G.L.O.S.S. (Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit) hails from Olympia, Washington. The quintet’s 5-song demo stormed the internet in January, with guitar-driven tracks and vehement vocals.
G.L.O.S.S. (Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit) hails from Olympia, Washington. The quintet’s 5-song demo stormed the internet in January, with guitar-driven tracks and vehement vocals. Song titles like “Lined Lips and Spiked Bats” spell out where they’re coming from. The openly queer band, which features multiple transgender members, fill their lyrics with blatant aggression alongside overt glam elements. The cover art is a pair of high-color hot pink lips, with a similar photo across the top of their Bandcamp page of a hot pink switchblade. The images hearken back not only to the fashion days of the New York Dolls, but to the badass attitude of pop sub-culture icons like Divine (who appears on one of the band’s t-shirts).
For a song like “Masculine Artifice,” the expression “embracing your identity” is incredibly light. This band hugs their gender identity, squashing their body parts into it, ripping their nails into its back, and crushing its lungs. The hardcore, d-beat, angsty lyrics scream “masculinity was the artifice- rip it away! femininity always the heart of us… get off my back!” The in-your-face nature of the song is a clear message the band is proud of their femininity. No doubt a lot of the rage contained within the album comes from societal struggles with their gender performance.
“Outcast Stomp” is dedicated from the outset to those who are “outcast, rejects, queers, girls, downtrodden women… transgender ladies.” The band identifies with those of a gender and sexuality that is not cis male, essentially. The lyrics are downright empowering, especially with lines like “girls have each other’s backs.” However, it is obvious this coming together is in opposition to a force–and with the subsequent lyrics: “straight America, you will ruin me, sick American dream,” that force becomes known. The lyrics on this demo, when taken together as a whole, are a call for equality, a rebuking of injustice, and a loud, frank statement bringing to light the need to address varying issues for those of not only transgender identity, but for all under-represented individuals. By calling out to all individuals that have been oppressed by American culture, the band’s intent becomes starkly universal.
Not only is G.L.O.S.S.’s political stance a mighty platform not to be ignored, but the music itself on this demo is amazing, never dull. It is fast-paced, and straddles (with hiked-up skirts) the line between crust punk and dark hardcore. No doubt this band would be incredible live. They currently tour only sporadically, and haven’t yet made it off the west coast–though word is a full American tour is in the works for later this year. Meanwhile, their relative lack of online presence only adds to the tantalizing nature of this arresting debut release. However, stay tuned, because RVA Magazine is attempting to set up an interview with G.L.O.S.S. in the future. If we manage to make it happen, you’ll be the first to know!
Cassette copies of G.L.O.S.S.’s demo were released by Not Normal Tapes, but are currently out of print. However, the digital version is still available on Bandcamp. T-shirts are also available through Total Negativity Records.
