The W's
Corvallis, Oregon11 reviews across 2 releases
The W's were a Christian ska and swing band formed at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, in 1996. Their 1998 debut, Fourth From the Last, built its identity around brass-led swing over punk backbeats, with muted trumpet and clarinet giving the opening track an unusual texture. Reviewers variously called the result Christian swing and swing-core. The songs paired straightforward Christian messages with adolescent humor; a stalker narrative in "Pup" stood beside the comic small-town misadventures of "Dexter," while "Alarm Clock" ended with deliberately crude raspberries. The band signed with Five Minute Walk after opening for Five Iron Frenzy. On Trouble with X, released in 1999, they widened the palette with country-influenced and rockabilly material, producing a looser record that several reviewers found less cohesive.
In 2000, drummer Brian Morris left and Courtney Stubbert replaced him as The W's began recording a third album. The group broke up in December, citing artistic differences, and one song from the unfinished sessions later appeared on the compilation Take Time to Listen Volume 5. Their short career included a national support tour with dc Talk and rapid commercial growth after the debut, which earned two Dove Awards and led to appearances connected with VeggieTales. After the breakup, Todd Gruener and Morris joined the Corvallis band Bendixon. Andrew Schar and Stubbert formed Alpha Charlie, which released one album in 2002. Bret Barker later joined the O.C. Supertones and played with them until their breakup in 2005.
2 releases reviewed
Fourth From the Last
