Hit Play

"Hit Play! is an up-and-coming outfit boasting a cool local punk rock pedigree, with members coming from bands like Against All Authority, the Stop Motion, and Underpaid. This here MP3 is the opener of the band's upcoming In Case of Emergency EP. What fun! Gaston de la Vega on bass and Machbeth Proenza on drums make up the rhythm section with gusto, while Johnny Underpaid and Raf Solo do the guitar work and Alex Calante leading the vocal assault. There are some vocal harmonies here reminiscent of Bad Religion's oohs and ahhs and similar flourishes by similar Southern California acts. I'm thinking this is for fans of early Lagwagon, Screw 32, and Face to Face, along with the hardcore moments of Jughead's Revenge and the pop of Rhythm Collision. There's nice guitar work there near the end. This is some fun power-pop-punk with polish and edge. The band's web site (ilovehitplay.com) is "under construction," so give it a week or two. " - New Times Miami by Abel Folgar

"Hit Play! is an up-and-coming outfit boasting a cool local punk rock pedigree, with members coming from bands like Against All Authority, the Stop Motion, and Underpaid. This here MP3 is the opener of the band's upcoming In Case of Emergency EP. What fun! Gaston de la Vega on bass and Machbeth Proenza on drums make up the rhythm section with gusto, while Johnny Underpaid and Raf Solo do the guitar work and Alex Calante leading the vocal assault. There are some vocal harmonies here reminiscent of Bad Religion's oohs and ahhs and similar flourishes by similar Southern California acts. I'm thinking this is for fans of early Lagwagon, Screw 32, and Face to Face, along with the hardcore moments of Jughead's Revenge and the pop of Rhythm Collision. There's nice guitar work there near the end. This is some fun power-pop-punk with polish and edge. The band's web site (ilovehitplay.com) is "under construction," so give it a week or two. " - New Times Miami by Abel Folgar

"Fun, somewhat polished, early to mid 90's Southern California inspired punk rock that showcases the individual talents that comprise the band. Gaston de la Vega on bass and Machbeth Proenza on drums make up the rhythm section with gusto, while Johnny Underpaid and Raf Solo do the guitar work for Alex Calante to lead the vocal assault. I've had time to reflect on my comparisons to Face to Face and Lagwagon and I'm leaning a little more towards Jughead's Revenge and Pennywise now and maybe a small dose of Epitaph Records era Descendents. "A Pleasant View" and "Marley" follow up with some fun punches that center the gravity of the effort solidly in the power-pop-punk canon, but the tenet is not staunchly relied upon since there are some flourishes of straight up rock and roll and cheekiness like "The Lie Detector Determined, That Was a Lie!" Hopefully some live performances soon will get the word out on this outfit. " - New Times Miami by Abel Folgar

"Fun, somewhat polished, early to mid 90's Southern California inspired punk rock that showcases the individual talents that comprise the band. Gaston de la Vega on bass and Machbeth Proenza on drums make up the rhythm section with gusto, while Johnny Underpaid and Raf Solo do the guitar work for Alex Calante to lead the vocal assault. I've had time to reflect on my comparisons to Face to Face and Lagwagon and I'm leaning a little more towards Jughead's Revenge and Pennywise now and maybe a small dose of Epitaph Records era Descendents. "A Pleasant View" and "Marley" follow up with some fun punches that center the gravity of the effort solidly in the power-pop-punk canon, but the tenet is not staunchly relied upon since there are some flourishes of straight up rock and roll and cheekiness like "The Lie Detector Determined, That Was a Lie!" Hopefully some live performances soon will get the word out on this outfit. " - New Times Miami by Abel Folgar

"Hit Play!'s finally gotten it together to formally bring an official CD release party to their awesome debut EP, In Case of Emergency. Comprised by Gaston de la Vega on bass, Machbeth Proenza on drums, Johnny Underpaid and Raf Solo on guitars and Alex Calante on vocals, their take on Southern California punk takes its cues from better-known outfits like Pennywise, Lagwagon and Face to Face while maintaining the individual elements that make up the band. I'm leaning towards Jughead's Revenge and Bad Religion here which is cool and nowhere near as complicated as the instructions for finding their rehearsal space in the wonderful City of Progress, Hialeah. These trying economic times have not been forgotten by your gracious hosts! A miserable ten dollars will get you in through the door with a cup for refillable free beers. The CD will also be available for a fiver throughout the night, so don't sleep on your laurels for this one! " - New Times Miami by Abel Folgar

"Hit Play!'s finally gotten it together to formally bring an official CD release party to their awesome debut EP, In Case of Emergency. Comprised by Gaston de la Vega on bass, Machbeth Proenza on drums, Johnny Underpaid and Raf Solo on guitars and Alex Calante on vocals, their take on Southern California punk takes its cues from better-known outfits like Pennywise, Lagwagon and Face to Face while maintaining the individual elements that make up the band. I'm leaning towards Jughead's Revenge and Bad Religion here which is cool and nowhere near as complicated as the instructions for finding their rehearsal space in the wonderful City of Progress, Hialeah. These trying economic times have not been forgotten by your gracious hosts! A miserable ten dollars will get you in through the door with a cup for refillable free beers. The CD will also be available for a fiver throughout the night, so don't sleep on your laurels for this one! " - New Times Miami by Abel Folgar

"Hit Play is my friend and former 93 Rock co-worker Gaston de la Vega's band. They were the motivation for me to take my ass to Miami in the first place. The band kicked off their set with "...Progress, I Think?" from their debut EP "In Case of Emergency". Singer Alex Calente lead the band through a killer set that also included "The Lie Detector Determined That Was a Lie" and others. Equal parts power pop and punk, these guys deliver with catchy tunes that make you want to bounce and sing along, even if you don't know the lyrics. Of the four bands we saw, Hit, Play sounded tightest of all. They opened and finished strong, chugging through the fifteen minute set with as much energy as you would expect from an hour or more. "
- Erin Lee

"Hit Play is my friend and former 93 Rock co-worker Gaston de la Vega's band. They were the motivation for me to take my ass to Miami in the first place. The band kicked off their set with "...Progress, I Think?" from their debut EP "In Case of Emergency". Singer Alex Calente lead the band through a killer set that also included "The Lie Detector Determined That Was a Lie" and others. Equal parts power pop and punk, these guys deliver with catchy tunes that make you want to bounce and sing along, even if you don't know the lyrics. Of the four bands we saw, Hit, Play sounded tightest of all. They opened and finished strong, chugging through the fifteen minute set with as much energy as you would expect from an hour or more. "
- Erin Lee