Minor Threat | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Minor Threat was the definitive Washington, D.C., hardcore punk band, setting the style for the straight-edge punk movement of the early 80s. Led by vocalist Ian MacKaye, the band was staunchly independent and fiercely sober. Through their songs, the group rejected drugs and alcohol, espoused anti-establishment politics, and led a call for self-awareness. Every song was fast, sharp, and lethal, often clocking in at just around a minute. Their speed and fury often hid their fairly catchy melodies, but the bands main function was to vent rage. Over the course of three years, Minor Threat released two EPs, one album, and several singles, all of which were quite popular in the American punk underground. Their records and concerts helped spawn straight-edge, an American punk lifestyle based on the groups intense, clean-living ideology. Following the disbandment of Minor Threat, MacKaye formed Fugazi, who became one of the more popular American indie rock bands of the late 80s and 90s. The origins of Minor Threat lie in the Teen Idles, Ian MacKayes first band. MacKaye formed the Teen Idles while he was attending Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., and after he graduated in 1980, he founded the Dischord record label with the intent of putting out his groups records through the label. Shortly after graduation, the Teen Idles had broken up and MacKaye had formed Minor Threat with former Idles drummer Jeff Nelson, former Government Issue bassist Brian Baker, and guitarist Lyle Preslar. By the end of the year, Minor Threat had released the singles "Minor Threat" and "Straight Edge," and had played many concerts along the East Coast. Throughout 1981, they followed this same pattern, playing a lot of concerts and releasing 7" singles. That year, they also released two EPs, Minor Threat and In My Eyes, both of which compiled their singles. In 1982, bassist Baker had left and was replaced by Steve Hansen; Baker later played with the Meatmen, Junkyard, and Dag Nasty. With Hansen on board, the group recorded their only full-length album, Out of Step. Upon its 1983 release, the album became popular within the underground and Minor Threat were becoming alternative stars, which didnt sit well with MacKaye. By the end of the year, he broke up the band. MacKaye and Nelson continued to run Dischord, which thrived well into the 90s. The pair also played together in another band, Egg Hunt. Following the disbandment of Egg Hunt, Nelson played with a variety of bands -- including Three and Senator Flux -- before devoting his energies to running Dischord. MacKaye played with Embrace, Skewbald, and Pailhead before forming Fugazi, who carried on the aesthetic, if not the sound, of Minor Threat. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 4 Title: Out of Step Released: 1983 Tracks: 9 Duration: 21:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Betray (03:04) 2 It Follows (01:50) 3 Think Again (02:18) 4 Look Back and Laugh (03:16) 5 Sob Story (01:50) 6 No Reason (01:57) 7 Little Friend (02:18) 8 Out of Step (01:20) 9 Cashing In (03:43) |
 | Album: 2 of 4 Title: Complete Discography Released: 1990-01 Tracks: 26 Duration: 47:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Filler (01:32) 2 I Don’t Wanna Hear It (01:13) 3 Seeing Red (01:03) 4 Straight Edge (00:45) 5 Small Man, Big Mouth (00:55) 6 Screaming at a Wall (01:31) 7 Bottled Violence (00:53) 8 Minor Threat (01:27) 9 Stand Up (00:53) 10 12XU (01:04) 11 In My Eyes (02:49) 12 Out of Step (With the World) (01:16) 13 Guilty of Being White (01:17) 14 Steppin’ Stone (02:12) 15 Betray (03:04) 16 It Follows (01:50) 17 Think Again (02:18) 18 Look Back and Laugh (03:16) 19 Sob Story (01:50) 20 No Reason (01:57) 21 Little Friend (02:18) 22 Out of Step (01:20) 23 Cashing In (03:43) 24 Stumped (01:55) 25 Good Guys (Don’t Wear White) (02:20) 26 Salad Days (02:44) |
| Complete Discography : Allmusic album Review : Complete Discography compiles Minor Threats entire body of recordings on a single compact disc. Hardcore, as a rule, wasnt particularly musically diverse, but Minor Threat were one of the genres groundbreaking acts and their music has held up better than most of their contemporaries. As the de facto leaders of the Washington, D.C., hardcore scene, the band pioneered the straight-edge mentality by emphasizing impossibly fast tempos, brief songs, political lyrics, and a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle. Besides setting the precedent for several generations of punk rockers with their music and ideals, Minor Threat were simply a better band than most hardcore groups. They had a tight, distinctive sound that wasnt as heavy as their Californian counterparts and, therefore, were often more bracing and effective. Although some of the music on Complete Discography, like much of hardcore in general, hasnt aged particularly well -- with its cheap production, rigid song structures, and political concerns, it is very much a piece of the early 80s -- the sound remains invigorating; the band possessed a visceral energy matched by only a handful of their peers. Complete Discography, in fact, is not only one of the cornerstones of any hardcore collection, its not a bad way to become acquainted with hardcore. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 4 Title: First Demo Tape Released: 2003-06-17 Tracks: 8 Duration: 08:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Minor Threat (01:36) 2 Stand Up (00:49) 3 Seeing Red (01:02) 4 Bottled Violence (00:56) 5 Small Man, Big Mouth (00:59) 6 Straight Edge (00:48) 7 Guilty of Being White (01:18) 8 I Dont Want to Hear It (01:27) |
 | Album: 4 of 4 Title: First Two Seven Inches Released: 2014-12-22 Tracks: 14 Duration: 18:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Filler (01:32) 2 I Don’t Wanna Hear It (01:13) 3 Seeing Red (01:03) 4 Straight Edge (00:45) 5 Small Man, Big Mouth (00:55) 6 Screaming at a Wall (01:31) 7 Bottled Violence (00:53) 8 Minor Threat (01:27) 9 Stand Up (00:53) 10 12XU (01:04) 11 In My Eyes (02:49) 12 Out of Step (With the World) (01:16) 13 Guilty of Being White (01:17) 14 Steppin’ Stone (02:12) |