Country: United States
Number of Employees: Reportedly 3
Year Created: 2009
Function: Subversive activity
Responsible for the new album Opportunity Costs

What is Guitars As Guns?

Guitars As Guns -- more commonly referred to as Gag – is Portland Oregon's most underground (not to mention under-rated) terrorist organization. Gag is responsible for many covert operations (known to include both rocking small clubs and murder). Though its resources are targeted mainly at Latin rhythms and North American post-punk song structures, Gag has agents stationed worldwide collecting influences, often under diplomatic cover.

Subcomandante Brendan, (guitar, vocals) Subcomandante Robert (drums, vocals) and Subcomandante Dusty (bass, vocals) created Gag on December 5th, 2009, recognizing that "intelligence constitutes the first line of attack." Gag doesn't fool around. Gag currently operates with about 3-5 employees spread among eight agencies -- Operational Planning and Coordination; Record Collection; Political Action and Liaison; Manpower, Rhythm and Groove Liaison, Logistics and Security; Being Punk as Fuck; Research; Technical Operations; and Blasting That Shit Loud.

A full picture of their inner workings is hazy at best, but among them are the Guest Artists, the special operations division that handles assassination and sabotage. The members of this special division include Sly Pig on tenor sax (Blue Cranes, National Flower, Decemberists) and Giancarlo Viviano on trumpet.

The album

On June 5th, 2010, Gag made public their first communication to the world, titled, Opportunity Costs. It contains roughly 10 dispatches of post-Latin-reggae-prog-punk. Gag realized that their live performances, referred to as “deeply satisfying” by many, were no longer enough. For a couple days, they locked themselves away in Left Orbit Studio in Portland, Oregon, conspiring. When they re-emerged in early April, they had the beginnings of the nefarious plot that would eventually produce Opportunity Costs. Three fundamental underlying principals guided their actions:

(1)Popular forces can win a war against the army.
(2)It is not necessary to wait until all conditions for making revolution exist; the insurrection can create them.
(3)Use your guitars as guns.

Key tracks include “Cumbia-Core,” with its catchy chorus and snarky lyrics; “PMA,” with its positive message and groovy rhythm; “Clandestino” a slightly punkier take on the Manu Chao song and “Born to Buy,” with its sudden time-change and wailing saxophone through the end.