Crimpshrine
Encyclopedia
Crimpshrine was an American punk rock
band from Berkeley, California
. The group was formed in 1982 by Aaron Cometbus
, founder of the seminal punk rock
zine
Cometbus, and a friend, Jeff Ott
. Within D.I.Y. communities, the band is often considered one of the most important punk bands, most notably in the Bay Area scene.
scene, centered around 924 Gilman Street
, and had an important influence on later East Bay bands such as Operation Ivy
, Green Day
and punk rock
in general. Crimpshrine toured the United States once in 1988. In Gainesville, Florida
, after ongoing tensions, Rypins and Bryant and their roadie left the tour and the band. Paul Curran was courted to join the band on bass. He and his brother Jack drove out in a Ford Pinto
and finished the tour with Ott and Cometbus, also playing on a few recordings. Cometbus played drums for Screeching Weasel
and Ben Weasel
played bass for Crimpshrine for two shows around Chicago. A tribute album was released to both Crimpshrine and Fifteen
in 1996 by Microcosm Records.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band from Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. The group was formed in 1982 by Aaron Cometbus
Aaron Cometbus
Aaron Elliott , better known as Aaron Cometbus, is an American drummer, lyricist, self-described "punk anthropologist," novelist, and author of punk rock zine Cometbus.-Personal life:...
, founder of the seminal punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
Cometbus, and a friend, Jeff Ott
Jeff Ott
Jeff Ott is an activist, musician, author, and longtime member of the Berkeley punk community, having fronted such bands as Crimpshrine, and Fifteen.-Partial history:...
. Within D.I.Y. communities, the band is often considered one of the most important punk bands, most notably in the Bay Area scene.
Biography
Crimpshrine originally formed in 1982 with Aaron Cometbus playing drums and Jeff Ott on guitar. The group switched to a more traditional lineup in 1984, with Ott switching to guitar and vocals and adding Pete Rypins on bass. The band grew out of the East BayEast Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
scene, centered around 924 Gilman Street
924 Gilman Street
924 Gilman Street is an all-ages, not for profit, collectively organized music club usually referred to by its fans simply as "The Gilman." It is located in the West Berkeley area of Berkeley, California about a mile and a half west of the North Berkeley BART station and a quarter-mile west of San...
, and had an important influence on later East Bay bands such as Operation Ivy
Operation Ivy (band)
Operation Ivy was an American ska punk band that formed in Berkeley, California, and was often credited with spurring the 1990s punk revival in California. It is well-known as one of the first bands to "mix" hardcore punk with elements of ska, known as ska-core...
, Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
and punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
in general. Crimpshrine toured the United States once in 1988. In Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, after ongoing tensions, Rypins and Bryant and their roadie left the tour and the band. Paul Curran was courted to join the band on bass. He and his brother Jack drove out in a Ford Pinto
Ford Pinto
The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car produced by the Ford Motor Company for the model years 1971–1980. The car's name derives from the Pinto horse. Initially offered as a two-door sedan, Ford offered "Runabout" hatchback and wagon models the following year, competing in the U.S. market with the AMC...
and finished the tour with Ott and Cometbus, also playing on a few recordings. Cometbus played drums for Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Jughead.Since their formation, Screeching Weasel have broken up and reformed numerous times with numerous line-up changes. Ben Weasel has been the only constant...
and Ben Weasel
Ben Weasel
Ben Weasel is a punk rock musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of bands Screeching Weasel and The Riverdales...
played bass for Crimpshrine for two shows around Chicago. A tribute album was released to both Crimpshrine and Fifteen
Fifteen (band)
Fifteen was a punk rock band formed by Jeff Ott. Ott was the group's main songwriter and only consistent member. According to Ott, the band had a total of fifteen members by the time it finally disbanded in 2000: Jack Curran, Mikey Mischief, Mark Moreno, Jean Repetto, Lucky Dog, Chris Flanagan,...
in 1996 by Microcosm Records.
Band members
Former members- Aaron CometbusAaron CometbusAaron Elliott , better known as Aaron Cometbus, is an American drummer, lyricist, self-described "punk anthropologist," novelist, and author of punk rock zine Cometbus.-Personal life:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(later of Pinhead GunpowderPinhead GunpowderPinhead Gunpowder is an American punk rock band formed East Bay, California, in 1990. The band has consisted of Aaron Cometbus , Bill Schneider , Billie Joe Armstrong and Jason White for the majority of its existence...
among many, many others) - Jeff OttJeff OttJeff Ott is an activist, musician, author, and longtime member of the Berkeley punk community, having fronted such bands as Crimpshrine, and Fifteen.-Partial history:...
- lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(later of FifteenFifteen (band)Fifteen was a punk rock band formed by Jeff Ott. Ott was the group's main songwriter and only consistent member. According to Ott, the band had a total of fifteen members by the time it finally disbanded in 2000: Jack Curran, Mikey Mischief, Mark Moreno, Jean Repetto, Lucky Dog, Chris Flanagan,...
) - Pete Rypins - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1986–1988) (later of TiltTilt (band)Tilt was an American punk rock band from the East Bay, California, United States, formed in 1992. The group's debut studio album, Play Cell, was released through Lookout Records in 1993. They would soon after get signed to Fat Wreck Chords, which the rest of its albums were released through...
and The Tantrums) - Idon Bryant - guitar (1987–1988)
- Paul Curran - bass (1988–1989) (later of Go SailorGo SailorGo Sailor was a short-lived Berkeley based twee pop band. Its members included Rose Melberg of Tiger Trap and the Softies , Paul Curran of Crimpshrine and Amy Linton of Henry's Dress...
, MonsulaMonsulaMonsula was an American punk rock band from the San Francisco Bay Area, California.The band was conceived in 1988 by Peter Zetterburg and Paul Lee in an art class at Benicia High School. With many member changes over the years, they performed regularly at Berkeley's Gilman Street Project and the...
and Onion Flavored Rings, as well as a one-time editor of Maximumrocknroll)
Discography
| Title | Label | FMT | Date |
| Studio albums | |||
| Sleep, What's That? | Lookout! Lookout! Records -History:Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop rock, reggae fusion, acoustic rock, pop punk, and indie rock... |
Extended play | 1988 |
| Quit Talkin' Claude | Lookout! | 7-inch | 1989 |
| Lame Gig Contest Lame Gig Contest Lame Gig Contest was Crimpshrine's first album. It was turned down by Lookout Records, but was released in Germany. All of the songs made it onto Duct Tape Soup and Sound of a New World being born, except for "Concrete Lawns" and "New Scenery"... |
Musical Tragedies | 12-inch | 1988 or 9 |
| Duct Tape Soup | Lookout! | CD/Vinyl | 1992 |
| The Sound of a New World Being Born | Lookout! | CD/Vinyl | 1998 |
| Compilations and splits | |||
| Turn It Around! | Maximumrocknroll | Double 7-inch/12-inch | 1987 |
| Caution | Skene! Skene! Records Skene! Records was a DIY punk rock record label founded in Connecticut then later based in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the late 1980s and early 1990s. An early album release was Better Yet Connecticut Hardcore; featuring bands such as Bug Gulp, Fallback, Freedom of Choice, Forced Reality and Scooter... |
7-inch | 1988 |
| The World's in Shreds, Vol. 1 | Shredder | 7-inch | 1988 |
| The Thing That Ate Floyd The Thing That Ate Floyd The Thing That Ate Floyd is a compilation album released in December 1988 by Lookout! Records. The album is a compilation of bands from the 924 Gilman St. punk rock scene. It includes bands such as Operation Ivy, No Use for a Name, Crimpshrine and The Mr... |
Lookout! | Double LP | 1988 |
| The World's in Shreds, Vol. 2 | Shredder | 7-inch | 1989 |
| Make the Collector Nerd Sweat | Very Small Very Small Records Very Small Records is an independent record label, formed in 1989 by David Hayes, co-founder and former co-owner of Lookout! Records. The label releases primarily pop punk and punk rock records.... |
10-inch | 1989 |
| Crimpshrine / Mutley Chix | No Idea No Idea Records For other uses, see No Idea .No Idea Records is an independent record label based in Gainesville, Florida which produces both vinyl records and compact discs... |
7-inch | 1989 |
| Crimpshrine / G-Whiz | No Reality | 7-inch | 1990 |
| Jawbreaker Jawbreaker (band) Jawbreaker was an American punk rock band active from 1986 to 1996 and considered one of the most influential acts of the early-1990s emo movement... / Crimpshrine |
Skene! | 7-inch | 1993 |
| Forward Till Death | Lookout! | CD | 1999 |