A Lesson In 'Local'

Because I can basically write about whatever I want here, I am going to abuse that privilege in order to plug a local Norcal band, Native Shores. These ambitious young lads are banging out some pretty top-notch metalcore br00tality that I've come to rather enjoy. They are currently unsigned, but certainly worth a listen. Not that I expect industry executives to be combing this corner of the interweb, it's just that their music is certifiably much better than the dreck that the music industry seems to enjoy producing at present.

But don't worry, this isn't simply mindless publicity, it all ties into the idea of ecology as well.

You see, ecology is all about community. It is by definition the interaction of organisms with their environment. We share our experiences, our creativity, our very lives with those around us. And in a world where everything is becoming increasingly outsourced and imported, there's nothing quite like a fresh, local product. This applies to anything from food to music to shoeshines. These guys come roughly from the same environment as me, and as such I feel duty-bound to help them in any way I can. Especially if they're helping to spread the kind of music that I love. Cultivating young talent ought to be the goal of any self-respecting community. Even their name, Native Shores, helps convey this idea.

In my opinion, reclaiming this local ethos is vitally important to creating a more sustainable and satisfactory existence. People nowadays often don't even know their neighbors; we fear and mistrust one another. In ages past, family and neighbors were all you had. There was a strong attachment to place. Events such as the industrial revolution, however, removed this emphasis from self-sufficient production and communal cooperation, and placed it on large-scale outside production. Our previous human connections simply melted away in the forges of industry. As Karl Marx will tell you, humanity thus became alienated from its product of labor. (And please don't scoff at the mention of Marx. He was, after all, merely a concerned German philosopher living in London, and not a Russian revolutionary as so many wish to believe. His work is still strikingly insightful into today's world as well.)

Nonetheless, all my prattling amounts to the fact that we need a reclamation of all things local. This has long been a fad amongst environmentalists and health food fanatics, but it is certainly more than that. I daresay our humanity is at stake along with it. We need to be able to take pride in producing something locally, by our own hands. And that's ultimately where Native Shores fits into this. A perfect example of actually doing things yourself. Right on.

Check them out at either of these fine locations:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Native-Shores/129444027105604
http://www.myspace.com/nativeshoresmusic