"Hardcore" is a much-over-used and inaccurate word to describe a sub-genre of music, in my opinion. It's just like saying "heavy metal," because metal is a heavy genre of music in the first place.
If you guys are talking real hardcore instead of the fagcore bands like Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold and all that nonsense, then I'll get into that conversation. There are plenty of bands that I listen to that consider themselves to have elements of "hardcore" in their music.
Phoenix, I'm not trying to instigate anything here besides a musical debate. I have no intention of trying to offend anyone - you included.
I suppose I forgot where I wanted to go with some of this, but about the band name thing, I'm not in any way saying that the name makes the band. I think that there are plenty of gimmicks out there in any form of music. One often seen in metal - particularly black and death - is the band trying to portray a satanic image, which I think is a joke.
Much of the bands that I listen to do their best to stay true to what metal was when it was introduced to the world by Black Sabbath - originally a blues band named Earth - in 1970. Over the course of the last 36 years, new elements have come about and without a doubt, for the better. Even with the obvious influences from blues and jazz, real metal stays true to the original idea. Some may say that most of what I listen to is for the "metal purist," which I would consider myself.
The mindset of "We play what we like and if you like it, then great. If not, then move on... (to put it nicely)" is what I see from a vast majority of the bands I'm into. For instance, "NOLA Sludge" (love it!) is a sub-genre of metal that will never become commercial. The reason why I know is because many of those bands limit themselves to only doing shows in and around New Orleans. That style of metal has been around since the '80s and has never been over-publicized, leaving it to dwell in the underground. Word of mouth amongst fans, now largely assisted by the invention of MySpace* and underground metal sites (Bayou Underground, NOLA Underground, etc.) are how these bands get their music to the fans that seek it out. I know because I've had to search for a lot of it. It's actually pretty interesting how one band can open your eyes to another and so forth.
So your point that a band will try to target a certain audience is partially true, with the exception being that commercial sellout bands target the vast majority of the country or world while true metal bands - all sub-genres included - stick firmly to their form and may only welcome influences that are closely related. And that, my good man, is far from selling out.
* - MySpace is indeed a vastly-populated thing in itself. Simply because a band gets their work heard there doesn't have a thing to do with selling out, though. Would you agree?
On a quick final note, music is not simply listening enjoyment to me. It's something very special to me that I can literally "feel." Heart, emotion, feeling, meaning, whatever you want to call that I see in "my" music is what makes it worth so damn much to me. I am certain that my connection to it isn't something that is shared by the vast majority of our population. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it.
Take it easy, everyone.
-Craig