- 13 Songs · 1989
- Instrument · 1999
- 13 Songs · 1989
- Repeater & 3 Songs · 1990
- 13 Songs · 1989
- 13 Songs · 1989
- 13 Songs · 1989
- 13 Songs · 1989
- 13 Songs · 1989
- 13 Songs · 1989
- Repeater & 3 Songs · 1990
- 13 Songs · 1989
- 13 Songs · 1989
Essential Albums
- In 1989, the members of Fugazi played new material for Ted Niceley, the D.C. scene-shaper who’d produced the group’s breakthrough EP. The musicians were skeptical when they saw Niceley had shown up to the listening sessions with a pen and paper, ostensibly to take notes. But they were heartened after the set, when they realized Niceley hadn’t written anything down. “[Ted said], ‘You have perfect songs,’” recalled singer and guitarist Ian MacKaye. “I was blown away by it.” The band soon headed into the studio with Niceley, recording a trio of songs: The moody instrumental “Joe #1,” the raging anthem “Break-In,” and “Song #1,” a sort of punk-scene mission statement that remains one of MacKaye’s savviest songs. Those three tracks would be released as a single, and, eventually, they’d wind up on Repeater, Fugazi’s stellar 1990 sophomore album. Repeater came together not long after co-vocalist Guy Picciotto joined the band on guitar, and his trebly Rickenbacker would soon become a crucial part of Fugazi’s sonic attack. But it wasn’t the only noticeable shift in the band’s sound: The album’s title track—about the surge of gun violence in the band’s hometown of Washington, D.C.—features squealing riffs and thunderous drums that were inspired by Public Enemy’s abrasive hit “Rebel Without a Pause.” Meanwhile, the lyrics on Repeater alternate between impressionism (“What a difference a little difference would make” from “Blueprint”) and in-your-face bluntness (“I've got this nasty habit/When I need something I just reach out and grab it” from the title track). Repeater closes with “Shut the Door,” a heartrending account of an overdose, featuring one of MacKaye’s most powerful vocals—so intense, Niceley said it made him want to hide under a table during recording—as well as some of his most elegant lyrics (“I broke the surface so I can breathe/I close my eyes so I can see/I tie my arms to be free/Have you ever been free?”). It’s a riveting send-off for this across-the-board powerful album—a landmark in 1990s rock.
- Fugazi came together in 1986, not long after Ian MacKaye—a vocalist, guitarist, and hardcore pioneer—parted ways with Embrace, a lively mid-tempo punk act that had broken up after less than a year. Afterward, MacKaye teamed up with Joe Lally, a bass player who’d roadied with the D.C. act Beefeater. The two began fleshing out songs, and though it took some time to finalize Fugazi’s lineup, MacKaye and Lally eventually teamed with drummer Brendan Canty and guitarist and vocalist Guy Picciotto. All four musicians had been part of the politically charged, musically adventurous punk scene that had sprung up in Washington, D.C. in the 1980s, giving rise to acts like Minor Threat and Rites of Spring—bands that lasted only a few years, but would influence the sound and ethos of punk for decades to come. For many listeners, Fugazi’s 13 Songs would serve as a crucial intro to the D.C. sound. Released in 1989, it collects the band’s first two EPs, starting with 1988’s Fugazi. Those first seven songs—written mostly by MacKaye during the band’s first year, and produced by D.C. legend Ted Niceley—were recorded before Picciotto added his cutting Rickenbacker guitar to the mix. But these early tracks nonetheless feel fully formed, driven by Fugazi’s abstract yet topical lyrics, and a sound that incorporates everything from reggae to The Stooges: “Waiting Room” reflects MacKaye’s frustrations with being on the musical sidelines for a few years, while the Picciotto-sung “Give Me the Cure” takes aim at the AIDS crisis. “Suggestion,” meanwhile, takes a complex look at sexual harassment, and the extraordinary “Glue Man”—a fan-favorite that often closed the band’s mesmerizing live shows—morphs from an observation of a drug addict to a galaxy-brain jam. The Fugazi EP remains a remarkable first effort. And it’s a testament to the strength of the band’s songwriting that Fugazi’s seven songs pair so perfectly with the tracks from 1989’s Margin Walker EP. Produced with traditional rock-band slickness by longtime band ally John Loder, Margin Waker hints at a new and more powerful phase for the band. You can hear their ever-growing dynamism on the fiery title track, as well as cuts like “And the Same” (which addresses the complexity of movements versus individuals) and “Burning Too” (a warning of the world’s coming environmental chaos). It all ends with “Promises”—a track that closes out not just the Margin Walker EP, but also 13 Songs. It’s a song that espouses the importance of actions over words—and over the course of Fugazi’s years-long run, few bands’ actions would speak louder. 13 Songs is more than just an essential punk primer; it’s one of the greatest rock albums of all time.
Albums
- 2014
- 2001
- 1999
- 1995
Artist Playlists
- A post-hardcore primer from the D.C. icons.
- Their fan club counts rock stars, riot grrrls, and electro acts.
- Their polyrhythmic punk absorbs rap, dub, and even The Beatles.
- Their severity is leavened by instrumentals and insidious hooks.
Singles & EPs
Live Albums
More To Hear
- Mark talks with punk rock legend Ian Mackaye.
- Jehnny Beth sits down in Paris with the Interpol guitarist.
- The Fugazi frontman on DC's punk scene.
About Fugazi
As the frontman of D.C. heroes Minor Threat, Ian MacKaye wrote the rules of hardcore; with Fugazi, he obliterated them. From their 1987 formation to their 2003 indefinite-hiatus announcement, Fugazi were paragons of underground integrity, batting away million-dollar major-label offers to stick with MacKaye’s Dischord imprint, using their platform to amplify social-justice causes in a pre-woke world, and famously capping their ticket prices at an accessible $5. But Fugazi’s righteous principles can sometimes overshadow the fact they were one of the most fearlessly experimental and downright thrilling indie-rock bands of their era, one that applied hardcore’s spirit of non-conformity to hardcore itself. Early anthems like 1988’s “Waiting Room” established the punk/funk finesse of bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty, and the playful tension between MacKaye’s siren-like wail and co-singer Guy Picciotto’s scrappy rasp; later releases, like 1995’s Red Medicine and 1998’s End Hits, were visionary fusions of circle-pit aggression, dubby soundscapes, and avant-garde discord. And with 2001’s The Argument, the band left us with their most sophisticated yet scathing record to date, its disarming pop melodies serving as Trojan Horse messengers for still-relevant critiques of gentrification and unchecked capitalism.
- FROM
- Washington, D.C.
- FORMED
- 1987
- GENRE
- Alternative