Named after the radio telescope cluster in New Mexico, Very Large Array was founded by two brothers after they moved from Milwaukee to L.A. in the mid 90s. With John Gripentrog on vocals and Steve Gripentrog on guitar, VLA was a tight little unit for a short time, but soon filled out to a five piece outfit, adding a second guitarist, bass player, and a drummer.
Vibrant live performances earned the band a reputation for strong musicianship and enabled Very Large Array to build a dedicated fan base in the area and beyond. These days, when not on the road, the band plays an L.A. club circuit that includes Spaceland, Whiskey Bar, the Roxy, and the Troubador.
Flipside magazine says, "I felt like I was watching jet
planes, like the Blue Angels. Soothing mania, precision, crowd oohing, big
sky sound." L.A. Weekly said, "[A] seductively driving sound, snaky
melodies, polished pop," and Music Connection granted VLA (then The Franks) a Top Unsigned Demo award in the year 2000. Critics and fans have compared Very Large Array to Coldplay, Radiohead, Oasis, The Pixies, and Television.
The Magnatune release of Stuff includes co-produced and professionally produced tracks by Armand Petrie (10,000 Maniacs / Goo Goo Dolls) and spans the band's career thus far. Biff Sanders (Ethyl Meatplow) contributes producer credits to several tracks as well and the release includes fan favorites "Psychedelic Baby" and "Everything's Fine."
