Sober living for the revolution

Straight edge has persisted as a drug-free hardcore punk subculture for twenty-five years. Its political legacy remains ambiguous and it is often associated with self-righteous macho posturing and conservative Puritanism. While certain elements of straight edge culture feed into such perception, the culture’s political history is far more complex. Since straight edge’s origins in Washington, DC in the early 1980s, it has been linked to radical thought and action by countless individuals, bands, and entire scenes. Sober Living for the Revolution traces this history. It includes contributions by famed straight edge punk rockers like Ian MacKaye (of Minor Threat/Fugazi), Dennis Lyxzén (Refused/(The (International) Noise Conspiracy), Mark Andersen (Dance of Days/Positive Force DC) and Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy); legendary bands like ManLiftingBanner and Point of No Return; radical collectives like CrimethInc. and Alpine Anarchist Productions; and numerous other artists and activists dedicated as much to sober living as to the fight for a better world.