ARCHIVE - 5/7/07:
April Green Day Report
This April was more about characters like Foxboro Hottubs, Pinhead Gunpowder, and Adrienne Armstrong, than the actual, factual band called Green Day. But around here, we’re all about the entire Green Day universe and all the crazy shit spinning around in it, and that made April the most exciting month we’ve seen in a long time.
To Begin, New Music
Yes, the rumors are true. The full Foxboro Hottubs album is officially available here: http://www.foxborohottubsdownload.com/ on Jingletown Records. If you recognize that name, it’s because the name of the label comes straight outta American Idiot mythology.
The concept is to sell a kind of retro vinyl experience. The album is coming out in vinyl on May 20th, but for now, you can buy the whole album for $10.99 OR you can buy ‘side A’ or ‘side B’ for $5.50.
Just when you thought that digital music had destroyed the concept of A-sides and B-sides. Way to holla back at the old school, Green Day.
And the Band IS the Band
Not that it came as a huge shock, but for the record, it was officially confirmed this month that Green Day and the Hottubs are the same band of unruly fuckers. MTV received an email from the band saying, and I quote: “We think that the only similarity [between the Hottubs and Green Day] is that we are the same band. That is basically the only similarity.”
The email went on to list the band members as: Jason White, Jason Freese, Michael Pritchard (Dirnt), Frank Edwin Wright the Third (Cool), and Reverend Strychnine Twitch (who can only possibly be one man).
The Good Reverend
The words ‘strychnine twitch’ can be found on the FBHT song “Stop, Drop, and Roll,” and it seems like Billie, who’s always performed under his real name, decided to take on the title of the Reverend Such-and-Such for his role in the Hottubs.
Is it surprising that Billie would see himself as a kind of freakazoid religious leader? No. Is it just a bit fucking weird? Uh, yes.
Hottubs On Tour???
Probably the most exciting thing in the MTV report was a quote from the email that hinted at a potential tour: "All things considered, either the Network or Green Day would make excellent openers for a FBHT tour,” Green Day wrote. “Anyone know how to book a tour?"
You can read the whole article here: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1585150/20080410/green_day.jhtml
Is “Stop, Drop, and Roll,” the New GD Album?
Even though FBHT are just a Green Day side project, it’s hard to think of them as different from Green Day, isn’t it? Rolling Stone Magazine is claiming that “Stop, Drop, and Roll” IS the new Green Day album, and when you hear songs like ‘Sally,’ you gotta face facts – it’s the exact same shit, folks.
Big Fat Rumor: Video in the Works
So, if “Stop, Drop, and Roll” is the new Green Day album, then I guess the upcoming video for “Pedestrian” will be the new Green Day video! Ha! That’s right. Rumor has it that a video is in the works for “Pedestrian.” Uber-weird music vid dude Graydon Sheppard is said to be doing the video. Check out his work here: http://www.graydonsheppard.com/film.html#MUSIC.
But What Does It All Mean?
The big question is: Have Green Day BECOME the Foxboro Hottubs, or are these bands, in spirit, at least, still two totally different things? I guess the true test is in the question, “will they actually tour?” And if not, will Green Day play FBHT songs during their next tour for their ‘official’ new album?
And more importantly, “what will the next Green Day album sound like???” Have they gotten the whole retro surf rock thing out of their system? Or are we going to be seeing a lot more of the Reverend Strychnine Twitch?
Questions, questions, questions. Maybe the Reverend would say that all these questions are poison. Maybe he would say that the awesomeness of this album lies in the fact that it’s Green Day having fun, blowing off steam, and NOT letting the pressure of producing a follow-up to American Idiot get to them.
And maybe, nay, probably, the Rev knows best.
In Other News…
Following up their recent mini-tour, word on the street has it that Pinhead Gunpowder may be on the brink of releasing an EP. Apparently, Billie Joe ran his mouth off about this at a few PHGP shows, so now they have to follow up by producing.
That’s the price of drunken punk rock promises.
Green Day On The Green
On April 21st, Tre Cool AND Mike Dirnt both came out for the MuST Celebrity Golf Tournament, which brings music to kids in inner city schools in Oakland. Aww.
You can check out some fabulously amazingly beautiful pics of Tre and Mike golfing and wearing hideous pants here: http://www.mustcreate.org/global/global7_0.shtml.
Straight up, these are some of the nicest pics of Tre and Mike that you’ll have seen in YEARS. And to top it off, the hilarious and wicked cool guys from NOFX are also in a ton of the pictures, wearing even worse pants, if that’s possible.
If this is what happens when punks give back, we may have to stage an intervention.
Something For The Ladies
While the guys are up to their ears in bidness, Adrienne Armstrong is also busy defining her own unique identity as an eco-crafty goddess. Not only is her green craft shop, Atomic Garden, getting much play in the media, Adrienne’s also become an often-quoted expert on the subject of eco-knitting. Whispers through the grapevine say she’s got a book in the works.
In this really cool article: http://www.diablomag.com/Diablo-Magazine/May-2008/Eco-Chic-Boutique/ you can actually read about how Atomic Garden came into existence. Adrienne talks openly about creating stuff for herself outside of the world of Green Day, which was hard for her to do for many years.
Tough to imagine there’s anybody out there who feels that they’re TOO involved with Green Day, but you can’t argue with an expert like Adrienne. If Green Day is a universe, then surely she is the Moon.
And speaking of the Moon, see y’all after her next cycle! Hopefully with more news about an upcoming Hottubs tour! |
