You know what grinds my gears?

Seriously? UGGS? They're just asking to be called ugly, which is exactly what they are. Now I have absolutely no fashion sense whatsoever (nor could I give a flying fuck), but these shoes make people look like douche bags. I mean why would any girl want to have ewolk feet or chocolate brown poop logs on their legs? They look retarded. I don't care how comfortable or or warm they might be on a chilly evening on the church street marketplace: you look like a tool.
So first off girls, uggs are a huge turn-off. I don't care how intelligent, genuinely nice or charismatic you might be, because the footwear ruins what's left of you. And by the way, I'm not sure if these shoes were designed with the intention of being female footwear (I have not seen a single male wear uggs yet), but I'm willing to at least see what a guy looks like wearing them. Maybe you'll look like a viking, who knows?
I hate to generalize, but I have yet to see one girl who is NOT a stuck-up, materialistic, over-privileged, jock-dating poopstain who is wearing these vulgar statements of "cool." I don't know where these shoes came from all of a sudden, but they're sprouting up everywhere like weeds and we've got to eradicate the virus. So do your part and drop mustard on every pair of uggs you see.
Ok, so people may think I'm crazy because I'm freaking out over some lame trend, but Uggs have gone too far. They're turning a generation of stagnated, robotic clones into a generation that's even duller. Don't let the fashion fool you! Stop dating girls that wear Uggs!

(the contents of this blog are intended to be comical and if you're offended, than you probably own Uggs).

Awesome Show at 242 Main on Thursday!

So there are two bands staying at my place right now. One is from Holland, Netherlands and one is from New Jersey. They're playing 242 Main in Burlington on Thursday, but the promoter has been a total dipshit and has not posted any posters around town, which is probably why I had not heard of the show until my friend Mike from After The Fall told me they needed a place to stay. Anyways, here is the information for the show. Post on you blogs, listserves, myspace, facebook, message boards...anything!

Antillectual (Netherlands)
http://www.myspace.com/antillectual

One Win Choice (New Jersey)
http://www.myspace.com/onewinchoice

Young Denver (Burlington, VT)

Fighting Polygon Team (Brattleboro, VT)

7 PM. $8.

-Matt

Music Review #3: Shook Ones/End Of A Year 7"

Shook Ones/End Of A Year Split 7"

1. Raised By Woofs - Shook Ones
2. It's Not What You Think - Shook Ones
3. Asterisk - Shook Ones
4. Marked With A Crow's Foot - Shook Ones
5. Dan Cooper - End Of A Year

Runner Up Records

This is a very odd split. Shook Ones play four fast songs in under five minutes and End Of A Year play one very slow song that's well over five minutes long. These two bands couldn't be any less alike. Shook Ones play the kind of melodic hardcore reminiscent of Kid Dynamite and Lifetime, but with a touch of the Descendents. End Of A Year are a throwback to the mid 1980's revolution summer that spawned such bands as Rites of Spring, Embrace and later Fugazi. I'll admit, that I bought this 7" soley for the Shook Ones side, which as expected knocks me flat on my back. End Of A Year isn't exactly the kind of hardcore, punk or rock that gets my blood pumping, but I respect their decision to create music that is divergent to say the least.

Unlike Shook One's last split CD with melodic hardcore stalwarts Easel, from Japan, these four songs don't slow down for a minute. If you've heard the split CD with Easel, the first song "Order Form," is very mid-tempo, with cookie-cutter choruses, that will make any girl weep at the sight of these monstrous hardcore freaks. It was a welcoming departure, but its nice to see the band return to their signature brand of fast, snotty hardcore that comes very close to ripping off Lifetime. The first track, "Raised by Woofs," has a very catchy chord progression, coupled with the distinct raspy vocals of frontman Scotty. The second song, "It's Not What You Think," is a departure in the opposite direction for Shook Ones; lots of anger. As a matter of fact, I think this is the first song from them that sounds truly pissed. The vocals are screamed at first and slowly return to the more typical snotty brand of singing. However, the fast chorus dives headfirst into an angry, atonal breakdown, something Shook Ones is not known for. This is my favorite song on this 7." The next two songs, "Asterisk" and "Marked With A Crow's Foot," are equally enjoyable and more reminiscent of songs from their last full-length album, Facetious Folly Feat.

Like I said, End Of A Year is totally not my thing at all. As a matter of fact, their long and slow song killed it for me. It just completely destroyed the energy on Side A. If I was truly a fan of End Of A Year, I would have to pick a completely different day and mood to flip the record over and give them a spin. The music is very melancholy and laid-back. It might be good if you're tripping on acid in the summer time, but that's just me. It would actually fit very well in that scene in SLC Punk when they're tripping balls in the park. To their credit though, End Of A Year sticks out like a sore-thumb, which is a good think in the hardcore and punk scene, where things often become repetitive and uninspiring. I guess the only problem with this 7" is that neither bands are typical in their own respects. For examply, as much as I love Champion, their sound has been totally rehashed time and time again.

A note on the packaging. Runner Up Records really put this release together nicely. The sleeve is high quality and not just just silk-screened or some shitty paper. The vinyl itself is a beautiful, with one half clear and the other half cream green. It's really cool holding that sucker up to the light. Also, the hole in the 7" is a small one, which I prefer over the big holes, which usually means it runs at 45 rpms and not 33 (but that is not always the case either). Anyways, Runner Up Records did a great job with this release and you should support the bands and the label for the accomplishment.

Check out Shook Ones at:
http://www.myspace.com/shookones

Check out End Of A Year at:
http://www.myspace.com/endofayear

Buy the 7" at:
http://runneruprecords.bigcartel.com

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????!!!!!!

-Veg

In Green Mountain Hell

Please check out a new underground music zine called "In Green Mountain Hell." The link is on the right. This is my friend Troy's attempt at creating a "conduit" for Vermont musicians, venues, labels, zines and other miscellaneous groups that feed the fire of the D.I.Y. community (he says you can also contact him if you're hitchiking and you need help). If you're in a band and you want to be listed on the zine, email Troy at cagelearner@hotmail.com.

For those of you who don't know, Troy has been playing guitar in a band with me called Weight Of The World. So please support the underground music scene in VT and read In Green Mountain Hell!

Coming soon...

I plan on doing a review of the Shook Ones/End Of A Year Split 7" when I get a nice solid hour to listen to whole thing several times. And speaking of music reviews and such, my friend David Jacobs and Nick Grandchamp do a punk zine out of Rutland called "Stuck In A Rut." Message him at http://www.myspace.com/slave99 to figure out how to get one. I think they're $2. I only gave him a $1 though, although I thoroughly enjoy my copy!

Weight Of The World is playing this saturday in Brookline, NH with a shitload of bands. Click on our link at the right if you want more details. I'm also working on getting more shows in Burlington and Canada. Word.

Free and fair elections? Give me a break.

I have become considerably distrubed by the amount of spin that the media and corporate politicians have put on the truth. Last night I saw a car sporting a "give peace a chance sticker," paired with a "Obama '08" sticker. The staunch hypocrisy of this bumper sticker couple is a frightening one indeed.
Senator Barak Obama would do anything but give peace a chance if he were elected to office. While I agree with his plan to withdraw troops from Iraq, I don't agree with expanding our bloated military budget to expand war in Afghanistan. That country is in ruins and perpetuators of violence are still at large. The only way to fix our eroding worldwide reputation is to particpate in a cooperative diplomatic case to bring terroists to trial. Senator Obama supports further violence.
The democratic incumbent is also a strong supporter of the death penalty, the patriot act, nuclear energy, the fradulent "war on drugs," immunity for telecom companies participating in illegal surveillance of citizens, the no child left behind act, and the most recent heist of taxpayer money to bail out corrupt wall street corporations. Senator Obam also opposes gay marriage, single-payer healthcare, the impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, peaceful negotiations with Iran and is a strong supporter of Israeli apartheid over Palestine.
Why do U.S. citizens feel that Senator Obama will give peace a chance? I think a great deal of this confusion among the citizenry is the two-party system, the corporate-owned media and their lobbyists in congress. Mainstream politicians are governed by the interests of wall street and the political puppets in the white house. Every move is a career one and far from the interests of the American people, who overwhelmingly support withdrawal from the middle east, universal healthcare and a decent education. The media blackout of third-party candidates keeps the citizenry in the dark, making the American public feel like they need to vote for "the lesser of two evils," rather than with their beliefs and values.
There are many political parties that are committed to supporting a living wage, health for all, education for all, peaceful negotiation, ending poverty and bringing an end to genocide, like the current ethnic clensing in Darfur, Sudan. People don't vote for these candidates, because they are repeatedly denied participation in the electoral process. There was plenty of room on stage for the debate between John McCain and Barak Obama, to also include Green Party Candidate Cynthia McKinney, Independent Ralph Nader, and even Libertarian Candidate Bob Barr.
The American people are being fooled by the corporate-owned media, which prevents the United States from having free and fair elections. Please think about this before casting your vote.