Fugazi | ||
| Allmusic Biography : If history is kind to Fugazi, their records wont be overshadowed by their reputation and methods of operation. Instead of being known for their community activism, five-dollar shows, ten-dollar CDs, and resistance to mainstream outlets, they will instead be known for their intelligent songwriting and undeniably proficient musicianship, which drew from their roots in Washington, D.C. hardcore, as well as post-punk and dub reggae. Songs like "Waiting Room" and "Suggestion," as well as albums such as Repeater and Red Medicine, are considered post-hardcore benchmarks. Drummer Brendan Canty, bassist Joe Lally, and guitarists/vocalists Ian MacKaye, and Guy Picciotto formed Fugazi in 1987. Initially a trio, Picciotto was added to the lineup after the bands first live shows. Prior to forming, the members already had deep roots in the D.C. punk scene. Dischord labelhead MacKaye, who had previously been in the Teen Idles and Minor Threat, had just come from Embrace. For better or worse, Embrace, along with Picciotto and Cantys better Rites of Spring, kick-started the emo sub-genre that reached prominence years later. After further honing their cathartic live act and expanding their material, their first EP, Fugazi, was released in late 1988. More an extension of Rites of Springs thick, dynamic, varied-tempo soul-bearing than anything else, the EP featured "Suggestion," which became the bands most well-known song. Though the course of rock history shows that loud music created by angry men tends to be of a predatory nature, "Suggestion" was an anomaly. MacKaye spoke from a womans point of view and railed against objectification. The similarly Margin Walker EP followed the next year and was later coupled with Fugazi on CD as 13 Songs. Repeater, the bands first proper album, was released in 1990. A toughened and refined progression, its generally regarded as a classic. Steady Diet of Nothing, issued in 1991, it was clearly the bands most challenging material to that point. Two years passed until In on the Killtaker, an abrasive set that registered on Billboards main album chart, the Billboard 200, at number 153. While major labels were interested in signing the band and even linking with Dischord, a label that had lost Jawbox to Atlantic and Shudder to Think to Epic, they were turned away. As the increasing responsibilities of adulthood and outside musical involvements increased, Fugazis recordings and tours became more sporadic during the latter half of the 90s. Both Red Medicine (1995) and End Hits (1998) were looser and more exploratory than the bands earliest recordings. Instrument (1999), a documentary video directed by Jem Cohen, was released with an accompanying soundtrack and included live performances and interviews. The soundtrack featured demos, jams, and incidental cutting room scraps. Fugazis sixth proper album, The Argument (2001), was simultaneously issued with the three-song Furniture EP. Outside Fugazi, both MacKaye and Picciotto helped other bands with production. MacKaye continued to operate Dischord, and Lally began his own label, Tolotta. Picciotto also ventured into filmmaking. Though they never officially disbanded, Fugazi remained dormant as the years spun on, MacKaye touring and recording more with the Evens, his band with Amy Farina. In 2011, Dischord launched the Fugazi Live Series, an online archive that grew to house recordings of various qualities of every one of the bands more than 1,000 shows. When the series reached its goal of complete documentation of the bands live work, Dischord marked the end of the phase with the release of First Demo, a re-mastered issue of the bands preveiously unreleased ten song demo recording from 1988. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 15 Title: Fugazi Live Series, Volume 6: 1992-06-28: Tempodrom, Berlin, Germany Released: Tracks: 22 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Intro (?) 2 Cassavetes (?) 3 And the Same (?) 4 Exit Only (?) 5 Merchandise (?) 6 Turnover (?) 7 Reclamation (?) 8 Rend It (?) 9 Facet Squared (?) 10 Latin Roots (?) 11 Suggestion (?) 12 Burning (?) 13 Waiting Room (?) 14 Long Division (?) 15 Margin Walker (?) 16 Blueprint (?) 17 Promises (?) 18 Sweet & Low (?) 19 Last Chance for a Slowdance (?) 20 Repeater (?) 21 Song #1 (?) 22 Glueman (?) |
 | Album: 2 of 15 Title: Canberra, AUS Nov 17, 1993 Released: Tracks: 24 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Intro (?) 2 Joe #1 (?) 3 Facet Squared (?) 4 Sieve-Fisted Find (?) 5 Reclamation (?) 6 Rap (?) 7 Reclamation Continued (?) 8 Public Witness Program (?) 9 Merchandise (?) 10 Nice New Outfit (?) 11 Instrument (?) 12 Last Chance for a Slowdance (?) 13 Great Cop (?) 14 Walkens Syndrome (?) 15 Intro (?) 16 Long Division (?) 17 Blueprint (?) 18 Repeater (?) 19 Smallpox Champion (?) 20 Returning the Screw (?) 21 Reprovisional (?) 22 Rend It (?) 23 Promises (?) 24 Sweet and Low (?) |
 | Album: 3 of 15 Title: Fugazi Live Series, Volume 4: 1990-11-6: Terminal Export, Nancy, France Released: Tracks: 23 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Intro (?) 2 Merchandise (?) 3 Turnover (?) 4 Reclamation (?) 5 And the Same (?) 6 Sieve-Fisted Find (?) 7 Greed (?) 8 Latin Roots (?) 9 Styrofoam (?) 10 2 Beats Off (?) 11 Mick Fleetwood Customs Rap (?) 12 Waiting Room (?) 13 Margin Walker (?) 14 Bad Mouth (?) 15 Lockdown (?) 16 Long Division (?) 17 Blueprint (?) 18 Runaway Return (?) 19 Promises (?) 20 P (dub mix) (?) 21 Exit Only (?) 22 Repeater (?) 23 Reprovisional (?) |
 | Album: 4 of 15 Title: Fugazi Released: 1988 Tracks: 7 Duration: 23:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Waiting Room (02:54) 2 Bulldog Front (02:53) 3 Bad Mouth (02:36) 4 Burning (02:39) 5 Give Me the Cure (02:59) 6 Suggestion (04:44) 7 Glue Man (04:21) |
 | Album: 5 of 15 Title: Margin Walker Released: 1989-06 Tracks: 6 Duration: 17:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Margin Walker (02:30) 2 And the Same (03:27) 3 Burning Too (02:41) 4 Provisional (02:17) 5 Lockdown (02:10) 6 Promises (04:01) |
 | Album: 6 of 15 Title: 13 Songs Released: 1989-09 Tracks: 13 Duration: 40:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Waiting Room (02:54) 2 Bulldog Front (02:53) 3 Bad Mouth (02:36) 4 Burning (02:39) 5 Give Me the Cure (02:59) 6 Suggestion (04:44) 7 Glue Man (04:21) 8 Margin Walker (02:30) 9 And the Same (03:27) 10 Burning Too (02:41) 11 Provisional (02:17) 12 Lockdown (02:10) 13 Promises (04:01) |
| 13 Songs : Allmusic album Review : Disregarding all the wordiness and adjectives that can be heaped like a pile of horse dung at Disneyland upon great, timeless albums, the importance of this record can perhaps be more suitably measured by the number of people who remember the first time they heard it. 13 Songs (a combination of the Fugazi and Margin Walker EPs) is usually among the first records that spring to mind when defining alternative rock. Furious, intelligent, artful, and entirely musical, its a bakers dozen of cannon shots to the gut -- not just a batch of emotionally visceral and defiant songs recorded by angry young men, but something greater. Nearly every song here reaches an anthemic level without falling prey to pomposity. Most of these songs are anthems of the self rather than a rallying cry of accusation or unification, with "Waiting Room" and "Suggestion" serving as two examples. The attention-getting drop into silence that occurs at the 22-second mark of the former is instantly memorable. The relentless ska/reggae-inflected drive of the song is equally effective, as Ian MacKaye tells everyone listening to get off their behinds and do what they want. During the Meters-meets-Ruts thrust of "Suggestion," MacKaye switches genders for an entirely convincing rant on the objectification of women. Guy Picciotto takes on the persona of an addict on "Glue Man," whose blurred sense of reality is also conveyed in the warped, psychedelic guitars. Picciotto threatens to set himself on fire during "Margin Walker"; given the spirited play of the remaining members, it sounds like the same could be said for the rest of them. Foreshadowing the bands knack for introspective and mid-tempo concluding tracks, the disc ends with MacKayes "Promises," examining the pitfalls of trust in relationships of any nature. A landmark record. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 15 Title: Repeater Released: 1990-01 Tracks: 14 Duration: 42:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Turnover (04:16) 2 Repeater (03:01) 3 Brendan #1 (02:32) 4 Merchandise (02:59) 5 Blueprint (03:52) 6 Sieve-Fisted Find (03:24) 7 Greed (01:47) 8 Two Beats Off (03:28) 9 Styrofoam (02:34) 10 Reprovisional (02:17) 11 Shut the Door (04:49) 12 Song #1 (02:54) 13 Joe #1 (03:01) 14 Break-In (01:32) |
| Repeater : Allmusic album Review : With its righteous disdain for capitalism and the almighty dollar, Repeater sounds like an angrier American update of Gang of Fours Solid Gold, which had been made ten years earlier. Lines/slogans like "When I need something/I reach out and grab it," "You are not what you own," "I was caught with my hand in the till," and "Everything is greed" bear this out. Though not lacking any sense of conviction, Repeater honestly gets a little stifling. Its not too difficult to see why the band was allegedly lacking a sense of humor at this stage. They could have been yelling about filing their taxes; the yelling begins to fade into a din after a while. The title makes sense, if only by mistake. But -- and thats a big but -- Repeater nearly matches the Fugazi and Margin Walker EPs with its musical invention and skill, spewing out another group of completely invigorating songs, which makes the subject matter and finger-pointing a little easier to swallow. Few rhythm sections of the time had the great interplay of Joe Lally and Brendan Canty. Likewise, the guitar playing and interaction of Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto almost always get overlooked, thanks to all the other subjects brought up when the band is talked about. A guitar magazine even rated Repeater as one of the best guitar records of the 90s, and rightfully so. Anemic revs spiked by pig squeals (or is it a screeching train?) highlight the title track, one of the bands finest moments. (Dont miss MacKayes vicious double-tracked vocals, either.) As always, MacKaye and Picciottos noise-terrorism-as-guitar-joust avoids flashiness, used as much as rhythm as punctuation device. Sharp, angular, jagged, and precise. Other gnarling highlights include the preachy "Styrofoam," the late-breaking "Sieve-Fisted Find," and the somewhat ironic "Merchandise," which skewers Mr. Business Owner by asking, "What could a businessman ever want more/Than to have us sucking in his store?" Plenty of fans had to suck in someones store to get this record, after all. [The CD version of Repeater added the 3 Songs 7" as a bonus, titled as Repeater + 3 Songs.] | ||
 | Album: 8 of 15 Title: Steady Diet of Nothing Released: 1991-08-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 36:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Exit Only (03:14) 2 Reclamation (03:22) 3 Nice New Outfit (03:28) 4 Stacks (03:10) 5 Latin Roots (03:14) 6 Steady Diet (03:43) 7 Long Division (02:14) 8 Runaway Return (03:59) 9 Polish (03:40) 10 Dear Justice Letter (03:28) 11 KYEO (02:58) |
| Steady Diet of Nothing : Allmusic album Review : From the opening swarms of "Exit Only," you can tell Steady Diet of Nothing will differ from Fugazis earlier records. Repeaters excellence cant be denied, but the band stood in danger of stagnating its sound. To its benefit, Fugazi made some changes, employing more herk-a-jerk rhythms and dub influences, and changing up the lyrical focus. Actually, the lyrics get a bit vague -- bordering on equivocality at times -- which has its advantages and disadvantages. With Steady Diet, Fugazi get more economical and less forceful. Though not nearly as neck-gnawing as Repeater, Steady Diet still packs a sizable wallop, but with slower tempos and less deliberate instrumentation. As always, a poison-tipped dart is pointed at the government, media, and major entertainment outlets. Ian MacKayes "destroy your television" rant on "Polish" is one of the more direct and simple songs. His "KYEO" comes straight from the rice paddy or homefront, depending on interpretation. It urges the listener to always remain aware, whether awaiting the enemys next battle move or remaining blissfully unaware of how people can be taken advantage of by others. As with the rest of the bands catalog, lyrics are provided in the booklet. This makes things much easier on the intent listener, as both Picciotto and MacKaye have weird voices that become unintelligible when howled over their instrumental din. The lyric sheet is most useful on Picciottos "Latin Roots." Hes not warning you that "its time to meet Jamaicans," as it sounds, but rather "its time to meet your makers." Not quite lending itself to "Purple Haze"-like levels of butchery, but important to point out nonetheless. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 15 Title: In on the Kill Taker Released: 1993-06-30 Tracks: 12 Duration: 42:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Facet Squared (02:42) 2 Public Witness Program (02:04) 3 Returning the Screw (03:13) 4 Smallpox Champion (04:01) 5 Rend It (03:48) 6 23 Beats Off (06:41) 7 Sweet and Low (03:36) 8 Cassavetes (02:30) 9 Great Cop (01:52) 10 Walken’s Syndrome (03:18) 11 Instrument (03:43) 12 Last Chance for a Slow Dance (04:38) |
| In on the Kill Taker : Allmusic album Review : In on the Kill Taker is like scrubbing your face with steel wool. It finds the band relying on rusty guitar shards that scrape, seethe, and hiss, further removing itself from the sound of 13 Songs and Repeater. Harsh and grating, Fugazi surprisingly produces sheer noise at times, best witnessed in the lengthy closing of "23 Beats Off" and the unintentional Gremlins homage that opens "Walkens Syndrome." Joe Lallys bass and Brendan Cantys drums are relegated to acting as a guide; theyre pushed -- but not squashed -- down in the mix, allowing for Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciottos guitars to take control, corrosively so. Its probably Fugazis least digestible record from front to back, but each track has its own attractive qualities, even if not immediately perceptible. "Facet Squared" and "Public Witness Program" open the record furiously, but the majority of the following "Return the Screw" is hardly audible, aside from occasional vocal tantrums. A good amount of time is spent alternating between low-key guitar noodling and intrusive bursts of aggression. Theyre smart with their sequencing, placing the gentle instrumental "Sweet and Low" (the only track where Lally plays a prominent role) after the exhaustive cacophony of "23 Beats Off," and generally piecing together a set of rather diverse tracks that flows well. Picciottos anti-Hollywood rant on the properly titled "Cassavetes" is a classic Fugazi moment, as is his similarly name-dropping "Walkens Syndrome." Buried at the end of the record are two excellent lurchers, MacKayes "Instrument" and Picciottos "Last Chance for a Slow Dance." Not Fugazis finest hour, but one of its most daring and rewarding. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 15 Title: Red Medicine Released: 1995-06-12 Tracks: 13 Duration: 43:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Do You Like Me (03:16) 2 Bed for the Scraping (02:50) 3 Latest Disgrace (03:34) 4 Birthday Pony (03:08) 5 Forensic Scene (03:05) 6 Combination Lock (03:06) 7 Fell, Destroyed (03:46) 8 By You (05:11) 9 Version (03:20) 10 Target (03:32) 11 Back to Base (01:45) 12 Downed City (02:53) 13 Long Distance Runner (04:22) |
| Red Medicine : Allmusic album Review : Retreating from the skinned-knee production values of In on the Kill Taker, Red Medicine packs more rhythmic punch and shows more range. With more drive and playful goings-on, the arrangements sound much looser than on Kill Taker, while remaining just as gut-kicking and brainy. The experimentation, which adds liveliness, doesnt sound measured. Even Joe Lally is allowed to sing, and it just happens to be one of the best songs on the record. Running against the theory that Fugazi is a pack of killjoys, numerous instances pop up where the bands twisted sense of humor is apparent. The sinister ha-has that open "Birthday Pony," the android sample in the pleasant (!) instrumental "Combination Lock," and random piano plinks all manage to find a welcome place. But the most uncharacteristic track is the "Blade Runner in Kingston" slo-mo instrumental "Version," featuring clarinet skronks, dubwise rhythm, incidental zaps, and -- get this -- no guitars. Picciotto declares in the immediately following "Target" that he hates the sound of guitars. What gives? Its clearly a rumination against corporate Americas capitalization/bastardization of "punk" aesthetics. If anyone had the right to comment, it was Fugazi. "Back to Base" and "Downed City" (another dubby intro here) return to more standard issue, hardcore roots Fugazi, full of the soaring guitars that the band is most known for. Closing out the nearly flawless second side is yet another contemplative exit track, "Long Distance Runner." Acting as a daily affirmation of sorts to combat lethargy, MacKaye opines, "If I stop to catch my breath/I might catch a piece of death." | ||
 | Album: 11 of 15 Title: End Hits Released: 1998-04-14 Tracks: 13 Duration: 47:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Break (02:12) 2 Place Position (02:45) 3 Recap Modotti (03:50) 4 No Surprise (04:12) 5 Five Corporations (02:28) 6 Caustic Acrostic (02:01) 7 Closed Captioned (04:52) 8 Floating Boy (05:45) 9 Foreman’s Dog (04:21) 10 Arpeggiator (04:28) 11 Guilford Fall (02:57) 12 Pink Frosty (04:09) 13 F/D (03:42) |
| End Hits : Allmusic album Review : Scary -- "Closed Captioned" through "Foremans Dog" provides the worst stretch of material Fugazi have recorded, full of disjointed patches and awkward moments. Theres a virtually complete disregard for linearity that makes things seem stitched together, rather than the seamlessness youve grown accustomed to. Within that chunk and various points in the remainder, the arrangements sound like theyre on the verge of collapse, and not in a violently riveting manner. One thing comes to mind, and thats boredom -- perhaps not for the artists involved, but likely for the listener. There are some great moments, however, so End Hits only dips its toes in failure. The epileptic "Lust for Life"-style "Five Corporations" has the riffs and rage, with Ian MacKaye taking the music industry to task for being the slow, incestuously festering beast that it is. Though the band seems to lack the stamina for instrumental wowing it once had, the songwriting is still there. On point as always, MacKaye remains lyrically immolated: "Check the math here/Check in ten years/Clusterf*ck theory/Buy them up and shut them down/Then repeat in every town/Every town will be the same." Nigh on two decades of punk army service, MacKaye is still far away from running out of relevant things to say. Other highlights include "Break" and "Place Position." MacKaye and Picciottos mantra-like barking of "yawn yawn yawn" during the latter could stop you to think, "Wait, that was kind of funny," amidst all the fist-pumping. Altogether, the least of the bands LPs so far; yes kids, even Fugazi make mistakes. A minor blebby, its nothing to disown the band for. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 15 Title: Instrument Soundtrack Released: 1999-03-23 Tracks: 18 Duration: 45:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pink Frosty (demo) (03:47) 2 Lusty Scripps (03:42) 3 Arpeggiator (demo) (02:54) 4 Afterthought (01:28) 5 Trio’s (02:15) 6 Turkish Disco (02:34) 7 Me and Thumbelina (00:45) 8 Floating Boy (demo) (03:34) 9 Link Track (01:26) 10 Little Debbie (01:49) 11 H.B. (01:19) 12 I’m So Tired (01:58) 13 Rend It (demo) (03:32) 14 Closed Captioned (demo) (05:50) 15 Guilford Fall (demo) (03:29) 16 Swingset (01:37) 17 Shaken All Over (00:58) 18 Slo Crostic (02:40) |
| Instrument Soundtrack : Allmusic album Review : Fugazi finally released a career retrospective after more than a decade together, though in true indie fashion, Instrument is far from your average bands greatest-hits collection. In truth, its the soundtrack to a documentary produced by the band with filmmaker Jem Cohen. While the film contains footage from live dates, studio work, and intimate home-movie tapes, the soundtrack itself focuses on unreleased studio tracks and outtakes with never-before-heard songs, including "Im So Tired," "Swingset," "Slo Crostick," and "Turkish Disco." | ||
 | Album: 13 of 15 Title: Furniture Released: 2001-10-16 Tracks: 3 Duration: 08:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Furniture (03:35) 2 Number 5 (03:09) 3 Hello Morning (02:06) |
 | Album: 14 of 15 Title: The Argument Released: 2001-10-16 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 [untitled] (00:52) 2 Cashout (04:24) 3 Full Disclosure (03:53) 4 Epic Problem (03:59) 5 Life and Limb (03:09) 6 The Kill (05:27) 7 Strangelight (05:53) 8 Oh (04:29) 9 Ex-Spectator (04:18) 10 Nightshop (04:02) 11 Argument (04:27) |
| The Argument : Allmusic album Review : Its unfortunate that a band so forward looking as Fugazi has been criticized over and over for not remaking "Waiting Room" or "Repeater." Some have called them sellouts, regardless of the bands integrity and class, while others consider them elitists, "guiding" the Washington, D.C., scene. This could not be further from the truth. As the film and soundtrack to Instrument proved, this is a band that is only concerned with musical growth, with each album improving on its predecessor. But no album they have put together has the jump ahead that The Argument has. Being both ear-shattering and spine-tingling at once, this is Fugazi at their "musical" best. Incorporating melody with texture and their signature angular approach, the band has raised the bar for themselves and others once again. The first "full" track, "Cashout" (an anti-gentrification anthem), is classic stuff, with a subtle guitar line exploding into a screaming chorus, but this time there is less of an emphasis on the screaming and more on the gentle melody of the verse. Slower tracks like "The Kill" and "Life and Limb" touch on strange new territory. Gentle with sense of swagger, these songs lack none of the power that the band is known for, while the two-drum assault of "Ex-Spectator" (courtesy of Brendan Canty and second drummer Jerry Busher) has just as much potency on disc as it does live. And the final song, "Argument," with its rolling guitar lines, dreamy breakdown, and vocals that build from gentle to screaming, may be the best closer on a Fugazi record since "Promises." Listeners may be surprised to hear strings open up the record, or piano guiding the brilliant "Strangelight," but this is the album that proves once and for all that Fugazi has become a purely musical force. Fifteen years in and Fugazi is still progressing. It makes one wonder what theyre capable of in the future. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 15 Title: First Demo Released: 2014-11-18 Tracks: 11 Duration: 35:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Waiting Room (03:10) 2 Merchandise (03:07) 3 Furniture (04:07) 4 Song #1 (03:00) 5 The Word (04:38) 6 Bad Mouth (02:53) 7 Break-In (01:36) 8 Turn Off Your Guns (03:43) 9 And the Same (05:08) 10 In Defense of Humans (02:39) 11 Joe #1 (01:41) |
| First Demo : Allmusic album Review : Its difficult to think of a band as iconic as Fugazi ever having had a phase of awkward early days. Born from the ashes of D.C. hardcore legends Minor Threat and what many people argue was the first emo band, Rites of Spring, Fugazi emerged in 1987 with a sound unlike any of their contemporaries, and one that would shift over the course of the next decade and change. The bands calling card was the visceral nature of its tightly wound songs, and something so powerful just seemed to come out of the ether fully formed. First Demo is evidence of some of Fugazis earliest times, and a window into a fraction of the work and refinement that went into crafting their songs. Recorded in January of 1988 at the D.C. studio Inner Ear, where most of their proper albums were put to tape, only one of these songs, "In Defense of Humans," saw a proper release, appearing on the 1989 Dischord compilation album State of the Union. Most of the other tracks were circulated in small quantities on free cassettes handed out by the band at its gigs. While the fidelity is as strong as the bands officially released albums would be, theres an unmistakable quality of looseness on First Demo, the band less than a year into it and still forming, with second vocalist Guy Picciotto added just a few months before these sessions. Apart from the casual studio chatter that begins and ends a lot of the songs, theres a tentativeness that shows up in slower tempos and uncertain false starts on now classic tunes like "Waiting Room" and "Bad Mouth." Only one song included here, "Turn Off Your Guns," was left off the original demo cassettes, and its one of only a few tracks Fugazi left by the wayside as they quickly moved on to more widespread releases. While First Demo sounds at times like a band just starting out, it also shows the seeds of greatness were there with Fugazi from day one. A slightly different arrangement of the explosively dynamic tune "Merchandise" is a highlight here, though an official version wouldnt show up until 1990s Repeater, released two years after many of these other early songs had been fleshed out on EPs and singles. Though the songs are a bit rougher around the edges than other versions would be, its not by much. First Demo will be a revelation for Fugazi fanatics but crackles with an excitement that even a newcomer to the band can easily tap into. Still in the salad days, these songs are the sound of the band hitting the ground running. They hold up to any of Fugazis more realized recordings, sounding fresh and -- more importantly -- urgent even 26 years later. | ||