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.