Rise Against does punk rock right

Bird's the word

By Newt Briggs

Chickens raised for KFC are kept in cages no bigger than a piece of notebook paper. They are handled so roughly that workers often break the birds' legs. And when the ill-fated fowls actually make it to the slaughterhouse, they are hung upside-down, and their throats are slit. Finally, they are dumped into tanks of boiling water to remove their feathers--sometimes while they are still alive.

I know this because Rise Against told me so. Earlier this year, the Chicago hardcore quartet partnered with PETA on a campaign to raise awareness about KFC's chicken farming practices. By reading an article and answering three questions, music fans were entered into a drawing to win a treasure trove of Rise Against swag, including hoodies, T-shirts, signed albums, "vegetarian sneakers" and a personal phone call from the band. It was PETA's biggest prize giveaway in history, but for Rise Against, it was just another day on punk's political frontline. Since debuting with Fat Wreck Chords in 2001, the band has lent its time and resources to causes including animal rights, AIDS in Africa, PunkVoter.com, racial equality in rock and fair trade.

"I mean, isn't that what punk rock's all about?" muses Rise Against frontman Tom McIlrath. "It's funny, too, because people have been calling us a political punk band, but you know what? We're a punk band. Punk has always been about politics and social change and making a difference. But since all most people know of punk rock is Good Charlotte and Simple Plan, they think we're somehow different."

Not so different that the band could avoid the advances of major labels, though. After recording two albums for Fat Wreck, Rise Against signed to DreamWorks, which will release Siren Song of the Counter-Culture in August. But based on its participation in Fat Wreck's recent Rock Against Bush compilation, the band won't be giving up its more rebellious inclinations anytime soon.

"I'll be very honest with you, it was very hard to leave Fat Wreck Chords," McIlrath says. "We were so torn about the label thing. We knew that it would be better for the band to sign to a major and we're still very happy with that decision, but we've always believed in what Fat Wreck has done for the punk community."

According to McIlrath, Rise Against's passion for dissent is at least partially motivated by its hometown, Chicago--famous not only for its killer scene but for its compulsive apathy. "In Chicago, there are so many negative--you know, kind of morbid--bands," he says. "So I wanted to be in a band that made you walk away from a show feeling good about your life and what you can do. To me, Face to Face was that kind of band. I always felt that going to see them was like half going to see a rock show and half going to see a motivational speaker. All those guys' songs were sort of like, `Yeah, fuck yeah, you can do it.' I love that. I love the idea that music can be an inspiration and not just a sounding board for some dude's problems with girls."--Newt Briggs