Razakel

Horrorcore is a subgenre of hip-hop music.  The genre is based on horror-themed content, and is not very popular.  However, some groups such as Insane Clown Posse (ICP) and Twiztid have had success in the mainstream music scene.  Some “underground” artist includes Razakel, Tech N9ne, Insane Poetry, and KidCrusher.

Razakel is a popular artist.  Most of her songs talk about murder, rape, and mutilating bodies.  She refers to herself as the Queen of the Wicked Sh*t.  Not only is she a solo artist, she also has a two other groups she collorates with, Dead Girlz and Team Death.KidCrusher also talks about murder and in some songs he talks about himself committing necrophilism.

A horrorcore artist that killed a his girlfriend and her friend.

People who listen to this are thought to be of devil worhshipers.  However devil worshiping is another genre in its own.  An example of that type of music would be KGP.  In most of his songs he talks about killing religious people and burning down churches.  While both talk about murder, they are still very different genres.

Most songs are so unpopular because of cussing, the topic, and the type of people.  When people hear a horrorcore song, most cringe at the thought that people could think like that and that they go and commit crimes that they sing about.  Usually they do not, but there are some cases in which people kill because of the lyrics “telling” them to do it.

The Pretty Reckless



(The band performing, Taylor Momsen, up front.)



                The Pretty Reckless is an American alternative rock band from New York.  The music style can also be considered “post grunge”.   Even with 18 year old Taylor Momsen on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, the band still “rocks out”.  Backing her up and on lead guitar is Ben Phillips, with Mark Damon on bass, and Jamie Perkins on drums.  They debuted with the album “Light Me Up”, in August of 2010.  “Make Me Wanna Die”, the band’s first single, appeared on the film Kick-Ass.  Momsen also played Jenny Humphery on the CW show Gossip Girl, when she was younger she also played Cindy Lou Who on How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

                I like this band because even at the age of 18 Momsen still has an incredible voice.  I feel that she can hit notes that others can.  It sounds as if the group has chemistry, and flows well together.  Most would expect for her to be a pop singer like Miley Cyrus or Selena Gomes, however her music is more raw and meaningful.  I consider her to be almost “anti-pop”.  By this I mean that she does not really follow the fashion of others.  She dresses in gothic clothing with heavy eye makeup, her rebellion makes me laugh.

Miranda Lambert



(Lambert in Kerosene mujsic video.)



Miranda Lambert is a country music artist.  She gained her fame as a finalist on Nashville Star, where she finished third.  She made her debut with the single “Me and Charlie Talking”; this was off her first album “Kerosene”.  This album become platinum in the U.S, also producing three more singles, all making it to the Top 40 (country).  Released in 2007, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, produced three top 20 singles.  Her third album, “Revolution”, was released in 2009.  This album had five singles, two making it number 1.  “Baggage Claim”, her fourth album, was released the same year she married fellow country musician, Blake Shelton, in 2011.

 I enjoy Miranda Lambert’s music because the songs can shift mood.  By this I mean all the songs have their own “personality”, none sound the same.  Some songs can make you want to jump around, or go start a fight, for example “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” talks about finding the new girl her ex-boyfriend was with, and fight her.  The tone of the sounds can bring you down, like in the song “More Like Her”; the tone is very mellow, and depressing.  However, in the song “White Liar”, where she explains how her spouse was cheating on her and in the end she was cheating on him also.  That type of song makes me laugh.

P!nk

Pink or P!nk, born Alecia Beth Moore, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress.  She started her career in 2000, with the release of There You Go, this song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.  This song was off of her debut album “Can’t Take Me Home”.

                Released in 2001, “Missundaztood”, was a pop rock-oriented second album.  This album had estimated sales of 13 million, also producing four singles. Including "Get the Party Started," "Don't Let Me Get Me," "Just Like a Pill" and "Family Portrait”.  Each song reached the top 20 or higher, "Get the Party Started” being the reaching the highest.  “Try This”, released in 2003, was less successful than her second album, but still sold around 3 million copies.  This made it her least successful album, even though it produced 3 singles.  One of the singles was “Trouble”, this got her a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

                In 2006, with the release of “I’m Not Dead”, it was marked as her comeback album.  The album reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200.  This was her highest album on the charts, and had 3 singles.  Her fifth album “Funhouse”, this album reached No. 1 on the charts.  Also with the release of this album 3 singles were produced.  In November 2010 she released “Greatest Hits... So Far!!!”, this album produced 2 singles.  Pink was reported to be the 4^th most played artist of 2011.

                June 2, 2011 Pink and motocross racer Carey Hart had a daughter named Willow Sage Hart.

Destiny's Child

                Destiny’s Child is a R&B girl group that consists of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams.  The group came about in Houston, Texas, in 1997.  The original name of the group was Girl’s Tyme; this group was comprised of Knowles, Rowland, LaTavia Roberson, and LeToya Luckett. 

                In 1998 their self-tittles album was released followed by “The Writing’s on the Wall”, in 1999.  Two years later they released “Survivor”, in the same year the group release “8 Days of Christmas”.  Their final album, released in 2004, was “Destiny Fulfilled”.

                “The Writing’s on the Wall”, which launched Destiny’s Child into the mainstream, was their second best-selling albums.  Even though the group had success Roberson and Luckett were replaced with Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin.  Franklin later left in 2000, leaving the group as a trio.  Survivor, the group’s third album, was interpreted as a story of their experience.  The group re-united for their release of the fourth album, “Destiny Fulfilled”.

                Over 40 million records were sold worldwide.  This helped them become one of the best-selling recording artists in the U.S.  Billboard magazine ranked them as one of the greatest trios of all time.  They were also ranked the 9^th most successful band of the 2000s.  The World Music Awards ranked them as one of the world’s best-selling female groups of all time.

Kittie



(The Band)



                Kittie is a Canadian “heavy metal” band, formed in London, Ontario.  The band was formed in 1996, when the drummer, Mercedes Lander, met guitarist, Fallon Bowman, in a gymnastics class.  The lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Morgan Lander, is the sister of Mercedes Lander.  Tanya Candler was the first bassist, until she left in the winter of 1999 to finish high school.  She was replaced by Talena Atfield.  In 2001 Bowman left the band, for unknown reasons.

                Kittie’s album, “Oracle”, was recorded with Morgan Lander as the sole guitarist.  Bowman’s position was filled by the guitar technician, Jeff Phillips.  In 2002 Atfield left and was replaced by Jennifer Arroyo.  The group added another guitarist, Lisa Marx, in 2004.  Also in 2004 Kittie released “Until the End”, without Jeff Phillips.  In March of 2005 Marx and Arroyo “left” the band because of financial reasons and wanting to work outside the band.  They were replaced by Tara McLeod, on guitar, and Trish Doan on bass.



(Kittie live)



                The band has six albums, including “Spit”, from 1999.  Two years later Kittie released “Oracle”.  In 2004 they released “Until the End” and in 2007 “Funeral for Yesterday”.  “In the Black” was released in 2009, followed by “I’ve Failed You” in 2011.  May through June of 2010 Kittie took part in the Happy Daze tour, headlining with ICP, (Insane Clown Posse).

Marilyn Manson



Marilyn Manson and band.



Brian Hugh Warner, known to most as Marilyn Manson, is a “heavy metal” singer from Canton, Ohio.  His name was formed by combining Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson, two 1960s cultural icons.  Manson started with films in 1997, and has had a variety of minor roles.  Marilyn also has a career as a watercolor painter, owning an art gallery Celebritarian Corporation Gallery of Fine Art.



Formed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1989, the band’s original name was Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids.  The members of the band are Marilyn Manson, Twiggy Ramirez, Fred Sablan, and Jason Sutter.  Dressing in “outlandish” makeup and costumes the band has received a lot of criticism.  Some claim the lyrics are anti-religious, and refer to sex, violence, and drugs.  Some folks tried to protest and start petitions to ban them from performing.  There was also blame placed on Manson for influencing the Columbine shooters, however neither shooter was a fan of his music.  Manson was also blamed for another school shooting in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2007.  The shooter, a student, was wearing a Marilyn Manson shirt and “worshiped” Manson.

With eight studio albums, the most recent being “Cooking Vinyl and Born Villain”.  Four of the band’s albums have been multi-platinum and two have been gold.  Five have debuted in the top 10, and two have reached No. 1.  VH1’s 100 Great Artists of Hard Rock ranked Manson as the 78^th best rock band.  As of May 2009 Marilyn Manson has sold over 50 million albums.