Soundgarden (OBLIG 4th of July Post)

And everywhere, no one cares the fire is spreading...

Hey y'all. So I know it's America's birthday, and truth be told I'm about to go outside, spray myself with the hose and eat popsicles til I poop funny colors...but amidst the parades and Lee Greenwood songs and fireworks and mattress sales...let's think about what's really important. This Soundgarden song.

While not a hardcore cut per-se, the band has kind of become popular again among coremen and others, and the slow-chug of this 'un, probably the most underrated track on a very popular album, seems to be having a sort of renaissance in popularity...at least among me and my uncultured friends.

So before slopping another spoonful of Jello salad into your mouth, or tying another M-80 to a neighbor's cat, take 5 minutes and let this bore it's way into your skull. It's what our forefathers, steeped in tyranny and wide-eyed with the prospect of establishing freedom for an entire nation, wanted for us all. Here's a live version that's kinda crappy but also kinda good. Studio is just as raw.

P is for Patriotism

$10. A small price to pay for freedom

Forgive me for being a lil Yankee-centric here (hey, I did a post about Justice/Russia), but as I sit here in my bedroom having just ingested 6-7 pounds of Watermelon, listening to Ted Nugent and planning a night of BBQ's and basketball with my friends, I decided to slap a lil bloggy-blog on"patriotic" hardcore.

I know the American Flag has started to become a mainstay in HC design again, but looking at this flyer...wow. America! Almost exclusively NY/NJ bands, some pretty well known (Biohazard) and some a little more obscure (Sick Society). I like the fact that Maximum Penalty is playing, along with a band called Maximum Force...and then a band called Brute Force. I'm not entirely sure about how far 'right' some of these bands went, so don't crucify me for any of that (actually, go to Hell, I don't care what you think). Not a lot of variation in the names there. Still a pretty hefty lineup, and how late do you think this ran since it started at 7 PM? The Icemen need no introduction, and neither do Fit of Anger (doesn't Porter talk about how they're better than Chain of Strength in the Floorpunch 'Final Mosh' vid? Maybe I'm mis-hearing). American Eagle had a much better name/logo than recorded output and I really wish I'd come up with the name Savage Choir.

Anyway, benefit for vets. I dig that. I'm in the process of writing an essay/short story about my uncle who first heard rock n' roll music (Cream Disraeli Gears I think...) while traipsing through the jungles of Vietnam. How much crazier of a context for RNR would it give you if it was coupled with land mines, agent orange and blitzkrieging air raids on villages? I come from a military town. I'm not going to get into any politics here, but many people I hold dear (Daniel Montgomery) have served, or are currently serving in the armed forces. For those observing this day here in the States, have fun and be safe. For those who aren't, seek out some Fit of Anger MP3's and mosh in yer room.