Screamo

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Screamo
Stylistic originsHardcore punk, emo,[1] post-hardcore[2]
Cultural originsEarly 1990s San Diego, New York
Typical instrumentsDrums, bass guitar, electric guitar, screamed vocals, vocals
Fusion genres
Emo violence, crunkcore
Other topics
Powerviolence, post-rock

Screamo, though used loosely as a slang term to describe any music that features screamed vocals, is a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s. The term "screamo" was initially applied to a more aggressive offshoot of emo that developed in San Diego in 1991, which used short songs that grafted "spastic intensity to willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics."[2]

Characteristics

Screamo essentially describes a particularly dissonant style of emo influenced by hardcore punk.[3] Screamo uses typical rock instrumentation, but is notable for its brief compositions, chaotic execution, and screaming vocals. The genre is "generally based in the aggressive side of the overarching punk-revival scene."[3] Primary characteristics of the genre are described by Allmusic:[3]

"Bang Yer Head" by Portraits of Past
An example of early screamo by Portraits of Past, an influential band which helped define the genre.[citation needed]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

It came to be that the soft/loud dynamic of having either one or two singers who alternate between passionate singing and distraught shrieking that characterizes most screamo. These vocals are often layered or appear side-by-side amid aggressive, hard-hitting guitar licks used to trigger an exhaustive, emotional catharsis. Though the music is outwardly tough and powerful, the lyrics are usually of the introspective kind found in softer emo bands.

In addition to melodic transitions from heavy to soft styles, the genre is also characterized "by frequent shifts in tempo and dynamics and by tension-and-release catharses."[4] Screamed vocals are used "not consistently, but as a kind of crescendo element, a sonic weapon to be trotted out when the music and lyrics reach a particular emotional pitch."[4] Some consider the genre to be a bridge between hardcore punk and emo.[5]

Conceptual elements

Many screamo bands in the 1990s saw themselves as implicitly political, and as a reaction against the turn to the right embodied by California politicians, such as Roger Hedgecock.[6] Some groups were also unusually theoretical in inspiration: Angel Hair cited surrealist writers Antonin Artaud and Georges Bataille,[2] and Orchid lyrically name-checked French new wave icon Anna Karina and critical theory originators the Frankfurt School.[7]

History

Origins (early 1990s–early 2000s)

The term screamo is applied to a music genre that began in 1991, in San Diego, at the Ché Café,[8] with groups such as Heroin, Antioch Arrow,[9] Angel Hair, Mohinder, Swing Kids, and Portraits of Past.[10] These groups were influenced by Washington D.C. post-hardcore (particularly Fugazi and Nation of Ulysses),[2] straight edge, the Chicago group Articles of Faith, hardcore punk band Die Kreuzen[11] and post-punk, such as Joy Division[12] and Bauhaus.[2]

Gravity Records[11][13] and Ebullition Records[10] released this more chaotic and expressive style of hardcore. The scene is noted for its distinctive fashion sense, inspired by mod culture.[6] Much as the term "emo" is, the term "screamo" has always been controversial in the scene.[2]

The innovations of the San Diego scene eventually spread elsewhere, such as to the Seattle group The Blood Brothers.[14] Many groups from the East Coast were influential in the continual development and reinvention of the style, including Orchid,[15][16] Circle Takes the Square, Pg. 99, Hot Cross, Saetia,[17] Ampere,[18] and City of Caterpillar.[3]

Modern screamo (2000s–present)

Alexisonfire performing in 2007

Some bands that formed in North America during the late 1990s and remained active throughout the 2000s, such as Thursday, Thrice, Alexisonfire, Poison the Well, and The Used made screamo much more popular. Many of these bands took influence from the likes of Refused, At the Drive-In,[3] and Keepsake. By the mid-2000s, the over-saturation of the screamo scene caused many bands to purposefully expand past the genre's trademarks and incorporate more experimental elements.[3]

Hawthorne Heights and Story of the Year, two bands frequently featured on MTV, have been noted for their popularization of screamo,[3] although both have since made stylistic changes.[19][20] Other active American screamo acts include Comadre,[21] Off Minor, Men As Trees,[22] and Vendetta Red.[3]

The contemporary DIY screamo scene is also particularly active in Europe, with bands such as Amanda Woodward,[23] Louise Cyphre,[24] Le Pré Où Je Suis Mort,[25] La Quiete, and Raein all being prime examples of their scene.

Vagueness of the term "screamo"

While the genre was developing in the early 1990s, the term "screamo" was not used.[10] Chris Taylor, lead vocalist for the band Pg. 99, said "we never liked that whole screamo thing. Even during our existence, we tried to venture away from the fashion and tell people, "Hey, this is punk."[26] Jonathan Dee of The New York Times wrote that the term "tends to bring a scornful laugh from the bands themselves."[4] Lars Gotrich of NPR Music made the following comment on the matter:[26]

The screamo scene [has] change[d] a lot in the last 10 years. There used to be more creative bands like Circle Takes the Square and City of Caterpillar. And then it took this route where screamo got really streamlined and unrecognizable to the point where someone hilariously invented the term "skramz" to distinguish the first wave of screamo bands.

Allmusic has noted that the term "screamo" can sometimes be vague, and that even bands that weren’t necessarily screamo would often use the style's characteristic guttural vocal style.[3] Derek Miller, guitarist for the band Poison the Well noted the term's constant differing usages and jokingly stated that it "describes a thousand different genres."[27] According to Jeff Mitchell of Iowa State Daily, "there is no set definition of what screamo sounds like but screaming over once deafeningly loud rocking noise and suddenly quiet, melodic guitar lines is a theme commonly affiliated with the genre."[28] Bert McCracken, lead singer of The Used, stated that "screamo" is merely a term "for record companies to sell records and for record stores to categorize them."[29]

Styles of music such as post-hardcore, metalcore, deathcore, death metal and black metal are often also labeled as "screamo" based on the assumption that any music with screamed vocals should be considered such.[30] Juan Gabe, vocalist for the band Comadre, alleged that the term "has been kind of tainted in a way, especially in the States."[21]

Influence on other styles

"Emo violence" is a term used to describe a fusion of screamo, emo and powerviolence. The name was coined half-jokingly by In/Humanity.[31] Recognisable elements of emo violence are its incorporation of amplified feedback and blast beats; the music is highly dissonant and chaotic, generally featuring fast tempos, shouting, and screamed vocals.[32][33] Emo violence practitioners include Pg. 99, Orchid,[34] Reversal of Man,[34] Agna Moraine, RentAmerica,[33] and In/Humanity.[31][35]

Some screamo groups, such as Orchid, Reversal of Man, and Circle Takes the Square tend to be much closer to grindcore than their forebears.[34][36] Other screamo acts have often incorporated post-rock into their music. This fusion is characterized by abrupt changes in pace, atmospheric, harmonic instrumentation, and low-volume vocals.[37][38] Pianos Become the Teeth,[39] City of Caterpillar, Envy, Funeral Diner, and Le Pre Ou Je Suis Mort[25][37] are examples of post-rock influenced screamo acts.

Other screamo-influenced genres include crunkcore and Nintendocore. Crunkcore combines screamo with crunk hip hop and various electronic elements.[40] Nintendocore, a term coined by Horse the Band, describes a music genre that fuses elements of modern rock with video game music, chiptunes, and 8-bit music.[41][42][43] It is considered a derivative form of screamo,[43] post-hardcore[41] and metalcore.[44][45] Nintendocore borrows many characteristic of screamo, such as screamed vocals and unpredictable rhythms.[41]

See also

List of screamo bands

References

  1. ^ Interview with Justin Pearson, Skatepunk.net [1] Access date: June 13, 2008
  2. ^ a b c d e f Jason Heller, "Feast of Reason". Denver Westword, June 20, 2002. [2] Access date: June 15, 2008
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Explore style: Screamo at Allmusic Music Guide
  4. ^ a b c Dee, Jonathan (June 29, 2003). "The Summer of Screamo". The New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  5. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Let It Enfold You - Senses Fail". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
  6. ^ a b Interview with Justin Pearson on Skatepunk.net, [3] Access date: June 13, 2008
  7. ^ Orchid, Dance Tonight, Revolution Tomorrow. Allmusic Guide. [4] Access date: June 17, 2008.
  8. ^ "A Day with the Locust", L.A. Weekly, September 18, 2003 [5] Access date: June 19, 2008
  9. ^ Local Cut, Q&A with Aaron Montaigne. [6] May 14, 2008. Access date: June 11, 2008.
  10. ^ a b c Ebullition Catalog, Portraits of Past discography. [7] Access date: August 9, 2008.
  11. ^ a b "Blood Runs Deep: 23 A hat". Alternative Press. 2008-07-07. p. 126.
  12. ^ Swing Kids covered "Warsaw"; Justin Pearson discusses Joy Division's influence in an interview on Skatepunk.net, [8] Access date: June 13, 2008
  13. ^ Trevor Kelley, "California Screaming". Alternative Press 17 (2003), pp. 84-86.
  14. ^ Matt Schild, "Bleeding Hearts." Aversion.com. March 3, 2003. [9] Access date: June 15, 2008.
  15. ^ Anchors (December 27, 2005). "Review of Orchid's Totality". Retrieved June 16, 2008. Orchid always was, and always will be the quintessential screamo band of the late 90s, as they encompassed everything people like me love about the genre, and throw their own unique spin on it
  16. ^ Nick Catucci (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
  17. ^ Ryan Buege (June 15, 2008). "Circle Takes the Square is in the Studio". Metal Injection. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
  18. ^ Nick Greer (August 29, 2005). "Ampere review". Sputnik Music. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  19. ^ comments policy  18  comments posted. "Fragile Future Review Hawthorne Heights Compact Discs Reviews @". Ultimate-guitar.com. Retrieved 2011-12-15. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Story of the Year Archive First Media Communications". First-media.com. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
  21. ^ a b Jan, "Yellow is the new pink", 18-04-07
  22. ^ scenepointblank: Men as Trees - Weltschmerz
  23. ^ Kevin Jagernauth, PopMatters, November 29, 2004. [10] Access date: July 28, 2008.
  24. ^ "Altogether, our music certainly still is 'screamo'." - Sven, interview with Julien, "ShootMeAgain Webzine", 06-11-2006. [11]
  25. ^ a b "Live Review: La Dispute, Le Pre Ou Je Suis Mort, Maths and History, The Chantry, Canterbury - 22/06/10". Alter The Press!. 2010-06-22. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  26. ^ a b Lars Gotrich, Pg. 99: A Document Revisited: NPR Music Interview
  27. ^ "Screamo". Jimdero.com. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
  28. ^ Mitchell, Jeff (July 26, 2001). "A Screamin' Scene". Iowa State Daily. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  29. ^ Greenwald, Andy (21 November 2003). "Screamo 101". Entertainment Weekly (738). Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  30. ^ Cook, Anderson, "The Steez of Skramz" Something Awful (Oct 2010)
  31. ^ a b Jason Thompson (15 June 2008). "CIRCLE TAKES THE SQUARE is in the studio". PopMatters. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  32. ^ Anchors (December 27, 2005). "Punknews.org Orchid - Totality". Punknews.org. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  33. ^ a b "Agna Moraine's Autobiography & RentAmerica split". Thats Punk. September 14, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  34. ^ a b c Greg, Pratt (22 September 2010). "Altered States, Grindcore Special part 2". Terrorizer (181). United Kingdom: Miranda Yardley: 43. Another interesting sub-sub-genre was this strange crossover of first-generation emo and grind. Bands like Reversal of Man or Orchid may not have stood the test of time, but it was a pretty cool sound at the time and one that was pretty uniquely American
  35. ^ Andy Malcolm. "La Quiete - the Apoplexy Twist Orchestra split (Heroine Records)". Retrieved August 18, 2011. {{cite web}}: Text "Collective Zine" ignored (help)
  36. ^ "CIRCLE TAKES THE SQUARE is in the studio". metal injection. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2011. ...CIRCLE TAKES THE SQUARE have retained their integrity and stayed true to to the grind influenced experimental, progressive hardcore soundscapes that defined the screamo albums of the early part of the millenium.
  37. ^ a b "Interpunk.com - The Ultimate Punk Music Store! Le Pre Ou Je Suis Mort". Interpunk. January 15, 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  38. ^ Benjamin (January 10, 2009). "Single State of Man – s/t LP". Pinnacle Magazine. Retrieved September, 1 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  39. ^ Andrew Kelham (January 21, 2010). "Pianos Become The Teeth - Old Pride Reviews Rock Sound". Rock Sound. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  40. ^ Gail, Leor (14 July 2009). "Scrunk happens: We're not fans, but the kids seem to like it". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  41. ^ a b c Loftus, Johnny. "HORSE the Band - Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  42. ^ Payne, Will B. (2006-02-14). "Nintendo Rock: Nostalgia or Sound of the Future". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  43. ^ a b Wright (2010-12-09). "Subgenre(s) of the Week: Nintendocore (feat. Holiday Pop)". The Quest. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
  44. ^ "Horse The Band, Super 8 Bit Brothers, Endless Hallway ,and Oceana". The A. V. Club. The Onion. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  45. ^ Turull, Alisha (6 October 2009). "New Releases: Lita Ford, the Fall of Troy, Horse the band, Immortal, Inhale Exhale". Noisecreep. AOL. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
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