Atlanta, GA · crunk-rock · electronic-rock

Family Force 5

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Atlanta crunk-rock — dance-punk silliness played entirely straight and very loud, a MySpace-era party that never acknowledged the era ended.

Family Force 5 began in Atlanta as The Brothers, formed by sons of Christian musician Jerome Olds: Solomon 'Soul Glow Activatur', and twins Joshua 'Fatty' and Jacob 'Crouton' Olds. Their father produced the group's early albums, Fact and Reality in 1994 and RPM in 1995, both released on Star Song Records.

The brothers later added friends Nathan 'Nadaddy' Currin and Brad '20 Cent' Allen, renaming the group Ground Noise and then the Phamily. Seeking a deal that reached both Christian and mainstream markets, they signed with Maverick Records and Gotee Records, but had to change their name again after a copyright dispute with Prince's band the Family.

As Family Force 5, the band released its debut album, Business Up Front/Party in the Back, in 2006, spawning the singles 'Kountry Gentleman', 'Replace Me', 'Love Addict' and 'Earthquake'. It was reissued the following year as a Diamond Edition with extra tracks, and the band toured that summer on the Vans Warped Tour.

The band built its sound from a mixture of Southern hip-hop rhythms, dance-punk and hard rock, a combination they called crunk rock, and became known for costumed, high-energy live shows built around chant-along hooks. Later releases pushed further into electronic pop and dance production while keeping the same party-focused material.

By 2018 the lineup had narrowed to brothers Jacob and Joshua Olds, who rebranded the group as FF5 and released the EP El Compadre. They played what remains their most recent show that March, before going on hiatus.

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crunk-rockelectronic-rock