[Brian Krashpad]

OK , w/my "your musical history" thread I tried to get people to tell their stories.

Here's an option.

Has SOMEONE ELSE had something to say about you? You know, like a review or a mag/newspaper article? Reprint it here.

Here's one of mine in reference to a side band I'm in,. Hoyt and the HotHeads. I don't know the exact date, probably within the last 5 years anyhow. Originally printed in the Gainesville Sun, written by Conor Mitchell:

As for tonight, you might want to head over to the Shamrock..., to catch Edan Archer and Hoyt and the Hotheads. Edan is one of the most unique guitar players in town and also happens to have a beautiful voice. While I can't necessarily say the same about Hoyt and co., they certainly LOOK unique and are a blast to catch live.

Recommended.

(Emphasis and capitalization in original).

The newspaper also ran this photo of us:



LET'S SEE YOUR PRESS!

[MrSandMan]

Hey-Hey.

We were contacted by a DJ in New York asking permission to use our 'Sponge Bob' song.

Sadly Brian, we never got any more attention than that. But we were only making music for fun... atleast that's all my intentions was.

We thought that was the tits. haha.

[Brian Krashpad]

Haha, that song cracks me up!

Here's a review of the Crash Pad CD from 2002:

Raw and raucous punk rock n' roll straight outta Gainesville! Crash Pad play a brand of punk all too few bands are playing these days, one that's mindful of the roots of punk rock -- and of rock n' roll -- while still being distinctive enough to sound original, and with just enough snot-nosed attitude to make it ring true. High Gain Villains is packed with great tunes that are catchy and hooky without being overly poppy -- this ain't no Sum41, folks; Crash Pad could teach those kids more than a few things.

Best of all, the band is utterly fearless. Nothing is sacred. They've got cojones enough to cheekily take on Media Play ("One Hundred Dollars") and artfag intelligencia (the Andy Warhol-mocking "Fifteen Minutes" married with a fascinating cover of Bauhaus's "Bela Lugosi's Dead" that starts out almost respectful before kicking in the nitro tanks and rocketing off triple-speed); to lead the cheer for androgyny (the fantastic shout-along "TS/TV"); and to write love songs to blow-up dolls ("Emergency Gurl"). Even musically, they take some daring chances; they're not married to the notion that you have to slavishly adhere to one sound to be punk, and few so-called punk bands would have the guts to do something as interesting as "Don't Try This at Home," with its bluesy harmonica and rollicking banjo picking. Yet they're still mature enough to address more serious topics in "Cops & Punks" and get introspective on tunes like "Variations on a Flame" and "Down (On Me)."

All in all, a great punk rock record that doesn't forget the "rock" part of its genre. Far from being "villains," Crash Pad might just be my new heroes.

Julio Diaz, July 25, 2002, ink19.com

To my surprise, the review is actually still up on the web:
http://www.ink19.com/issues/july2002.../crashPad.html

[Brian Krashpad]

No one has any reviews?

Here's another one from the Gainesville Sun, 1/14/2000. It had a pic too, don't have it handy.

Sound Check: Keeping punk's ethos alive

By PATRICK HUGHES

Scene's music columnist

Gainesville's Crash Pad plays an all-ages show at the Civic Media Center tonight at 9.

Singer/guitarist Brian Kruger describes his band's sound as "punk rock," and for him the "rock" is essential. Like the first wave of '70s English and American punk bands (think the Clash and the Ramones) that inspires him, Kruger's musical vision is hard-edged, but includes a healthy dose of songcraft. "We're not real fast. We're more mid-tempo to fast. We're not real 'shouty,'" he says. "We try to get some backing vocals in there. There's some occasional guitar leads - not always, but sometimes."

Kruger was attracted to this music as a University of Florida student in the late '70s. He says he originally heard many punk songs for the first time covered by Gainesville new wave band the Riff. The records were just too hard to find. For Kruger, punk embodied the rock 'n' roll spirit he says was scarce at the time. "In the late '70s you couldn't even go see a live band. Disco killed it," he says.

There's almost 20 years difference in age between Kruger and each of the other Crash Pad members (Adam Lishawa on guitar and vocals, P.J. Fancher on bass and Chris Weingarten on drums). But his relatively advanced age isn't the only big difference between Kruger and his bandmates: His day job is as an attorney. "I work for a consulting firm that does legal research for other attorneys," he reports. "It's a good gig. When you see me around town in a T-shirt, Converse and jeans, that's what I wear to work."

Kruger doesn't let the disparity bother him too much, and jokingly compares his musical life to the Seinfeld episode in which the hapless George Costanza succeeds by behaving contrary to his instincts. "Say you're married, got this great job - what's the one thing you shouldn't do? Be in a punk rock 'n' roll band," he says.

The Civic Media Center, a non-corporate reading room and library that also serves as a meeting ground for Gainesville's left-wing activist groups, has been regularly hosting music since the summer of 1994. The shows are all-ages and smoke-free, and Kruger likes the intimate vibe. "It's a lot of work. They don't have (their own) PA system, so I show up early, set everything up, do a soundcheck. That's the only way to make it work," he says. "The good things about it are you're in control of the sound, and the people are right there in front of you."

Founding CMC member and past coordinator Joe Courter says the space is a necessary part of musical life in the community. "For music it's more of a showcase. It's not a bar, so people are really there to listen," he says. The all-ages format provides a place for the youngest of Gainesville bands to try out their chops. "High school-aged bands have played there a number of times," Courter says.

Patrick Hughes works at Hyde & Zeke. He can be reached at gojira@ufl.edu.

Copyright © 2000, The Gainesville Sun.

[Brian Krashpad]

Here's a shorty, from MaximumRockNRoll fanzine (granddaddy of all punk rock zines, out of San Francisco, CA) :

"Crash Pad have a midtempo, heavy on the guitars punk sound, and the vocals are mostly snotty with a healthy dose of angry thrown in. It's sing-songy throughout but also solidly rocking. They remind me of Jayne County, and other early days New York punk predecessors, especially vocally.":

Maximum RockNRoll July 2002, Erin Yanke

[MrSandMan]

That's awesome Brain. Are you a working musician?

[Brian Krashpad]

Originally Posted by MrSandMan

That's awesome Brain. Are you a working musician?

Thanks, no just a part-time guy doing the DIY thing. All our "CD release" copies were simply burned on CD-R's on home computers. The actual recording was done in some local DIY home studios, but the one of those, where the Crash Pad album "High-Gain Villains" was done, belongs to a local guy, Rob McGregor, who has recorded pretty much everyone famous from Gainesville who does punk/indie musc (Hot Water Music, Less Than Jake, Against Me!, etc.).

[Brian Krashpad]

Nobody else with any press?

Crazy man. Don't be shy.

Here's one, from my side band, an album review in the Gainesville Sun:

Hoyt and the Hotheads
Kill The Pain

Hoyt Walston has been a fixture on the Gainesville open-mic scene for years. With tight, smart songs owing much to '60s folk, Hoyt sounds great alone with his Ovation guitar and harmonica.

A couple of years ago, Hoyt put together a full band, Hoyt & the Hotheads. The group's debut CD, "Kill the Pain," is an eight-song collection heavy on mid-tempo folk rock, not to mention a trip through some of the best original music coming out of Gainesville.

Hoyt's nasal, snarling vocals reside somewhere between Dylan and the Smithereens' Pat DiNizio, but it doesn't ring of imitation. Some people just sing that way; Hoyt is one of them.

From the Feelies-like opening cut "My Girl," to the angry "Selfish Little Bitch," to the beautiful closing ballad "Just What I Need," every song on the album is built on a solid hook, and the production is top-notch for a locally recorded CD.

The third cut, "The Fundamentalist Song," is a crowd favorite that asks "Who took the fun out of fundamentalism?" as it jabs at the likes of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Fundamentalists, Hoyt also laments, "Don't believe in smoking or drinking or sex."

Brian Krashpad's tasty lead guitar work perfectly complements Hoyt's driving strum style, and Krashpad also deftly handles the bottom end playing bass. In fact, when the group performs live, Krashpad alternates between the two instruments, depending on the personnel. Bruce Barkwill's drumming is solid and doesn't overwhelm the beautiful simplicity of the music.

I gotta give this one five out of five stars. It's that good.

- Douglas Jordan

[Brian Krashpad]

We've got a batch of new members so I'ma bump this and see if we can't get some more responses.

Here's one from the Alligator, which is the unofficial University of Florida student newspaper. It's only unofficial because they got kicked off campus in the 70's for refusing to allow the UF administration to censor their content, it's actually a pretty big newspaper, iirc one of the biggest student newspapers in the US.

Anyhow, here's a couple paragraphs from a column called "Radio Free Gainesville!" that was written by one Jose Villalba and published way back on May 23, 1996. Back from when Crash Pad was only a 3-piece and we had a girl bassist/backing vocalist:

But there is also a genuinenes to Crash Pad that is seldom found in both signed and unsigned bands.

Where most punk bands hide their lyrics behind the distortion of their guitars, Crash Pad makes it a point to be heard.

The vocals are clear and you need not speak in tongues to understand the lyrics. The surprising harmonies put forth by the interplay of male and female voices are an added bonus. Crash Pad are one of those bands you'll go see over and over.

OK, peeps. let's see some press!