IMAGES COURTESY RICHARD WALKER / THECRUD.COM Ben Henry, left, and Rob Petersen.

Finding its groove

Local band The Crud gets its CD out despite
a changing lineup and financial challenges

The Crud's CD release party With Pimpbot, Missing Dave and Black Square Where: Wave Waikiki, 1877 Kalakaua Ave. When: 10 p.m. today Admission: $7, 21 and over; $10, 18-20 Call: 941-0424

Despite its very punk-sounding name, The Crud and its singer-songwriter Ben Henry pride themselves for playing "straightforward, unpretentious rock."

The 26-year-old Henry (who's day job is as a layout person for this very newspaper), however, admits his touchstones are John Lennon of the Beatles and the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, and those influences on his songcraft and earnest lyricism are very much evident on the band's album, "Antidote," which gets its release party tonight at Wave Waikiki.

While the album's first three tracks were recorded with the original lineup together in one place (Henry, drummer Justin Vincler, lead guitarist Matt Webb and bassist Jonny Croce) about two years ago, the remainder was done in bits and pieces, due to circumstances beyond Henry's control.

Vincler recorded his remaining drum tracks just a couple of days before the Navy enlistee was shipped off to Iraq (he returned home safely six months later in February 2004). Webb, who left the band to concentrate on being a first-time father, went back in the studio a week after the birth of Jonah to lay down his guitar parts. Croce (cousin to 1970s singer-songwriter Jim Croce), who was stationed here in the Navy and returned to his home in New Jersey to be with his girlfriend, also flew back to Honolulu to help finish up "Antidote."

The Crud's complicated story actually helped them win free professional mastering services offered by a Oregon-based outfit, which helps make the album sound at least comparable to more expensively produced projects by major mainland bands.

And when the band hits the Wave stage tonight, it'll be as a three-piece act with a post-grunge sound, with Rob Petersen now the bass player.

"We're looking for a lead guitarist," Henry said, "and we've auditioned over a dozen, but it hasn't happened because they've either been not into the music or we weren't just clicking when we all played together."

IMAGES COURTESY RICHARD WALKER / THECRUD.COM Ben Henry writhes during a performance at Wave Waikiki.

SINCE HENRY wears his love of Nirvana and other Seattle bands of the early 1990s on his sleeve, he admits that The Crud's sound "is kind of retro, different stuff than what's on the radio. The trend nowadays is the heavy influence of metal and 'whino-punk' (aka emo). I've never been one to conform to what's popular, and just to try to make music that we like."

What with more new material added to their setlist, in addition to the two-year-old songs from "Antidote," Henry says it's a bit weird. "The new material has taken us in a different direction, where we've had to evolve out of necessity. The songs are now more suited for a three-piece. I know I said we're looking for another guitarist, but if it's not happening, you go with what you got."

The songs from "Antidote" that they still play with enthusiasm are the Nirvana-influenced "My Passion's Gone" and "Bad Disease," the surprising pop/real-love tune "Too Much Time," the Weezer-ish "Do I Need You Now," and the epic-length "Fallen Again," which gets a welcome remix on the album compared to the vocally shaky original version that was earlier released on the "Roots Rock Reggae" benefit compilation.

"The reason it took two years to get this album out was that we had to overcome all these obstacles in the band," Henry said. "Hopefully, we've overcome the worst of those challenges, and to come to a point where we can turn the corner and make a name for ourselves, and play good music.

"I've been put through the wringer before, but nothing like this new experience of being in financial debt as a self-produced, independent band that has to self-distribute our CD. It's been one crazy headache after another."

To help the band get out of its cruddy debt, "Antidote" can be pre-ordered off of the band's Web site at www.thecrud.com, and according to Henry, should be in Sam Goody and Tower Records stores by the middle of the month.