NPR is..... Hardcore?

Now, I grew up thinking that National Public Radio was all about "boring grown-up music" (being my assessment of the jazz and classical that I'd always hear on it at the time), but Now here I am, reaching adulthood myself, only to find that NPR's website is offering the first online stream of Trap Them's new album 'Darker Handcraft' in it's entirety. Now for those of you unfamiliar with them, Trap Them is not a jazz or classical band in the least. They play gritty, grindy, crusty hardcore with a preoccupation with the old Entombed "buzzsaw" guitar tone. I remember the first time I saw them, seeing vocalist Ryan McKenney running around, bleeding from the face, stage diving, and screaming the last refrain of their song "Mission Convincers" from the crowd's shoulders, where I was helping to hold him up. I remembering him telling the audience that he wanted to see as many middle fingers as possible during that song. This is not my parents' NPR.

Now this is not the first time I've seen an underground metal or hardcore album being espoused like this from the station. Underground doom metal band Salome (whose only real claim to "fame" is sharing a vocalist with Agoraphobic Nosebleed), and the esteemed Agalloch both had their latest albums debuted on NPR's website. I'm sure many other great metal and hardcore albums have gone this same route, that I wasn't aware of.

So this begs the question... how long has NPR been badass? Is this awesome exposure to a new audience for these bands, or a gross misappropriation of DIY and underground culture? Any other thoughts you have on this subject?

Here is a track from Trap Them's new album:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPTBhhqgR-w

or you can go check out the full album and NPR's take at their website:

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/07/134088291/first-list...