Youth of Today

Though straight-edge is a movement often attributed to Minor Threat, that band never embraced the term as codified in the lifestyles and ideologies of groups that followed in its wake. One that truly took the message to another level of stridency was Youth of Today, whose members were not only...

By Tom Murphy

November 8, 2011

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Though straight-edge is a movement often attributed to Minor Threat, that band never embraced the term as codified in the lifestyles and ideologies of groups that followed in its wake. One that truly took the message to another level of stridency was Youth of Today, whose members were not only straight-edge about sobriety, but also vegetarianism. While it wouldn't be entirely accurate to call Youth of Today's convictions militant, its arch anthems reflected roots in the "positive mental attitude" of Bad Brains, as well as Minor Threat's prescriptions for eschewing self-destructive behavior. This combination helped to reinvigorate a flagging hardcore scene in the mid- to late '80s. Back together, Youth of Today proves that clean living can make reunion shows every bit as vital as those from your heyday.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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