| Crazy Town | |
|---|---|
| Origin |  Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genre(s) | Rapcore Alternative rock Nu metal |
| Years active | 1995—2003 2007—present |
| Label(s) | Epic Columbia Records |
| Website | http://www.myspace.com/cxt |
| Members | |
| Bret Mazur (a.k.a. "Epic") Seth Binzer (a.k.a. "Shifty") Kraig Tyler Kyle Hollinger Doug Miller (a.k.a. Faydoedeelay) Anthony Valli (a.k.a. Trouble) |
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| Former members | |
| Adam Goldstein (a.k.a. DJ AM) James Bradley Jr. (a.k.a. "JBJ") Rust Epique (deceased) |
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Crazy Town is a rapcore band formed in Los Angeles in 1995 by Bret Mazur and Seth Binzer. The band is known for their 2001 single "Butterfly", which reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The final lineup of Crazy Town consisted of Bret Mazur (vocals), Seth Binzer (vocals), Kraig Tyler (guitar, backing vocals), Kyle Hollinger (drums), Doug Miller (bass guitar) and Anthony Valli (guitar).
Contents |
History of the band
Formation (1995–1999)
Mazur and Binzer, who were then going by the name of "Shifty Shellshock", started collaborating together in 1995 under the name of "The Brimstone Sluggers". By early 1999, Crazy Town consisted of Mazur, Binzer, Rust Epique, James Bradley Jr., Miller, Adam Goldstein, and Valli. Their début album, The Gift of Game, was released in November 1999, having been recorded earlier that year.
The Gift of Game and Butterfly (1999–2001)
The release of The Gift of Game was followed by a tour support slot for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Guitarist Rust Epique left the band while the album was being mixed, and Crazy Town was joined by Kraig Tyler shortly after. The first two singles from the album, "Toxic" and "Darkside", were released with minimal success. Turntablist DJ AM left at this point. The third single "Butterfly" peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 24 and April 7 in 2001. After this DJ AM returned.
Darkhorse (2001–2003)
Their second album, Darkhorse, was produced in 2002 by Howard Benson. Benson's influence resulted in a more rock oriented sound. Prior to recording the album, DJ AM had left once again, and drummer James Bradley Jr. was replaced by Kyle Hollinger. Hollinger had previously played in the band Shuvel. The album achieved little commercial success, spawning only two singles: "Hurt You So Bad" and "Drowning". Shortly after the release of Darkhorse, the band broke up in 2003. The second single "Hurt You So Bad" features Rivers Cuomo from Weezer on guitar.
Hiatus
Binzer released his first solo album, Happy Love Sick, under the alias Shifty in 2004, producing one single "Slide Along Side". Binzer also contributed vocals to Paul Oakenfold's single "Starry Eyed Surprise". Tyler contributed to Ringer, a project he started with Eric Powell of 16volt. Although their album was not officially released, it is available for download from their site. link Rust Epique joined pre)Thing in 2003. Their album 22nd Century Lifestyle was released in 2004; shortly after, Epique died of a heart attack.
Crazy Town Is Back (3)
Seth has made a new MySpace profile where he writes, "At the moment Epic and I are working on another album called Crazy Town Is Back which we have produced 2 songs so far called Hit That Switch and Hard to Get. We are expecting to finish up that album sometime in 2008." The previously mentioned new songs are now available for listen on Crazy Town's MySpace. Also, a picture has been added to their photo gallery promoting the album as "3".
Discography
Albums
- The Gift of Game (1999) Platinum, #15 UK, # 9 U.S Billboard 200
- Darkhorse (2002), #164 UK
- Crazy Town Is Back (2008)
Singles
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Main- stream Rock | UK Singles Chart | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Toxic | - | - | - | - | The Gift of Game |
| 2000 | Darkside | - | - | - | - | The Gift of Game |
| 2001 | Butterfly | #1 (2 weeks) | #1 (2 weeks) | #21 | #3 | The Gift of Game |
| 2001 | Revolving Door | - | - | - | #24 | The Gift of Game |
| 2002 | Drowning | - | #24 | #24 | #50 | Darkhorse |
| 2002 | Hurt You So Bad | - | - | - | - | Darkhorse |
