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Check out Crashbox
It has been a really long time since I have written a story about The Bronx-NYC band Crashbox formerly known as Pinwheel. Luckily a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit Sal Scoca (lead singer and guitarist) and Vic Pena (bass and vocals), at a special acoustic showcase in Manhattan. After an exciting and entertaining show, I spoke with the two members of the of Crashbox, as well as, received a copy of their highly anticipated sophmore CD, Rock Hard.
"The new CD was meant to be a good representation of our live show,” said Scoca. “The majority of it was recorded live, with the exception of the vocals and some guitar overdubs. I think we accomplished our goal; if you see us live then hear the CD, you get the same vibe…almost.”
The quality of the music and lyrics on Rock Hard are all you can expect and more from Crashbox. Rock Hard is hard rocking with great guitar riffs, awesome drum beats and catchy lyrics. Essentially Rock Hard is equally as unforgettable and classic as Crashbox's first CD Dear Blue. Add to the mix a name change and new member Chris Petro on guitar, Crashbox is heading straight to the top!
"It felt like a different band when Chris joined, so we thought it was a perfect time for a title change,” explained Scoca on the newest band member, changing the band from a trio back to its original quartet. “What he brings to the band is a youthful drive and a great knowledge of recording; not to mention he’s a kick-ass guitarist and probably the horniest guy I know…other than myself of course. He makes it easy to write songs and finish them quickly. He’s on stealth mode when we write. I come down with a semi-song, he gets to work on it and three minutes later; it’s done; sort of like microwave popcorn. And he’s a sick and twisted individual which makes him fit in perfectly with Vic, Pete (Santagada, drums and vocals) and myself.”
This awesome foursome rocks hard, as the CD title suggests, with some excellent tracks seemingly lifted straight from the 80’s and given a modern touch. Every song took me back in time to a day when music was pure and real. In fact, one such song, Saturday, recalls that time just perfectly. Just this morning/I found a record of an old song/that I used to love when I was just a boy/When I was younger/I would never understand it/When he said now I need a place to hide away/Now I think we need a place to hide away/When I woke up on Saturday/to watch my life just slip away/Man I wish I could find yesterday.
Radio kicks Rock Hard off and automatically gets you in the mood to rock! The CD slows down with Story for a Girl that seems to be taken straight from personal experience. She had a lot to say/but no one cared to listen anyway/Once upon a time she smiled/she was a happy child/some might say/Loved the material things/the joy that money brings was her way/The story for a girl/thought she ruled the world/Her love was bought and sold/but no one really knows/What happened to the girl/went half way round the world/How was I to know/When no one really knows where she is. The hook features the band harmonizing with some La, na, na, la, na, na, oh yeah and that just added to the originality and uniqueness of the track.
Junk Girl has a Stone Temple Pilots-type edge to it that seems to deal with drugs as the subject matter and a girl who seems hooked. I’m the one you’d love to be/I’m so high you won’t believe/cause I got time and it’s all I need/I got lines where I want to be/I got time and it’s all for me/I’m not blind and I don’t care/I got a love and it feels so good/She’s my baby/I’m in love/Junk head girl…I’ve done things/you won’t believe/I’ve got tracks, do you care to see…
"With the songwriting, there’s more of a storytelling vibe to my lyrics and each song does actually refer to a true story, or partially true,” said Scoca. “I find myself getting wrapped up in other people’s problems and this time around, I sort of put them on paper.”
Then there are the harder songs like Get Up, which actually becomes an uplifting track with a melodramatic undertone in the chorus. Then there were funny tracks like Loser, which mocked people who are whipped in relationships. However, my favorite track on Hard Rock was Anyplace But Here. This is all just starting to get too weird/Would you rather be any place but here/Well it’s all just starting to look too clear/Would you rather be any place/but off your knees and on your feet, it’s time for you to feel complete/just get off your knees on your feet again. The track is perfectly complimented by the band, once again harmonizing, with well placed whoa oh, whoa ohs thrown in between the chorus.
So, where does the Crashbox go from here? “The sky’s the limit for this band,” said Scoca. “We have so much potential. I think we’re going to be huge.” In a world where I have to withstand listening to bands like Yellow Card and their incessant whining, it is refreshing to hear good music again. It would be a travesty of justice if Crashbox weren’t signed real soon. Can you hear me? Are you listening? I want to hear Crashbox on the radio and I want it now!
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