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[[Category:Contemporary Christian music]]
[[Category:Contemporary Christian music]]
[[Category:Corvallis, Oregon]]
[[Category:Corvallis, Oregon]]
[[Christian ska groups]]
[[Category:Christian ska groups]]


[[de:The W's]]
[[de:The W's]]

Revision as of 02:52, 30 July 2008

The W's

The W's were a Christian ska/swing band, formed in Corvallis, Oregon in 1996. Success came quickly to the band and their first album, Fourth from the Last 1998, had the strongest debut of any Christian album to date for its distributor. They toured the United States several times with a variety of artists as diverse as dc talk, Jennifer Knapp, Five Iron Frenzy, and Soul-Junk.

Their mix of "swing pop" and ska brought a unique sound to the Christian music industry.[1] They were more popular within Christian music than their neo-swing counterparts such as the Squirrel Nut Zippers or The Brian Setzer Orchestra were in the general market.[2] Their songwriting was known for its irreverence and frivolity, and for its reflections of the band's faith.[3] Before breaking up in 2000, the group had released two albums, topped Christian rock radio and sales charts, and won two Gospel Music Association awards.

History

The W's formed as a ska band at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon in 1996. The original lineup consisted of Andrew Schar (Lead vocals, Guitar), Valentine Hellman (Tenor sax, Clarinet), Todd "The Rodd" Gruener (Bass), and a fourth member, Zak Shultz (drums).[4] All were attending Oregon State and mutual residents of Avery Lodge. The band was originally spearheaded and envisioned by Shultz, but he eventually moved to Seattle, Washington to work for Brandon Ebel with Tooth & Nail Records.[5] By September 1997 Shultz had left, and the group had been joined by Bret Barker (Trumpet), who Schar met through Campus Crusade for Christ,[6] and James Carter (Alto sax, background vocals). Peter Kelly drummed for a short stint during the summer and fall of 1997, but broke his arm in a freak skate-boarding accident only a few days before first recording with Five Minute Walk.[7] The band then recriuted Brian Morris to replace Kelly from a local punk band.[6]

The W's discovered a break when a mutual friend from Eugene, Aaron James (employed at the time by Five Minute Walk Records), offered them the spot opening for Five Iron Frenzy in Concord, California.[5] Following the CD release party for Five Iron Frenzy's Our Newest Album Ever! in November 1997, they signed with Frank Tate's Five Minute Walk Records.[8] Within a year they had produced their first album, Fourth From the Last. The album was immediately successful; within a week it had achieved the #4 spot on Billboard's "Heatseekers"[6] and "Top Contemporary Christian" charts. [9] This represented the highest debut to date of any album for Five Minute Walks distributor, the EMI Christian Music Group.[10] The album peaked at #147 on "The Billboard 200".[9] Despite being pulled from the shelves of LifeWay Christian Resources stores for containing "indecent" words[10] the album eventually sold over 200,000 units.[11] The album received the Dove Award for "Modern Rock Album of the Year" in 1999.[12] "The Devil Is Bad" was The W's hit single from the record. It peaked at #6 on the Christian rock radio charts[2] and won the Dove for "Modern Rock Record Song of the Year" in 1999.[12] The song was also released on the double Platinum certified annual compilation WOW 1999.[13]

The W's appeared on 7ball Magazine in November of 1998[14]

The year 1999 brought continual touring and the release of a second album. Beginning in January,[15] the band opened for Christian rock heavyweight dc Talk on their "Supernatural Experience" tour.[11] During this time the single "Moses" received Christian radio airplay and entered the Christian rock radio charts.[6] That May the band went into the studio to record their second and final album, Trouble With X.[6] Summer brought further touring and appearances at Christian music festivals.[16] That fall the band embarked on the national "Holy Roller Tour" with The Insyderz, Five Iron Frenzy, and Justin McRoberts.[17][18] Shows on this tour were held at roller skating rinks across the country. In November Trouble With X was released. This album was not as successful critically or in retail, peaking at #21 and #25 on the Billboard "Heatseekers" and "Top Contemporary Christian" charts respectively.[9] Like many bands of the "swing revival" movement, The W's were caught in the mass exodus of popularity from the genre. Some copies of Trouble With X included "The Rumor Weed Song", which was made for the episode Larry-Boy and the Rumor Weed of the children’s video series VeggieTales.[19] The song was also included on the WOW 2000 compilation, which also achieved double Platinum sales.[13]

Touring continued in 2000 alongside labelmates Five Iron Frenzy, Philmore, and Soul-Junk.[18] Drummer Brian Morris departed and was replaced by Courtney Stubbert. The W's commenced recording for a third album, though it was never released. One song from the sessions, "Somewhere Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" was released on the compilation Take Time To Listen Volume 5.[20][21] The W's broke up in December 2000, citing "artistic differences."[22][23]

After the break-up

Some members continued to produce music following the demise of The W's. Gruener and Morris joined Corvallis friend Mark Cleaver in the indie band Bendixon.[24] Bendixon released two albums, Bendixon (1999) and Slaying Of The Dragon (2000).[25][26] Their sound was comparable to Weezer or All Star United, and like The W's most of their songs could be considered fun or witty.[27] Schar and Stubbert formed the band Alpha Charlie[28] and released one album, ...and I wait (2002), before breaking up in 2004.[29] Early member Shultz eventually relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1997[30] and is involved with the local music scene there.

Bret Barker and Valentine Hellman continued to collaborate with Five Iron Frenzy. They both appeared on Five Iron Frenzy's 2000 album All the Hype That Money Can Buy. Barker additionally appeared on Dennis Culp's solo effort Ascents (2000), Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo (2001) in both the additional musician credits and as a recording engineer, and as an engineer on The End Is Near (2003). Barker joined The O.C. Supertones in 2004 and played with them until their breakup the following year.

Style

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The W's "The Devil Is Bad" (1998)
Sample from The W's "The Devil Is Bad".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

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The music of The W's is similar to the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Royal Crown Revue, or The O.C. Supertones, but less ska-based than the latter. HM Magazine commented that "the closest thing in the Christian market was Ralph Carmichael's big band project" (Strike Up The Band, 1995).[1] Though they were often cited as third wave ska or swing revival, their overall sound did not fit neatly into any musical genre.[31] Band members generally agreed with this assessment: Andrew Schar noted that "Our music gets labeled swing, but we're not really swing",[32] and Sax player James Carter, "I think 'swing' and 'ska' are just terms people are comfortable using. I don't think they completely describe the music we play at all".[33] Bass player Gruener described their music as "kinda ska, kinda swing, kinda rockabilly, kinda crazy, kinda punky".[5] Cross Rhythms provides the most concise explanation: "This is Swing Ska!".[34]

Reviewers, who noted a lack of depth in songwriting, regarded both of The W’s albums as "fun". Lyrically, their songs have been described as "an odd marriage of reverence for God with forced attempts at irreverent wackiness".[3] While the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music cites this as a "subdued approach to ministry",[2] other commentators saw it as a disappointing lack of spiritual message, especially on Trouble With X.[35][36]

Several songs draw directly from biblical stories. The song "Moses" is about struggles with faith and insignificance. It draws inspiration from several biblical figures and stories, including Moses' Burning bush, Gideon, Peter's denial of Christ, and Pauls role in the death of Stephen to show how God can use anybody for his purposes.[2] "The Devil Is Bad" draws upon the story of the The Fall of Man and the Temptation of Christ as examples to encourage resistance to sin.[citation needed] "Used Car Salesman" paints a colorful description of the Devil, selling sins as used Hondas. They also criticised the church and Christians generally. "Tip From Me" is about breaking broad perceptions of Christianity and the Church.[37] In the song "Stupid" the band used the example of abortion clinic bombings (see, for example Eric Robert Rudolph) to make a pronounced statement about hypocrisy.[36][2]

Other songs, such as "Dexter", "J.P.", and "Frank" retell parts of the lives of band members.[4][37] "Hui" retells the 1987 film North Shore. More mundane topics include the hardships of school ("101") and of touring and making music professionally ("Two More Weeks", "Open Minded").[2] Another notable song was their cover of John Denver's "Country Roads", which some thought worked well as a swing tune.[2][38][19]

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

  • 1998: The Echoing Green / The W's Split EP
  • 1998: Take Time to Listen Volume IV (Five Minute Walk)
    • Contains "Pup" and "Moses."
  • 1999: WOW 1999 (EMI CMG)
    • Contains "The Devil Is Bad."
  • 2000: Take Time to Listen Volume 5.0 (Five Minute Walk)
    • Contains "Somewhere Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea", from an unreleased album.
  • 2000: WOW 2000 (EMI CMG)
    • Contains "The Rumor Weed Song."

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b McGovern, Brian Vincent (1998). "Album Reviews: THE W's Fourth From the Last". HM Magazine (74). ISSN 1066-6923. Retrieved 2007-04-24. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Powell, Mark Allan (2002). "The W's". Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music (First printing ed.). Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 1008–1009. ISBN 1-56563-679-1.
  3. ^ a b Huey, Steve. "( Trouble with X > Overview )". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-03-02. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b "Todd Gruener Interview". Jesus Freak Hideout. 1999-04-20. Retrieved 2007-03-01. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b c "Interview with the W's". 1998-09-30. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Christian swingers". The Tampa Tribune. 1999-02-27. p. 4. ISSN 1042-3761.
  7. ^ Kelly stayed in Philomath, Oregon, got married and became a successful youth leader and social visionary.
  8. ^ Hendrickson, Lucas W. (1999). "W's Good, Devil Bad" (reprint). CCM Magazine. Retrieved 2007-02-05. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. ^ a b c "The W's > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-03-01. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ a b Baldwin, Steven Stuart (1998). "Fourth from the Last Review". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved 2007-03-01. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b "The W's Biography". Christianity Today (courtesy of Five Minute Walk Records). Retrieved 2007-03-01. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ a b "Dove Award Recipients for 1999". Gospel Music Association. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
  13. ^ a b Mount, Daniel J. (2005). A City on a Hilltop? The History of Contemporary Christian Music. p. 293. Retrieved 2007-02-12.
  14. ^ 7ball Magazine (21). 1998. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  15. ^ "Supernatural Experience Tour Dates" from dctalk.com, now hosted at the Internet Archive. Error in Webarchive template: Empty url.
  16. ^ "The W's: Tour Schedule", now hosted at the Internet Archive. Error in Webarchive template: Empty url.
  17. ^ Holy Roller Tour handbill. Retrieved November 15, 2006.
  18. ^ a b Five Iron Frenzy (2006). "Five Iron Frenzy Gigography". Five Minute Walk. Archived from the original on 2006-07-07. Retrieved 2007-07-11..
  19. ^ a b Gordon (a girl called) (2000). "Album Reviews: THE W'S, Trouble with X". HM Magazine (81). ISSN 1066-6923. Retrieved 2007-04-24. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  20. ^ Take Time To Listen Volume 5 (Media notes). Concord, California: Five Minute Walk. 2000. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |bandname= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |mbid= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |publisherid= ignored (help)
  21. ^ "The W's Music". Retrieved November 15, 2006.
  22. ^ Thews.org, now hosted at the Internet Archive. Error in Webarchive template: Empty url.
  23. ^ Thews.org, now hosted at the Internet Archive. Error in Webarchive template: Empty url.
  24. ^ Bendixon Biography. Now hosted at the Internet Archive. Error in Webarchive template: Empty url.
  25. ^ "Bendixon Profile". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved 2007-03-01. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ "( Slaying of the Dragon > Overview )". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-03-01. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ Powell, Mark Allan (2002). "Bendixon". Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music. p. 78.
  28. ^ The W's News, formerly hosted at nerdmusic.com. Now hosted at the Internet Archive. Error in Webarchive template: Empty url.
  29. ^ Alpha-charlie.com, now hosted at the Internet Archive. Error in Webarchive template: Empty url.
  30. ^ "Zak Shultz Biography", from Stairwell.net. Now hosted at the Internet Archive. Error in Webarchive template: Empty url.
  31. ^ Smith, Jim. "( Fourth from the Last > Overview )". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-03-02. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ Hogan-Albach, Susan (1998-09-05). "Otherworldly unplugged; Christian band The W's swings with wit, whimsy". Star Tribune. p. 09B.
  33. ^ Jensen, Cathy (1999). "Interview With James Carter". Decapolis. Retrieved 2007-03-01. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  34. ^ Rimmer, Mike (1998). "The W's Fourth From the Last". Cross Rhythms (47). {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  35. ^ DiBiase, John (1999-10-24). "Trouble With X Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2007-03-01. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  36. ^ a b Stewart, James (2000). "Trouble With X Review". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved 2007-03-01. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ a b Martin, Rachel L. (2000). "Holy Rollin'". 7ball Magazine (28). Retrieved 2007-05-14. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  38. ^ Kevin H. (1999-10-16). "The W's Trouble With X". Real Magazine. Retrieved 2007-03-02. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

Further reading

  • 7ball Magazine (19) (July / August 1998)
  • 7ball Magazine (21) (November / December 1998)
  • Cockroft, Martin (1999). "Back to Faith". Campus Life. 58 (2): 26. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

Concert reviews

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