The difference, by ear
Youth crew is the same era and scene with a stricter ideology and less melody - the mosh part rather than the chorus.
Both are shouted and move at much the same pace, around 170 to 220 bpm. To hear the difference, play Dag Nasty next to Youth of Today. Both grew out of hardcore punk, melodic hardcore first and youth crew / straight edge a year after.
In figures
Melodic hardcore
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Melodic hardcore
In short
Same speed and urgency, but with sung choruses and guitar harmonies.
How it sounds
- Hardcore speed with major-key harmonic progressions.
- Two-part guitar harmonies and sung choruses.
- More personal or reflective political lyrics rather than pure slogans.
Key acts
- Dag Nasty
- Strike Anywhere
- Comeback Kid
Start here
The pickKid Dynamite - Kid Dynamite. Seventeen songs, twenty-four minutes, zero fat.
Full page →Youth crew / straight edge
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Youth crew / straight edge
In short
Hardcore with a code: no alcohol, no drugs, gang vocals and breakdowns. The ethics of the scene became the subject of the songs.
How it sounds
- Gang vocals - the chorus shouted by the whole band and the audience at once.
- A breakdown at the midpoint, with the tempo halved, made for dancing.
- Simple riffs, with the emphasis on energy and message.
Key acts
- Youth of Today
- Gorilla Biscuits
- Minor Threat
Start here
The pickGorilla Biscuits - Start Today. Optimistic hardcore, which is rarer than it sounds.
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