Music Sales are down, why?

Why? Because most music out there just plain sucks. I'm sick of reading articles about music sales being down and the simple answer not even being approached. When you slam everyone out there with the same old thing repackaged and blended and refaced with a crappier knock-off wanna be band you are going to get a decline in sales. People are sick of this kind of crap being shoved down our throats. The simple fact is that with the onslaught of myspace and other resources to listen to music (legally, at least this last article didn't go on about how illegal downloads are the cause, which is clearly a bullshit answer; and onto this continuing tangent I don't download illegal music because I care about the bands I listen to and buy their CDs and go to their shows) whenever we want we only listen to the single and nothing else.

This is due to the afore mentioned reason that most music sucks. Typically the single is the only decent (if that) song that is put out and it's so easily accessible that we don't care for the rest of the filler. Now just because I listen to a lot of hardcore and punk, don't peg me as hating all pop music. I like some of it, but only when it's actually good, which is very very rare these days.

If the record label marketing machines would actually care about a band and focus on them to put out quality and help build them up as a band and not a resource they would get more from their respective audiences. Instead of jumping to the next best thing which is a repackaged version of the last thing they need to make us want to create a connection with a band and continue to buy their music. Maybe one day they'll get it, but I have my doubts.

Energetic Hardcore at it's Best

ABC No Rio puts on amazing shows. Despite being sadly disappointed by 11.22, the rest of the lineup was great (Ed Gein wasn't able to make it to the show) I originally went to see 11.22 but they didn't seem to have very much energy and didn't sound all that great either. All Else Failed was beyond unbelievable; they put on a fantastic set that got the crowd energized and emotional. When they covered Suffer by Vision of Disorder everything I'd seen before paled in comparison, everyone piled on top of each other to get a chance to sing. They even did an encore song, something you never really see at a hardcore show all that much (this isn't arena rock.)

I was very pleased to see a lot of straight edge guys and girls out at the show. That always makes me happy, especially when I see some that are older than me and have been edge for so long. It's also great to see younger new blood that have claimed edge.

One of the other opening bands was a NJ group called In First Person. They were very tight, and put everything they had into that set. They're playing in Brooklyn in May; I'm definitely looking forward to seeing them again.

Anti-Choice?

While reading some things on the net the other day I came across someone slamming Straight Edge as anti-choice. That to me seems completely absurd. If anything SxE is about choice. It's my choice to be poison free and to choose to not drink. People that say that SxE is anti-choice are just pissed because they can't be strong enough to make a choice other than to be a sheeple and follow the crowd. They are jealous of people that make choices different from theirs.
Sure their are some Edgers that try to force their beliefs on others, but there are FAR MORE non-edgers forcing their beliefs on others to drink, smoke, and do drugs. But it's easier to point fingers at the minority and the different than to look inside and realize one's own failures.

It takes a strong f*cking person to hold your ground. ~ Gorilla Biscuits

Now this isn't to say that people that choose to drink are failures, it's the people that don't choose and still drink that are failures, the people that drink and make excuses about it, the people that drink and try to pressure others into drinking, these kinds of people are the failures.

My Life. My Choice. My Pride.

Political Straight Edge Hardcore at ABC No Rio this Saturday

This saturday at ABC No Rio should be an awesome hardcore show. Ex-The Promise/Turmoil members will be playing in 11.22, a political SxE band along with All Else Failed and Ed Gein. My friend saw both AEF and Ed Gein a few years back at ABC and said that the show was amazing. So I can't wait to go this weekend. I haven't seen an SxE band in a little while so this will be great. I'll be there X'd up, come and check out the show if you're in the area.

The Promise - What Does Straight Edge Mean?

I came across a great interview with the promise while trying to find the lyrics for my last post. You can find the interview at Quebec Hardcore, but here is the part that stuck with me:

The Promise proudly declares itself to be a Straight Edge band. How do you (as a band or individually) define Straight Edge? What does Straight Edge mean to you and what has kept you unfazed over the years in the face of change and adversity? Also what's your opinion on longtime Straight Edge bands who have changed their course of action and no longer believe in it? Are there any bands you know of, for that matter, who are still keeping it real?
Buske: For all of us, Straight Edge is a lifetime commitment we have made with ourselves to live free from substance abuse. Everyone, aside from Derrick, has had their share of abuse or usage and we have seen that this (being Straight Edge) is the most productive and the healthiest path to take. I've watched people rot away and I've lost friends to suicide due to their drug usage. I have close friends that are alcoholics and I've watched, first hand, these people go from rags to somewhat ruin and it's fucking horrible. Those instances, the ones that hit home the most, are the ones that keep me clean and clinging to Straight Edge. Times change, people change, that's all good. Straight Edge isn't meant for everybody and if you fail, you fail. I have no problems with people who "sell out", I have best friends who are notorious for their edge that are no longer Straight Edge. When it becomes a problem is when people fall off and the shit talking begins. People make mistakes, it's human nature, but to bad mouth one of the best decisions anyone could make to better themselves and to down play those of us who still care, that's where the problem begins. As for bands, there's actually quite a few that are keeping it real. Our War, Impact, Champion, Downpour, First Blood to name just a few.

Anderson: Bands are no different than kids selling out. That’s what a band is made of, kids. The only problem is that there is documented proof of their Straight Edge “phase”. Naturally, everyone’s first instinct is to belittle their past. It’s disheartening to watch that happen. I’m all for a person doing what’s right and true to them, that’s what hardcore is about. However, they have to realize life does not start and stop at their leisure. You may have moved on but many of us haven’t. We’re still here and we’re staying.

Eyes Wide Shut

Everything we hold so dear,
it turns to dust.
We take and take give nothing back,
except no cost.
Too caught up in ourselves.
And where we're at.
Complacency to hostility,
we can't turn back.
Our eyes wide shut.
Our eyes are now wide shut.
Everything we hold so dear,
it turns to dust,
we take and take,
give nothing back,
all hope is lost.
I know it's not all easy,
and I know at times we're scared.
But I know what we can achieve,
if we really dare.
Just take the time to look beyond.
Our eyes wide shut.

"Eyes Wide Shut" - The Promise ~ Believer

Posers

Just when I was having a fine day I come across shit like this:

F*cking C*nts!

SxE Link of the Week

straight-edge.net

Straight Edge Link of the Week

Straight edge [from Belgium]

Breaking Edge

What does breaking edge really mean? Can you drink once or smoke pot once or have a one night stand and still be straight edge? What if you slip up, something sets you off, you make a bad judgment, fall to peer pressure, something really bad happens to you or someone close to you?

A bit ago I was talking with some friends, some SxE and some not, and we discussed this point. I originally felt that you couldn't claim edge again if you broke edge. But I think now that breaking edge is a more deliberate and conscious decision. Failing at staying Straight Edge shouldn't be looked at as a strict declaration of un-claiming edge. If you did something un-edge with the thought that you can re-claim afterwards then you broke edge. Life throws A LOT of crap at us, and being perfect is impossible, so expecting yourself to never fall prey to something that drives you over the edge (no pun intended) would be way to pious of anyone.

So I think as long as understand why you failed to stay edge for that moment in time and make a re-commitment to being Straight Edge then you can continue to claim and still be TRUExTILLxDEATH.