"mans against boys"

I still laugh when I watch this. Doesn't hold a candle to the rant he went on in 2005 when he was coaching in Wilkes-Barre, but when he calls his defensemen "soff" and then gives multiple raspberries, well... I can't help but chuckle. Plus it reminds me of the classic Face Value jam "Men from the Boys"

I Accuse! "s/t"

I love this record. There are plenty of bands who play fast hardcore, but there is a quality to this lil platter that can't be recreated. I Accuse! play their songs recklessly; to the point where I'd assume their recording session must've been a mess. I saw these guys in Youngstown, OH a couple of years ago and they pretty much replicated the instense, tuneful mess that their 7" presents. I happen to be a big fan of bands with that almost out of control sound- Void, Gang Green, Otophobia, stuff like that. I Accuse is sloppier, with a more youthful feel than those bands, but a similar all-out approach to their tunes. For those of you intereste, here's a little linky to the 7". But if you're a TRUE fucking punk, you'll head on over to www.sound-pollution.com and buy the fuckin' thing. It's worth the money, AND you can find plenty of other awesome records to get into.

Time for some beef. Just recently, IA came around this area on tour, but they played in one of those sort of a venue sort of not places, and I wasn't cool enough to get the address. FUCK that. And while I'm at it, if you're going to have a show in your house, I understand not giving the address out on the internet. I DON'T understand being a little priss and not replying to polite emails requesting the address, or worse, replying the day AFTER the show in question. I'm looking at you, New Brunswick.

Just an observation, now that Chris Therien is no longer eternally hustling to keep up with Jaromir Jagr, he seems to have let himself go. Dude is looking like Dan Aykroyd.

Finally, some administrative issues- I will be taking down all links to songs after 7 days. Sorry.

Betray "S/T"

Every time I go to a record store, I see a CD by this band called Betrayed. Black & white cover, run of the mill HC dudes standing on a rock beach. And every time I see that CD, I think of this absolute GEM of a 7" from Amsterdam's Betray. I actually heard that band Betrayed, and they sucked a dog dick. So the only thing that band is good for is reminding me of this record. If you look deep in any used bin, you can find this rather unobtrusive piece of vinyl for about half as much as you'd pay for some new piece of shit that'll just rot in a box after one play. Hey Crucial Response! Repress this fuckin' thing!

Some people bum out on Euro bands that sing in English. They say they can't get past the accent. That's bullshit. There are regions in the US whose accents are such horrid butcheries of English that I refuse to believe that sort of reasoning. Just listen to anyone from Staten Island speak for more than 15 seconds. I dare you. And yet, the typical East Coast HC kid will dismiss most English speaking Eurocore... Like the average modern hardcore band is anywhere near eloquent. I mean, think about it... These dudes are from the Netherlands and probably speak no less than 3 languages; they're getting their point across in a language that is certainly not their first.

If you can't get down with raw, fuzzed out, mid-paced to speedy hardcore, then I don't want to know what goes on inside your brain. The first and last tracks on this 7" are the real keepers. Get a grip here and "TAKE HOLD OF LIFE!"


Carey Price might be the future, but that flying Frenchman Cristobal Huet is the hot shit right now. Speaking of who's hot... look at good ol' AK-27 there on the left side of the picture. Kovalev's having himself a hell of a season and is basically telling the Francophone media in Montreal to fuck themselves with every point he racks up. Good for him.

Uniform Approach "demo"

Sorry for the shitty photo. Deal with it. Anyway, along with vocal harmonies, one of my not-so-guilty pleasures is Youth Crew style HC. It's simple, predictable, and when done right, can be an awesome sight to behold live. While there are countless examples of established bands doing "joke" '88 HC records, I dig Uniform Approach best of all. I mean, when Assuck did Anthem 88, I dug it. And when dudes from Ink and Dagger (posing as Philly sXe kings "On Point") threatened to beat potheads with their own bongs, I had a hearty chuckle. But nothing beats dudes from Heresy and Ripcord applying their trademark manic speed to the '88 blueprint. This has recently been pressed to a 7" and can be found all over the place. If you haven't seen this cheesy cover around, you're probably too busy fingering through distro boxes looking for the new Government Warning 7" or something. Dig it here.

I was sparked to upload this gem because over the weekend I was lucky enough to see Vitamin X, who have a similar erm... approach to Uniform Approach. I'd upload something of theirs, but they are still touring stateside- so you should buy their shit direct from them. If you dig straight ahead speed, with some humorous and though-provoking lyrics, go check them out.

The Jackie Papers "I'm in Love"

What a perfect day to feature a record titled "I'm In Love." The Jackie Papers, if you can't tell by the photo, are a band fronted by provocateur, Pink Lincolns vocalist, and all around crown wearing motherfucker Chris Barrows. If you dig the Lincolns, then this is right up your alley. Barrows' sarcastic, witty lyrics are present and accounted for throughout these 6 rippers, but none can really top "I'm a Liar." Right up there with such genius Barrows offerings as "Real Life" and "Let's Make a Deal." The songs are top notch as well, not a dud among them. Some SERIOUS Ginn-like riffage is featured on "I'm In Love." I'd go so far as to say that this EP is better than Pink Lincolns' "Headache" and "Pure Swank" LP's. That is, unless you took the real heavyweights from each and combined them into one mega-LP. But then you'd have to be some kind of punk rock super scientist, or one of those assholes who "DJ's" "parties" using their iPod. I really don't know what all to say about this record- it's a nice short trip, perfect to pop into your car stereo on the way to the grocery store. You can check it out for yourself.


I'm all worked up over the fucking Carolina Hurrican'ts winning tonight on the strength of 9 powerplays. What the fuck is that? Did you know that in the "new" NHL, a blatant elbow to the face is perfectly legal, while simply holding onto your own stick while your opponent tries to take it is a penalty? In the photo below this text, you will see the Penguins taking a penalty for touching Erik Cole. Did you know Cole broke his neck two years ago? Well, the NHL sure does. That's why you're not allowed to touch him. Ever. Of course, it didn't help that I was treated to that immense pile of clothes and hairspray, Tripp Tracy, working himself repeatedly to climax whilst sniffing Eric Staal's sweaty hockey glove. They need to keep that guy high up in the broadcast booth and away from the professionals on the ice. Let him squeeze an FSN intern's butt or something, as long as he keeps his poor "analysis" to himself.

Iceburn "Firon"

FIRON... Iceburn's first LP. Iceburn, if you didn't already know, was a band from Salt Lake City that was formed out of the ashes of Straight Edge heavyweights INSIGHT. Prior to this LP, Iceburn put out the unreal "Burn/Fall" 7", which is available in every used bin in North America. No joke. While the Iceburn many people know is described as "avant-jazz-core-fusion," the "Burn/Fall" 7" and "Firon" lie more on the hardcore side of the tracks. At this point in the 90's, a lot of bands were trying new things. Some of it sucked a dog's dick, ie that Token Entry LP that sounds like RHCP without talent. Some of it, like "Firon," was heavy, passionate, and blew down the walls in terms of expectations and "hardcore" tastes. Rather than falling flat, these songs groove and hammer with the best of their contemporaries. By the time Iceburn surfaced on Revelation, they were busy tuning oboes and sticking their dicks in french horns. What a waste. I guess the 'Burn did a reunion in 2007 in Salt Lake, but I didn't go, nor have I heard from anyone who went. I have a feeling that if there were more than 5 musical instruments on stage, it was about as entertaining as heartburn. Anyway, here's a link to the zip file of the "Firon" LP. I'd suggest putting this on after a double dose of Promethazine for added effect.

Welcome

Hi everyone. If you're reading this, that means you're a friend of mine, so you know what my tastes and tendencies are. I have a ton of CD-R demos, CDs, and records I'll be ripping and uploading for people to check out. If you like what I post, tell a friend. Spread the word. I'll probably talk a little hockey here, too. Sorry.