(Time Bomb)
An L.A.-based indie rock band, Crumbox has a Chapel Hill-bred postpunk sound, thanks to North Carolina transplant Scott Bradford on vocals and guitar. Bradford's playing gives the songs a driving melodic edge that smarts, and his voice has a joyous immediacy that's impossible to fake - the end result being you want to sing along on every line and every chorus until your throat hurts. It's a wonderful racket, the kind of music I wish I had as a teen-ager to crank in my room. And you gotta love a band with song titles like "Sharon Tate," "Larry Tate" and "Could You Focus, Please?"
Crumbox also includes Frank Consulo (Gringo Star) on bass and vocals, and founding brothers Rich and Rob Wellerstein on guitar and drums. Together with Bradford, their playing is in the pocket, with fast pop hooks and hard-working, anthemic, opinionated rock'n'roll a la the Goo Goo Dolls and Too Much Joy. Resident Double U, produced with Mark Trombino of Drive Like Jehu, is a fine debut album. The closing cut, slow, emotional and sensitive, is "Grief and Sorrow," proof that you don't need to crank the guitars to put a song across.
This band has paid its indie dues and begs attention beyond the L.A. scene. They've been on an IRS Six-Sided Single, and Catapult released a 7-incher in 1995 of "You Bought Sound," included here in a new version. They've opened for Archers of Loaf, the Mieces, Sammy, Toadies and Chune. Look for them on tour in clubs across the country this year. And feel free to shout along.
Time Bom Recordings can be reached at 219 Broadway #519, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 and on the web at http://www.timebombrecordings.com
