Grabass Charlestons - The Greatest Story Ever Hula'd LP NIR 143
Sweat dripping, whiskey-drowned dirty Florida punk at its finest. Like Tiltwheel, the tones are bright and happy, but the sentiment is dark, ultra-articulate, and sad. Like Leatherface, the guitars weave in tight, then splay apart and shimmer. It's like you're immersed in their songs, filled with metaphoric life preservers and harpoons. Like Dillinger Four, no instrument takes the easy way out. Pure propulsion and fireworks. Like the Beltones, Will is drumming, but he's also singing, and it's catchy, hard-drinking, working class without-the-cliche punk rock. Ultimately -and the final testament- is that the Grabass Charlestons are a band that others will start being compared to. A top-of-2003 for me, no doubt.