Fugazi
albums
in the early 80's with his band Minor Threat, while Guy Piciotto and Brendan Canty (best drummer if ever
there was one) were in the first "emo" band Rites of Spring. Coming together from those two bands rose
Fugazi, the truly monumental band that changed music forever. They are definitely not immediately
accessible, but once you have got into their world of music, it will be impossible to imagine your life without
them. They influenced people by setting the best example possible: they have their own record label (the
very successful indie Dischord), they refuse to be associated anything promoting liquor or tobacco, their
concerts are never more than minimum price (usually $5), but most of all, they made better albums than any
one in the 90's. The streak from Repeater-Red Medicine is one that no one has ever matched in my opinion
(4 masterpieces in a row????), the exception being Sonic Youth. Even from their beginnings in the late 80's,
the band never stopped evolving, and gave music a new meaning. The are self-political, and constantly play
benefit concerts in their area for no money. Not just the best punk band ever, maybe the best band ever (but
that is open to personal opinion) and if you think I am being too generous on these ratings, check other
sources. Not since The Beatles has a band got as unanimously good reviews, and that proves something for
sure (though this band never writes as simple as "love songs").
Band Members: Ian MacKaye - Vcoals, Guitar
Guy Piciotto - Vocals, Guitar
Brendan Canty - Drums
Joe Lally - Bass
Best Albums: Red Medicine, The Argument, Repeater, and 13 Songs
Biggest Influences: Sonic Youth, Jimi Hendrix, The Clash
1990
Repeater - 9/8
Fugazi’s first LP, Repeater is a furious leap into the realm of rock n' roll. This is the band at their
most intense, but Fugazi is a band who has realized something: how to make good, complicated songs. While
the songs are complex for such fast music, it is more rewarding that way. Did I say fast? Repeater contains
some of the most punishing music you will ever hear, but not in a painful way. The band screams for people
to wake up and "see the light" in songs like "Turnover", "Blueprint", "Styrofoam" and "Merchandise". With
shouts of desperation like, "We are all bigots, so filled with hatred, we release our poisons; like styrofoam"
and "When we have nothing left to give, they'll be no reason for us to live," some people will be scared off,
but they would be wrong not to praise the bands message. No one can refuse the common sense they use:
"It's just a matter of knowing when to say no or yes!" Musically there are few bands that could ever be this
good, and the tricks keep you coming back form song to song. Repeater is necessary for a music collection,
even though it does slip a little towards in places like the remake of "Provisional" from 13 Songs, as well as
"Sleve Fisted Find". It is also so intense that it can make queasy people crazy by the end, so it takes a lot of
getting used to! But when understanding what you are getting into and seeking out meaningful music, there
really is not any album that can fulfill you for its entire length in quite the same way. Trust Me, these words
don't do the music justice; go listen right now! -Trevor e.y.
P.S: Most copies of Repeater today come with the 3 Songs EP attached, in which the first song is great,
"Song #1"
1.turnover- 4
2.repeater- 4
3.brendan #1- 4
4.merchandise- 4
5.blueprint- 4*
6.sleve fisted find- 3
7.greed- 4
8.two beats off- 4
9.styrofoam- 4
10.reprovisional- 4
11.shut the door- 4
1991
Steady Diet of Nothing - 8/8
Yes, they are changing. On Fugazi's second record, they realize a change is needed. While Repeater
was a great record, the overall sound of it can get kind of stale. Here, each songwriter of Fugazi changes in a
different way. Piciotto realizes how to write a good melodically complicated song, "Nice New Outfit" being the
best example because halfway through the song, it changes. MacKaye gets slower in his songs tempo wise,
and also more structurally complex, with "Stacks" and "Reclamtion" leading that charge (a lot of MaKaye's
songs on here sound alot like "Shut the Door" actually). Both songwriters get more intense, and this record
has a very jerky, kind of simple guitar sound; in other words, they make it look so easy to write powerful
songs, but it's not. On "Dear Justice Letter" and "KYEO" they actually team up on vocals, and ah it is moving
as it always is. "KYEO" is one of Fugazi's defining songs, and one of the best guitar rock songs ever. The
instrumental "Steady Diet" has outstanding drum work and is very complicated, but it shows the band's desire
to expand. The songs on here might sound too much like Sonic Youth-like guitar at first, but as you listen
they really expand upon that bands blueprints into something else entirely. The topics of the songs are great
on this album, they range from politics to family origins to .....long division, but everybody takes the songs in
their own way. That is what is moving about a band like Fugazi: the music and cross rhythms of their songs
are great and their lyrics are always meaningful (best sample: "America is just a word but I use it"). Very
influential, and a unique melodic masterpiece in my opinion. - Trevor e.y.
1.exit only- 4
2.reclamation- 4
3.nice new outfit- 4*
4.stacks- 4
5.latin roots- 4
6.steady diet- 3
7.long division- 4
8.runaway return- 4
9.polish- 4
10.dear justice letter- 3
11.KYEO- 4
1993
In On the Kill Taker - 8/8
As the first Fugazi album I ever got, this was my first impression of them. The songs on the album really
do flow well together, from extreme to extreme. The coolest thing happens from the hard rock of “Smallpox
Champion” to the emotion of “Rend it”, then to the craziness of “23 Beats Off”, the soft rock of the
instrumental “Sweet and Low”, then blasting you out of the water with “Cassavetes”. Accessible is hard word
to use with Fugazi, but this is probably the bands most accessible record. In On the Kill Taker harks back to
the harshness of Repeater, while showing the lessons learned from the control of Steady Diet of Nothing.
Songs like "Rend It", "Public Witness Program", and "Instrument" are new types of punk rock the band has
perfected. Still, this is not radio friendly or anything, because the band still demands the viewer meet them on
their own terms with complex songs like "Returning the Screw", "Walken's Syndrome", and the "Greed"
remake, "Great Cop". There are some lulls in this listening with "Last Chance for a Slow Dance" and "23
beats off", but neither song is awful, just kind of dull melody wise. The other songs make up for it, though,
making the album still deserving of a 8/8 rating. One of my personal, favorite records that still amazes me to
this date with its deep emotion and genuine attitude. - Trevor e.y.
1.facet squared- 4
2.public witness program- 4*
3.returning the screw- 4
4.smallpox champion- 4
5.rend it- 4
6.23 beats off- 2
7.sweet and low- 4
8.cassavetes- 4
9.great cop- 4
10.walken’s syndrome- 4
11.instrament- 4
12.last chance for a slow dance- 2
1995
Red Medicine - 9/8
Fugazi’s 4th album(not counting their 2 EP’s) is their best and most musical so far. It has three great
musical rockers at the beginning: "Do You Like Me" is a Piciotto scorcher that shows in one song the diversity
the album will pick up; "Bed for Scraping" is a fast, blistering punk song that is just sooooo energetic and the
drumming is spectacular; "Latest Disgrace" is Piciotto at his guitar warping best, as he makes the oddest
structures in a song sound so easy. Then, the album shifts to odd, avant-garde (against what's "normal" for
them) territory for the next six songs. Among those, "Combination lock" is their best instrumental yet, and
"Forensic Scene" and "Fell, Destroyed" are odd, slower songs that don't even sound like Fugazi of old, but
they work in branching out the band's sound with the rhythm section of Lally and Canty being so subdued.
"By you" is bassist Joe Lally's feedback drenched masterpiece of atmosphere, with a guitar duo at the end
that is beyond description and MUST be heard to be understood. They pull all this experimentation off very
well though, it is not at all boring, but it should be noted that "Birthday Pony" gets a little too silly, and
"Version" is almost too far in another direction (organ sounds) and lacks cohesion. I understand that this was
probably the point of these songs and all, and I am glad the songs are on here, but I have to bicker a little
about how I don't think those two pieces come off as well as the other eleven songs.
It all kicks back in with “Target”, first of the last four great rockers. You’ll think that “Target” is the coolest
song you’ve ever heard when you hear it the first three times, no doubt about it, great lyrics (about the
bastardization of what was once a "alternative sound", now gone mainstream) and right on rhythms. "Back to
Base" and "Downed City" are more complicated rock songs; the latter uses three ideas for songs and throws
them all together! The closing song does what it needs to and clams the album down while being very
poignant about the whole universe. This is Fugazi's finest album up to this point; MacKaye finally matches
Piciotto in songwriting strength here. I have always thought that Piciotto was a little stronger, but "Bed for
Scraping" and "Long Distance Runner" are as great as anything else on the album, and the songs flow from
one ot the other as well as Zen Arcade, English Settlement, Sgt. Peppers, or any other album a songwriting
team has ever done. One of Fugazi’s finest moments that way ahead of its time in thrilling hard rock.
- Trevor e.y.
1.do you like me- 4
2.bed for the scraping- 4
3.latest disgrace- 4
4.birthday pony- 3
5.forensic scene- 4
6.combination lock- 4
7.fell, destroyed- 4
8.by you- 4
9.version- 3
10.target- 4*
11.back to base- 4
12.downed city- 4
13.long distance runner- 4
1998
End Hits - 5/8
Fugazi has this sound that changes with each album they make, it is really amazing. Their 5th full length
LP, End Hits, is an evolution for the band. The sound is great, and songs like “Break” and “Arpeggiator”
really show how the band is evolving. There are some holes in this album however, that hurt it. Songs like “No
Surprise” and "Caustic Acrostic" actually drag on too long, and “Floating Boy” and “Pink Frosty” never
should have been made; they just suck. Some of the good songs aren't as original as usual also, "Five
Corporations" sounds a lot like The Pretenders' "The Wait" and "Place Position" sounds like a retread of "Do
You like Me" from the previous Red Medicine. It is ok the band slipped up here though, who can blame them?
Fugazi's constant experimentation and need to push themselves and change is practically unmatched, and to
see their new album is something that will always be a joy. So they messed up on some songs, big deal! No
Fugazi die hard would let that stop them from listening to the album and forming their own opinion, and such
is the magic of good music. End Hits marks the first album that Fugazi has had bad songs on, making it their
weakest album to date, but for Fugazi that is still pretty good. No Fugazi collection is complete without "Recap
Modotti" and "Forman's Dog", some the best song evolutions the band has made. - Trevor e.y.
1.break- 4
2.place position- 3
3.recap modotti- 4
4.no surprise- 2
5.five corporations- 3
6.caustic acrostic- 2
7.closed captioned- 3
8.floating boy- 1
9.forman’s dog- 4
10.arpeggiator- 4
11.guilford fall- 2
12.pink frosty- 1
13.f/d- 2
2001
The Argument - 9/8
Fugazi’s 6th album is the closest they’ve come to perfection so far. This is their best album musically,
sonicly, just overallingly! This album rocks overall, but in ways Fugazi never has before. As far as flow goes, it
uses Red Medicine as a template, which helps its greatness. The album builds up to the middle, gets into odd
territory with "The Kill" and "Strangelight", then it gets back into rocking with the next four awesome songs.
What edges this album out as the favorite over Red Medicine though is the way it will have anger and
tranquility in the same song, such as "Cashout" (orchestra stings in there?!?), "Life and Limb", and
"Nightshop". Also, the songwriters have almost switched roles as to what kind of things they write, with "Epic
Problem" sounding nothing like MaKaye of old, and "Full Disclosue" making Piciotto sound like the wailing
MaKaye. Still, the singers are very much themselves on new classics such as "Ex-Spectator" (with its fabulous
double drumming) and "Oh". The variety and complexity sounds even more controlled than any other Fugazi
release, but I like this controlled sound compared to the frenzy of Repeater and Red Medicine. Those
records might be as good in quality, but with a band like this personal preference matters, and The Argument
wins it every time for me. Not because of the above mentioned instrumentation, or because of the new
influences shown ("Nightshop" in its bridge sounds like Sonic Youth meets Jethro Tull), but because its ten
great songs of complicated but entertaining rock n' roll, and one of the best albums of all time. They keep
getting better, it truly is amazing. - Trevor e.y.
An Interruption if you Will: Sadly, there's a 99% chance the band will never make another album. Canty
and Lally home with family and not wanting to tour away from them, the band is on a "indefinite hiatus". You
never know though, there's always that 1% chance. Whatever happens, their legacy is amazing.
1.blank- gf
2.cashout- 4
3.full disclosure- 4
4.epic problem- 4*
5.life and limb- 4
6.the kill- 3
7.strange light- 4
8.oh- 4
9.ex spectator- 4
10.nightshop- 4
11.argument- 4
Non - Album Things
1990
13 Songs - 9/8
A combination of their first two EP’s, Fugazi’s brilliance really shines through. Though both of these ep's
were recorded and released in the late 80's (Fugazi is songs 1-7, Margin Walker is songs 8-13), the way
they are packaged on to CD will always be as 13 Songs, released in 1990. This music is still so far above
anything else at its time that it is really sad. Punk blasts like "Waiting Room" and "Margin Walker" are more
durable songs than anyone could hope for, but at the same time they are about something. "You can't be
what you were, so you better start being just what you are." Advise like this in music? Good music?!? Their
relevancy shines through today, and with such "serious" tones set to fast, blaring music you want to sing
along with, the band got its message across. There are so many great songs on here, so while there are
highlights, they are not second to anything else really. This collection is maybe the closest to accessible
Fugazi gets, with MacKaye singing maybe his most legible lyrics ever in "Suggestion", "Bad Mouth", and my
personal favorite "And the Same". Piciotto sings too, and shows his range from being almost soft on
"Provisional", but emotionally intense as everything on "Burning", "Burning Too", and "Glue Man". The band's
anti-drug stance is clearly drawn in the sarcastic "Give me the Cure". I would recommend Fugazi novices to
start with this cd. Music is rarely this well thought out. - Trevor e.y.
1.waiting room- 4
2.bulldog front- 4
3.bad mouth- 4
4.burning- 4
5.give me the cure- 3
6.suggestion- 4
7.glue man- 4
8.margin walker- 4
9.and the same- 4*
10.burning too- 4
11.provisional- 4
12.lockdown- 4
13.promises- 3
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