Under The Influence of Liquor Giants

Ward Dotson and Mike McNally, Liquor Giants

Not being a Gun Club aficianado, I first heard of Ward Dotson (ex-Gun Club) through a Pontiac Brothers interview in Conflict, where Dotson cracked, "We probably should've just given ourselves some dipshit name, like the Rave-Ups or something."

After the Pontiac Brothers came Dotson's next project, the Liquor Giants, who were (to paraphrase one wag) "the perfect mix of craft and thuggery". I'm not going to bother making up a list of artists whose recent output seems to owe a debt to the Liquor Giants, but Tommy Stinson, Ken Stringfellow, and Jon Auer should all be checking their messages right about now.

In any case, here are the Liquor Giants' first four records; "You're Always Welcome" was released overseas as "America's #1 Recording Artists". After these four came "Something Special for the Kids" (an album of all covers), and two other albums-- "Up With People" and a best-of package called "Back In A Flash"-- that were Australian-only.

Liquor Giants - You're Always Welcome (1992)



Over The Hill (listen)
Mrs. Griffith
Greatest Hit
Paint The Whole Town Blue (listen)
Middle Of Nowhere
Just Might Cry (listen)
(I Wanna) Get Drunk With You
The Little Song
Lost On Mars
My Teeth and Tongue
The Jokes On You
Fine Line (listen)
My World hidden track "Movin' On" (Bad Co.) (listen)

Liquor Giants - Here (1994)



67 East 2nd Street (listen)
An Arm Around You Too
Stick Around
Now That
Disgusted (listen)
This Paper Cup
Something's Always on Fire (listen)
Everybody's a Genius
I Don't Mind
Play Along
Here's to You (listen)
Hold My Hand
Wanna Belong
Happy New Year

Liquor Giants - Liquor Giants (1996)



Chocolate Clown (listen)
Fake Love
Copycat
Cranium (listen)
100 Dollar Car (listen)
Bastanchury Park (listen)
Awful Good
Hideous Pleasure
Hey You
Here
Jerked Around (listen)
All I Get (listen)
Thanksgiving in Zuma (listen)
Hold Tight Dave Dee - hidden track

Liquor Giants - Every Other Day At A Time (1998)



It's Raining Butterflies (listen)
Beautiful Flo
What's the New Mofo
Dearest Darling (listen)
Kentucky Lounge
I'll Never Mind
Medicine Ball Game
Multicoloured Hipshake
Meaningless (listen)
It Only Hurts When I Smile
Riverdale High (listen)
Caroline
I Know I'm Wrong (listen)
Summer School
Fire Brigade The Move - hidden track
I Don't Know Why Sons of Thunder - hidden track

Generic Sports Blog Disclaimer: Hockey season blah blah blah, a few of my favorite records here and there blah blah blah. Enjoy.

Tracks have reverted to listen-only files