Grabass Charlestons

Grabass Charlestons: The Greatest Story Ever Hula'dThe Greatest Story Ever Hula'd (2003)
No Idea Records

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: wehavecomeforyourchildrenwehavecomeforyourchildren
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on August 28th 2005The Grabass Charlestons have got to be one of the most overlooked bands in punk rock today. Then again, doesn't it seem like all the great bands are overlooked? Your average scenester might have heard the name Dillinger Four but he owns everything on the Drive-Thru catalog. Anyways, the Grabass Char.

The Grabass Charlestons have got to be one of the most overlooked bands in punk rock today. Then again, doesn't it seem like all the great bands are overlooked? Your average scenester might have heard the name Dillinger Four but he owns everything on the Drive-Thru catalog. Anyways, the Grabass Charlestons are a great band and don't get the credit they deserve. Hopefully things change with their recent release, Ask Mark Twain. Until then, I guess I'll just have to write about why everyone should go out and buy The Greatest Story Ever Hula'd

The album starts out with a song called "Beer Exile," which may sound kind of juvenile but actually has some of the most relatable lyrics I've heard in awhile: "Caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and thought what would dear old mama think," "I lost my bowels and I got the itch, I got a needle that's pointed at my vein. Tell my friends to keep the dream alive cause after this I'm going into hiding," and "It seems we've fucked up high and low. We've got the world crammed up our nose, we got chowder toes. It's been months with no repose" are just some of the lyrical gems this opening number has to offer. Team that with the simplistic pop-punk intro and bridge, the rollicking speed, and the gruff, energized vocals and it's almost too good.

But the fun doesn't stop there as the Charlestons have another 12 songs just waiting to be unleashed. Almost every track on this album is a keeper. A few of them aren't anything to write home about, but then again, I wonder if that's only because most of them are so good that these few seem less only by comparison. Surprisingly, the track that I skip over the most (and it's almost every time) isn't even one of their songs. It's a Tom Waits cover. Covers are sometimes, sadly, the best tracks a band has to offer, which really only proves how little many bands do have to offer. Anyways, the Grabass Charlestons' cover of "Cold, Cold Ground" just doesn't do it for me. But like I said, this album has a total of 13 tracks, which means one throwaway doesn't sting so bad.

Back to the good though. This band has mastered pop-punk. They do it fast, they do it rough, and they do it without all the whiny bullshit that so many pop-"punk" bands are all too comfortable embracing. But then again, this is only second nature to these boys. I highly doubt it was a conscious decision to put out a record like this. They wouldn't know how to go about making a "polished" pop-punk album.

Some might complain that these guys sound like every other band out of Gainesville because of their raspy, gravelly vocals and their music that could be said to fit that same description, but they'd be wrong. No other band out of Gainesville or anywhere in Florida has yet to release an album that stays this fast, upbeat, and solid from start to finish. The Grabass Charlestons are one of the last bands out there, in my eyes, that are still doing pop-punk, or even punk rock, right. Here's to more to come.

Oh, and if you check this out and enjoy it, be sure to look into Billy Reese Peters as well. Two of the three guys in this band play in it and it shows. It's along the same lines as GaC but with a little bit of a Southern twinge. Definitely good stuff as well.

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

coffinfullofnails (June 30, 2006)

great band, very fun live, love the album.

SilentStorms (September 2, 2005)

yikes, i just listened to the mp3 - no thanks.

wehavecomeforyourchildren (August 31, 2005)

peejfancher,

i hope you liked the review. i'm still waiting on my mail-ordered copy of "ask mark twain," but if "fucking song" is any indication, i know i'll be stoked on it.

takingchase (August 31, 2005)

no idea puts out so many good records. This is a great cd but I like their new one better.

peejfancher (August 28, 2005)

ewehavecomeforyourchildren
you're a bit wrong. PJ and Will are in Billy Reese... have been for some time been on some recodings too. If you've ever seen BRP outside of Florida Will and peej were there.
The new BRP album just got finished. When will it come out.. who knows?

Anonymous (August 28, 2005)

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. The split with BRP is great, and the new LP Ask Mark Twain is great, but this is the best.

ElVaquero (August 28, 2005)

Ask Mark Twain is better, but they're both great.

Anonymous (August 28, 2005)

Singing drummer: Sweet. Hillbilly bassist who gyrates around weirdly on stage: Even better.

Cool band live. I've yet to hear their recordings, but I'll look into it now.

wehavecomeforyourchildren (August 28, 2005)

i have to correct myself, i don't remember where i got the information about 2 of the GaC boys playing in BRP but it's not true. Will from GaC does a few drum tracks for BRP but he's not in the band. my bad.

Anonymous (August 28, 2005)

I love this album, I ordered the new one from no idea 2 weeks ago and it still has not been sent out. Thats No Idea for you. Thanks for this review, I really wondered if I was the only one that thought this thing was seemingly the most overlooked album that No Idea has put out in recent memory.

-TenderBransonX (at work can't log in)

Anonymous (August 28, 2005)

fuck yeah No Idea, totally amazing label, always bringing the goods.This is a good album!. Where's The Review for "Ask Mark Twain" which is also a excellent album title.

ramo (August 28, 2005)

Great album. An excellent follow-up to the their split with Billy Reese.

"Beer Exile" is not only the best song on this album but also one of my drinking anthems. A great band live so check them out whenever.

And yes, even I agree that "Ask Mark Twain" is better but not by much.

Ramo
(Will Thomas makes me happy)

Crookedsuperhero (August 28, 2005)

Fuck yeah, great album.

Still, Billy Reese Peters are better. Anyone know what's up with their album?

AlmostPunkEnough (August 28, 2005)

"yeah, i have yet to get ask mark twain, has anyone picked it up? anyone?"

i got it, it's sweet. i definitley think it's better than this, but not by much, i'd give it an 8/8.5 as well, but it's definitley stronger and has more standout tracks.

-finally there's a review for this. it was getting to the point where i was gonna write it myself, and nobody wants that to happen... i still may have to do "Ask Mark Twain".

these guys are gainesville elite, and that's say a whole fucking lot.

does anyone else think 'Young' is the best song on this album? or is that just my crazy taste?

dazed (August 28, 2005)

They put on a pretty great show (when not toooo drunk) and I enjoy this album a lot when I'm in the right mood.

I haven't checked out their new album yet, though.

Anonymous (August 28, 2005)

Hell fucking yeah. Note: every song by every Gainesville band is secretly about cocaine

Anonymous (August 28, 2005)

yeah, i have yet to get ask mark twain, has anyone picked it up? anyone? you also forgot to leave out the amazing fact that the DRUMMER DOES ALL VOCALS. it's pretty incredible live.

Anonymous (August 28, 2005)

Good band, good review. Still, their new one is the one to get.