Green Bottles

Hey there. We've got our first guest poster today, with a fine and dandy drinking song to share and rant about. Everybody welcome Tom from La Dimension De Trastos. Take it away Tom:

"First, the caveat: I know very little about Gang Green. I’ve only heard a small percentage of their catalog, and never seen them live. I’ve never read their bio and I don’t know any of their names. So why the hell would I prop them up as some sort of contemporary torchbearers of the drinking song? For the same reason I basically don’t know shit about them. Until very recently, I had only heard them while stinking drunk. There was simply no need for peripherals.

Unlike the cry-in-your-beer variety, or even "happy" drinking songs, Gang Green gets to the point. And the point is, rather their point is, to get thoroughly trashed. Not tipsy, buzzed, loaded or any other semi-apologetic state of drunkenness. Just full-on, "fuck my job, fuck my boss, fuck my landlord and while I’m at it, fuck your landlord too"-type drinking.

Their image is crudely but effectively crafted, heavy on the beer references. I’m sure that’s what initially attracted me. It’s not hard to sell a record to an alcoholic if it’s about drinking and has five different images of Budweiser on the cover. (I know there’s five because when I was drunk I got out the trusty Sharpie and circled them; probably so I could spot them when I sobered up.)

While their music is atypical drinking music to most (one part skate culture, one part hardcore, a little metal and four cases of Budweiser), to a particular type of drinker it is drinking music at it’s most potent. To wit, a sample lyric (from "Alcohol"): "I’d rather drink than fuck!" It isn’t likely that a more declarative drinking statement exists. No, this is not music for lounge lizards, barflies or the anthropological "let’s go to a dive bar" drinkers. It is the soundtrack for eviction parties (best peppered with "ashtray-missed-your head by that much," "if you’re going to waste it, throw a whole can," and "why are there footprints on the wall?" type conversation).

So, honestly, I’ve resisted the urge to learn anything more about Gang Green other than what I’ve come across incidentally. To analyze their music (including this introduction) goes against their very substance. Luckily, effects can be neutralized. Talk to the guy hovering by the keg with the giant cup. He will debrief you."

Gang Green: Alcohol (mp3)

Gang Green’s MySpace page (Four downloads. Recommended: "Alcohol" and "LDSB" ["Lets Drink Some Beer"]:

Gang Green’s Official Site