User:Wholenewlevelofcool/Crunkcore

Crunkcore (also known as scrunk, cxc, screamo-crunk or crunkxcore) is a term used to refer to a particular genre of music fusing elements of screamo and techno with crunk hip-hop. Popular, particularly in the United States, crunkcore bands are famous for their colorful appearance.

Characteristics
Crunkcore has been described as "phat drum beats with heavy guitars" and is characterised by its use of hip-hop vocals, screaming, synthesised vocals and distorted samples, together with electric guitars, heavy bass and keyboard melodies.

The music is often associated with rapcore, techno, nintendocore, electro, breakcore and crunk.

History
Crunkcore is an abstract post hardcore, punk, screamo and hip-hop derivative, believed to have originated in California and New Mexico in 2004 with the release of the Crunkcore Sampler by Vankmen and H-Rock in August of that year. These early pioneers of the crunkcore sound mixed various tracks and samples from different genres into a mash-up, with or without vocals over it. Other early crunkcore artists include GodDamnSam and MC ParaMaKo who have found some success in the underground music scene, as has producer Starkey in 2006 with the release of his Local Headlines.

In 2008 this style of music broke through to a more mainstream audience with the likes of New Mexico's brokeNCYDE appearing on MTV and achieving worldwide sales of their BC13 album ,as have Colorado's 3Oh!3 with their album Want. Other artists such as Hollywood Undead have achieved phenomenal recognition through the social networking site MySpace, attracting millions of fans, having songs included on the Madden NFL 09 video game soundtrack, and, ultimately, becomming the first signing to MySpace Records. In a nod to the genre's increasing popularity and the current wave of Crunkcore artists' roots in covering hip hop songs, in 2008 Fearless Records released an album of crunk covers by various artists on it's roster as part of it's Punk Goes... series entitled Punk Goes Crunk.

Criticisms of the genre
Many critics of the genre deride the music based on the simplicity of the lyrics used by many Crunkcore artists, the subject matter of the material and treat the style as something of a novelty that has yet to establish itself as a music genre in its own right. Many artists, including Senses Fail's Buddy Neilson, whose band toured with brokeNCYDE, and Bayside's Anthony Raneri have expressed their disdain for the genre due to what they believe is its emphasis on aesthetics and appearance over musical and lyrical depth. Many highly skilled and highly regarded artists have made clear, they believe crunkcore is the worst of two worlds.

Crunkcore Artists
Noted Crunkcore artists and artists with a Crunkcore "flavour" include: brokeNCYDE, Dot Dot Curve, Hollywood Undead, OhEmGee, Subscene, Jakewolf, ToxicSkyMeltDown, SnapKracklePop!, Disco Skitzo, HeDLeSs, Hurry! Lets Go, Hyper Crush, I Set My Friends on Fire, J Bigga, The Medication Age, Millionaires, Minus the Makeup, The Medic Droid, Røckstar, Global Graffiti, Dance Floor Death Threats, iScream, Scene Kidz, Scene Thugs, 3Oh!3,EAST COAST NIGHTMARE,Youde Machine, 7 Years Of Broken Mirrors, Throwdown KID! .

Similar Artists
Many other artists often popular with fans of the Crunkcore sub-genre include: Aerodrone, Attack Attack!, A Beautiful Lotus, Breathe Carolina, Breathe Electric, Blood on the Dance Floor, Closed Heart Surgery, Cutest Guy Alive, Dividing the Line, DJ Pickee, Dr Manhattan, Durdy Boy, Electric Valentine, Family Force 5, Handhshakes and Highfives, Hadouken!, Idiotpilot, I Eat Lightning, Ima Robot, JoFo, Kill Paradise, Like Clockwork, Matthew Hall, The Medic Droid, Mickey Avalon, NeverShoutNever!, Nickasaur!, Peachcake, Princess Superstar, Represent, Robots Red Robots,Scenes and Sirens, Scotty Vanity, A Sunset Diary, Trouble Andrew, Crossfaith, and Ultraviolet Sound.

Notable Albums
Various Artists - Punk Goes Crunk (Fearless Records, 2008)

3Oh!3 - Want (Photo Finish Records, 2008)

brokeNCYDE - BC13 (Suburban Noize Records/Break Silence, 2008)

Hollywood Undead - Swan Songs (Polydor Records, 2009)

Alternative use of term "Crunkcore"
Crunkcore may also be used in a descriptive sense to describe the act of getting crunk to particular styles of music, in the same way that the term "crunk" may be used to describe both a style of music and an action.