crash Avenue Publicity
israelgripka.com



AUGUSTA, GA - The amazing, enchanting voice of New York songwriter Israel Nash Gripka grabs the listener around the heart and squeezes. Twelve songs on the album "New York Town" unleash the sheer talent and vocal intensity of Gripka. Often melancholy but very catchy, Gripka channels all the skill of the acoustic greats and infuses them with his own quirky style.

Songs such as “Pray for Rain” show the deep influences in Gripka’s sound. His voice bears an uncanny resemblance to John Fogerty so much so that "New York Town" could be the lost CCR album. But, all the other legends of rock and folk are in there, too. There is a healthy dose of Dylan, Springsteen and Melloncamp. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Catchy, upbeat and yet somewhat sad, all the songs off "New York Town" stand out as superb tracks full of craftsmanship and a unique, almost retro style. Israel Nash Gripka is full of heart and it comes out in every track.

Other awe-inspiring songs off the album include the slower paced “Let it Go.” “Bricks,” with a slightly Lou Reed / Bright Eyes feel, brings goosebumps to the surface with the powerful chorus. The sad ballad of “Confess” is an emotional tearjerker in sharp contrast to the more bluesy danceable “Either Way.”

Packed with talent and enthusiastic songwriting, "New York Town" speaks loudly of Gripka’s ability to look into the roots of music, pull out what makes a song great, and then create his own thing. The end result is an album full of classic tracks that are sure to garner Israel Nash Gripka the attention he deserves.

Available Feb. 17 - Metro Spirit

UPDATE: New York Town moved up to #18 on the U.S. Americana Charts for September 2009!

- Americana Charts