Hawaii's Underground : Local Music | Art | Tattoos | Independent Businesses
A Printed and Online Publication

Interview - The Crud

A Rock Band on the Move

Story by Katie Whitman, Photo by Richard Walker

I caught up with The Crud during a whirlwind weekend of four back-to-back shows.  The Crud has been rocking Hawaii since 2003 and is making an imprint on the music scene.  Their CD, “Antidote,” was nominated for best rock CD in this year’s Hawaii Music Awards.  They took second place, second only to Jake Shimabukuro, whose album, “Dragon,” was also included in the rock category.

The Crud formed in July of 2003, when Ben Henry met bass player and Navy enlistee Jonny Croce (cousin of Jim Croce).  Drummer, Justin Vincler, joined the duo soon afterwards.  The Crud has undergone a few lineup changes since then.  Jonny chose to move back to New Jersey.  Matt Webb, guitarist on “Antidote,” left the band to focus on being a dad.  Enter Rob Peterson, bassist, fresh off the boat from San Fran with only a week in Hawaii under his belt.  Rob met up with Ben, thanks to a mutual friend, and spent his second week in Hawaii learning The Crud’s songs for a gig that weekend.  The Crud recruited their current lead guitarist, M. W. Moore, on www.808musicians.com where he is also a moderator.         

So where does the name “The Crud” come from?  Ben explained that when sailors in the Navy return from a tour of duty at sea, they sometimes come back with mutated forms of viruses and diseases.  “If you get sick with that, you’ve got The Crud.”  So why did they want to be named after a bacterial sludge?  Ben continues, “The reasoning behind [the name] was twofold.  The first thing was, we wanted to infect the world with our music.  The second thing was… how can you get a big ego when you’re called The Crud?”

The Crud lists its musical influences as Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Weezer and The Pixies.  On stage, however, Rob and Ben’s humorous interludes are more reminiscent of Tenacious D.  Their sound lies squarely in the realm of rock: heavy on the power chords moving in Nirvana-like progressions.  They occasionally venture in the direction of head-bopping pop or over to the heavier side of metal, infused by Moore, a shredder at heart.

Ben is the core singer-songwriter of this originals-only band.  He says that, in the past, his lyrics tended to come from darker places, often reflecting bitterness.  Recently, his lyrics are more like short stories, complete with twists and turns.  “I’m trying to make it more interesting… not just writing sappy songs about girls.”

This year, The Crud and two other local bands, Missing Dave and Pimpbot, will be going on a two week tour to the mainland.  The tour, dubbed “Rock from the Rock, Hawaiian Eruption Tour 2006,” will visit California and Washington locations.  The three bands have been good friends for some time and are pooling their resources to make this tour a success.  They have invited record label representatives and music attorneys to attend the shows and are optimistic about the prospect of being “discovered.”  Rob, a Bay area native, is interested to see how their music will translate on the mainland.  He thinks it will be positive, though, because “everyone wants to see a band from Hawaii.”    

Catch The Crud at many of the local venues around town or online at www.thecrud.com and www.MySpace.com/thecrud.  

TOP   

X-Factor Takes The Plunge -

Preparing to Tour on the Mainland

Article and photo by Katie Whitman

Formed in the spring of 2004, X-Factor has quickly become a significant factor in Oahu’s underground music scene.  It is fitting that I write about them in the first issue of this zine, as it is this band that got me involved in the local music scene.  A few months after their formation, I began following them around as a photographer and then video documentarian.  I am extremely grateful for their support.

A lot has happened since the beginning.  X-Factor has played numerous venues around town and developed an avid fan base.  They are in the process of recording a full-length album and were signed to the indie label, Sharpnote Records.  They will be playing in California at the GirlFest Bay Area (www.girlfestbayarea.org) event at the end of March and are now ready to take that inevitable leap of faith – a three month tour on the mainland during June, July, and August of this year.

The Tour.  The path to that Holy Grail - the record deal.  Of being discovered.  Of making it big.  It sounds so romantic.   It turns out that living with four unwashed people in a small van is not necessarily the hardest part.  Planning a tour takes a lot of dedication and preparation.  Kasi Nunes (a.k.a. Rebel Girl) says, “I pretty much do not go out anymore.  You can’t.  You don’t have any time to.  I had to call in and miss a day of work…’I can’t come in today, I gotta pull something together for the band.’”  Nunes has been preparing press kits, working with a graphic artist to develop a logo, securing interviews, scheduling tour dates for the band, not to mention transportation, accommodation, and sustenance.

Hard work won’t keep X-Factor from the open road.  They look forward to this continent-wide adventure, spending a month in different regions of the country – East coast, Mid West, and California.  To book gigs, they will first send their press kits to music festivals across the country, then approach clubs, promoters, and booking agents. 

At this point, they are not sponsored and are pulling together what they can from their full-time jobs.  Excitement for what may come makes it all worthwhile.  “In two years, the band is at this crazy place right now…we’re about to go on tour and we have an album coming out in June.” 

Learn more about X-Factor at www.MySpace.com/xfactorlive1.

TOP

Amplified @ The Wave Waikiki 01/21/06

by Katie Whitman

Amplified has finally come out of hiatus, reclaiming their place in Hawaii’s rock scene.  Amplified consists of 4 members – front man Chad singing vocals, guitarist Rick singing backup vocals, Kodia on bass, and Ryan on the drums.  Besides being one of the best rock bands on the island, they ain’t too shabby to look at either. 

On stage, it is apparent that they click with each other, musically and otherwise.  They are obviously practiced musicians, having played together for the last few years and even touring for a couple of months on the mainland.  Their music falls in line with bands like Staind, Trapt, and Alter Bridge - hard rock, heavy moving grooving bass lines, deep full vocals, and drums driving it all home.      

While they do look pretty badass, Chad just can’t wipe the smile off his face while he sings, making them all the more accessible.  They are dynamic - always in motion and constantly interacting with the audience.  I completely enjoyed their show and am psyched that they are back on the stage.  You can find out more about them at www.ampedup.com or see video footage at this zine’s website, www.The808SceneZine.com.

TOP

Organix @ Indigo Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006

review by Katie Whitman

Drawing from Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Indian, and Old School American Hip-Hop influences, Organix takes you across the world and back again with its musical mélange.  Organix’ instrumental make-up is unique in its own right.  They are 3 drummers - one on a set and two on hand drums – a guitar, violin, and beat box.  They are also joined by a number of rotating guest musicians.  That night, Organix happened to feature a trumpet, saxophone, and vocalist.  The flavor of the music changed over the night, starting off with a Latin beat and progressing towards more tribal rhythms.  From song to song, the violin alternated between plucking and drawing the bow across the strings, changing the feel of the music from upbeat to sultry and back again.  The diverse, fast-paced, hip shaking rhythms made me feel as if I was in a hip New York club where all the ethnic sounds of city had come together in one unifying beat.  The crowd kept dancing through the night and only stopped when the music did.     All of the musicians took turns showcasing their talents.  They gave us blaring sax and trumpet solos, Maria’s smooth jazzy voice, an array of percussion instrument solos, and a unique guitar solo that sounded as if it was played completely in harmonics.   Organix plays some of the most unique music that I have heard on the island and are well worth seeing over and over again.  You can find them every Tuesday night at Indigo. For more information, visit www.MySpace.com/organixmusic. TOP

The Full Steppers Band @ The Dixie Grill, Jan. 26, 2006

review by Katie Whitman

The Full Steppers Band brings you down-home Bayou blues every Thursday at the Dixie Grill in Ward.  Presently, the Steppers are a trio – Carl on acoustic guitar and vocals, Alex plays upright bass, and Adam covers harmonica and vocals. 

Their sound ranges from folk to blues (the kind you’d expect to hear on scratchy records) to country to Cajun.  A friend brilliantly defined the Stepper’s sound as “campfire music.”  The bare vocals and guitar are backed by the bass and topped off with easy flowing, sometimes soulful, sometimes foot-stomping harmonica riffs. 

The Full Steppers repertoire includes Dylan’s Tangled Up in Blue, Folsom Prison Blues, Blue Suede Shoes, Cajun songs about jambalaya, and a few originals.  A crowd favorite is the original, Free Range Chicken, a bluesy-country song with a groove.

The Full Steppers music transports you to the Louisiana bayou.  You can hear the fire crackling and almost smell the crab cooking in the pot.  Wait.  Hold on.  You’re at the Dixie Grill and that IS crab cooking, hence the perfect combination of The Full Steppers and Dixie Grill, available to satisfy your soul every first Thursday of the month.     

For more info, check out www.fullsteppers.com and www.MySpace.com/thefullsteppersband.     

TOP

The 80z AllStars @ The Wave Waikiki February 11, 2006