September 1, 2025
HUES and VT Union bring back Vermont’s lost soundtracks
Back in the late ‘90s, two Vermont teenagers recorded a cassette of moody songs and dreamed about making it big. Then life happened. Now, three decades later, Jeremy Mendicino and Steve Holt have resurfaced as HUES, re-recording the tracks they once shelved. It’s not so much a comeback as it is proof that putting things off long enough can eventually become "retro."
Songs frozen in time, sounding fresh
Surprisingly, these songs don’t feel stuck in the past. Mendicino, now an experienced engineer, gave the material a glossy update that makes it sound current. The guitars have bite, the atmosphere lingers, and suddenly the music that sat in a time capsule sounds like it belongs in today’s playlists. Vermont might just be where musical time travel works best.
Teen angst that aged well
The standout is "Productive," a track anchored by the line, "Society is just plain fucking me over." It’s raw, blunt, and timeless. What was teenage frustration in the ‘90s now plays like a modern anthem for anyone who’s tired of bills, bosses, and endless emails. Call it proof that angst never goes out of style, it just finds new audiences.
VT Union brings back the beat
While HUES leans into indie nostalgia, Burlington’s hip-hop collective VT Union has revived their archive with Legendary Volume 2. The record is a mix of unreleased gems, powerful beats, and lyrical grit from the group that helped shape Vermont hip-hop. Think of it as a museum exhibit, but with bass so heavy it rattles your car speakers.
Fun W/ Modular Synth
Honoring a-dog with perfect timing
The album’s release landed on A\_Dog Day, the annual tribute to the late DJ A\_Dog, one of the crew’s founding forces. The timing adds weight to the project, turning it into more than just an album, it’s a reminder of the influence that still runs through Burlington’s music scene. Nostalgia might be the theme, but the energy is very much alive.
Burlington, VT, USA