reprinted from an interview with In Spite Magazine
https://www.inspitemagazine.com/in-spite-articles/not-in-our-city-2-charges-for-compassion
Not In Our City 2 Charges For Compassion
By Evan Shwarz
As our country's morals and ethics decompose before our very eyes, we have sunk deeper into our music. Punk has proven to be a key player in the present artistic weaponization of compassion. How a community could push sonic expression into actualized aid is what many bands are asking themselves.
Crying at Work courtesy of Knifetwist Records
Experimentation and the evolution of these genres are no longer achieved solely through technique. Rather, these creative strides are found in their ability to resist, build, and offer a voice. You're not seeing the invention of a new guitar tone, so to speak, nor a singer reaching new bellowing heights by expanding vocal possibilities.
Instead, that thrust is in benevolence. How a band helps their neighbors has always been a pillar of punk, but today it appears to be a necessity for all. In that pool, Knifetwister Records has released their own hefty punk compilation CD titled Not In Our City 2.
18fevers courtesy of Knifetwister Records
The compilation for immigrant rights houses 22 bands from 8 different countries. Each works towards the same outcome with Make the Road New York. The charity organization is hellbent on ‘working to build the power of immigrant and working-class communities to achieve dignity and justice.’ The collection itself is the boiling point reached. It's a no-holds-barred reflection on the present, lacking subtlety as it tackles the current nightmare. Everyone is fed up, affected, and has the power to do something.
The CD contains a phone book of diverse, inspiring sounds that all melt into one voice that passionately rejects the tyrant in the White House and the villains who uphold discrimination. The tracklist is extensive, and their places of origin are diverse. It does not limit its discontent to the perspectives of homebase bands. In doing so, it brings vibrance and passion to the mission.
Prominent voices consist of 18fevers (South Korea), Crying at Work (Michigan), Incendiary Device (New York), Saints of Lorain (Ohio), Skip The Needle (California), Unpolished* (California), and Young and Doomed (New Jersey). Other voices come forth from as close as Washington and as far as Indonesia or South Africa.
Incendiary Device courtesy of Knifetwist Records
A hodgepodge of previous releases and unreleased tracks is crafted and sheltered under one roof. Its scope offers a reminder of empathy at large. But also, the persistent rebellion against hate. It is a very harsh offering of reality, one that shows you many jeopardized outlooks.
It's an experiment in love but also a plea to turn that into an initiative. It's not unheard of for a band to talk the talk but not walk the walk. Lucky, the release is able to do both: advocate and act. Not In Our City 2 is out now and available for purchase on the Knifetwister Records webstore. All proceeds go toward Make the Road New York.