Fugazi : Classic or Dud ?

Also, if you haven't paid attention since '95, definitely check out the Argument. Sonically unlike all previous albums (sitars! female background vocals!), though the lyrics are still an issue.

That first line should be "Fugazi should have been a better band than they were."

its not as hard as i was expecting
is this hardcore?

its also a lot slower in a lot of places than i expected,for some reason i thought it would all be really fast

there is some funky (meant as an adjective,not sure whether its good or bad as yet)drumming on one of the tracks,which i wasn't expecting at all

i like it more than i was expecting,i think last time i tried to listen to it i just turned it off after a few songs

no, it's "post-rock".

Fugazi EP (first half of 13 Songs)
The Argument
Repeater
Red Medicine
In On the Kill Taker

---

Margin Walker EP (second half of 13 songs)
Steady Diet of Nothing
Instrument soundtrack
End Hits
3 Songs EP
Furniture + 2 EP

(hops to xgau.com to check that that is indeed his line)

Sickest Cover Ever, though. (for Margin Walker)

End Hits is too good to be true. In On the Killtaker comes on a close 2nd. All the others: 3rd place. No losers here.

And they are so post-rock.

I heard they were on "indefinite hiatus". Ian MacKaye is playing in the Evens these days with Amy Farina and doesn't Joe Lally run Tolotta records or did I make that up?

Fugazi is one of my favorite bands and one of the best live bands I've seen.

So I noticed a copy of Repeater in HMV the other day that had a sticker marked "2004 remaster" on it - have the destroyed it or made it better? I've no problem with the levels they'd reached by The Argument, but what's the point? it does sound VERY slight and spacious compared to their others (bar 13 Songs) unless you crank it, but when you crank it, it sounds awesome. Anyone heard it?

Definitely classic, though my favorites from them remain in their early canon. One of the coolest things I've ever done is I attend one of their shows--I think it was 1992--on acid. My friends (who hadn't partaken) were like, Ian would NOT approve.

I still remember and probably always will remember "Merchandise" from that show, that and the music they played over the PA before the show, musta been some Dischord band or the other, made me shiver it was so heavy, never found out who they were.

A friend of mine speaks highly of their later work, but for the most part I'm just not familiar.

Oh, and I tend not to like the songs where Guy sings. I bet that's not just me.

Repeater was always the worst-sounding album to my ears so I'd be curious to hear a remaster.

All the original albums sound just fine to me.

And Nick, if you're interested, I think the first three albums got the remastered treatment - 13 Songs, Repeater and Steady Diet. I can't recall the others having been rereleased.

Oh, and I tend not to like the songs where Guy sings. I bet that's not just me.

I've actually heard more complaints about the Ian songs.

I think I like much of the songs on Steady Diet the most. I've never quite understood the lack of love for that record.

Also, why is everyone so obsessed with "Waiting Room"?

The main problem I have with the sonics is the snare drum being tuned too tightly.

Huh?

hahahaha

Listened to Red Medicine the other day, another cheery reminder why Fugazi is amazing.

every record was great. repeater and steady diet sound hell of quiet on my ipod, probably pre-remaster versions.

I think I like much of the songs on Steady Diet the most. I've never quite understood the lack of love for that record.

I've said the exact same thing on another thread I can't recall. It flows almost perfectly from song to song, sounds super tight and funky, rocks like a mofo -- best Fugazi album in my opinion.

Also, why is everyone so obsessed with "Waiting Room"?

I think it's their first definitive/defining song. Before I got into Fugazi, whenever I asked someone what they sounded like, they always put on "Waiting Room." As much as I love their other stuff, "Waiting Room" hasn't aged too well (although it sounded good at what was apparently their penultimate US concert in 2002).

Agree, and would add that it's possibly my least favorite song of theirs from the first couple ep's.

especially most of the Margin Walker record...most of those tracks put Waiting Room to shame.

"In on the Kill Taker," "Red Medicine" and "End Hits" are their greatest recordings. Everything they've ever recorded is nothing short of spectacular, but an album like Repeater - I'm sad to say - honestly does sound dated. The three aforementioned albums still sound really fresh and modern, despite them all being well over a decade old. Especially the amazing and cathartic "In on the Kill Taker," which sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday.

Fugazi = greatest band ever.

Wow so true. I listened to In On the Kill Taker today for the first time in years and it sounded fantastic. Some of Picciotto's songs are so stylish and Fugazi had so many rock band trappings--they loved big choruses and singalongs, and they also loved jamming and fucking around. For all they did to advance hardcore, they're such a throwback in a lot of ways.

randomly grabbed End Hits from the rack today. "Recap Modotti" is so, so awesome.

I did this too! But yesterday. Such a solid album.

the last 30-45 seconds of Arpeggiator into the first, like 10-15 seconds of Guilford Fall=so fucking awesome

That's the first one, self-titled:

The trio’s debut includes nine songs recorded at Canty’s practice space throughout 2017, live and mostly without overdubs. It’s a snapshot of a band dedicated to the live ideal, where structure gives birth to improvisation.

Pirog’s guitar sound with Messthetics is sometimes too prog rock jazz fusion for me. I saw him recently with a different dc area band of his that rarely plays live these days - the EL Reys. They do surf and 50s rock and have a blaring sax and a farfisa organ .

Have also seen Pirog do “Sleepwalk” with roots bands.

I saw them play here once, and my impression was that it sounded like Fugazi's rhythm section with a guitarist I didn't like.

Never saw them live but yeah that was my impression of them too.

Haven't listened to the Mezzthetics albums yet, but Pirog doesn't progfuse that xxxpost James Brandon Lewis track, "Fear Not." It starts with his fluid accompaniment to Lewis's statement of the theme on tenor sax, then drone ov bass & drums drone quickly kicks in, and he steps back into it, sometimes providing punctuation and/or tiny ornaments, best detectable on headphones, as Lewis restates the theme, slightly twisting it, 'til Pirog chops a few chords and twangbar comments---then back into the hunkered-down caveman groove, while brave target Lewis sails overhead: so it's like Neil Young and Crazy Horse backing jazzman, and not a progfuse jazzman.
Thread-relevant only if you've been wondering what Canty and Lally have been up to lately.

Although any good track is relevant to any thread on ILM.

Saw JBL & The Messthetics at Le Poisson Rouge the other night. Closest I'll ever get to seeing Fugazi. A great rhythm section, super tight with JBL and Pirog. I've not always been into Pirog's playing, but he was fantastic live - he reins it in little on the album, but was blazing here.

That’s good. Although the short IG video clip of Jbl & messthetics there in an IG story I saw , his “blazing “ was too busy and math rock meets jazzy prog rock for me.

Honestly, when I saw the show is was kind of like when I saw a Trey Anastasio solo band show. I liked the band, more than I expected (because I don't like Phish), but every time I started kinda enjoying myself he would come back in and my engagement would just fade. Messthetics wasn't quite like that, but Canty/Lally are such a great team, and while he wasn't bad, he still detracted/distracted from them. Or maybe I was just primed to hear Guy and Ian's playing. Probably, lol.

Well we will see if Pirog can restrain his excesses on that upcoming JBL & Messthetics album on Impulse.

Ian isn’t in any active group now, and I don’t think Guy is either.

When I saw the MC50 thing Wayne Kramer's MC5 tribute/reunion thing it had Canty on drums & Billy Gould of FNM on bass and while I didn't always love the show I did come away thinking I would watch any band with Canty playing drums.

Is Coriky no longer a thing? Guy seems more into producing lately.

fwiw Ian is 62 years old and Guy isn't that far behind. So I wouldn't really expect either to still be in active bands if they have absolutely anything else going on in their lives that does not require them to go on tour.

The impression I get from Mackaye's interviews and podcast appearances is that he's kept busy these days curating and preserving not only Dischord's legacy and archive but some of the wider punk/hardcore culture, collecting fanzines/letters/photos and ephemera.

nice, good for him

the short IG video clip of Jbl & messthetics there in an IG story I saw , his “blazing “ was too busy and math rock meets jazzy prog rock for me.

Although, in the DC axis context, if he wanted to take these Fugazi guys in a Don Callero and/or early Battles direction, that would be okay too, I would hope (I like all three of those bands, however you tag them).

listen with juice, not prejudice.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2Lx9F_t_rk/?igsh=dzc1d3R6a3R2dWEx

Eww

guy played instruments on the new jim white solo album so he's still playing

pirog with short hair still flummoxes me

The impression I get from Mackaye's interviews and podcast appearances is that he's kept busy these days curating and preserving not only Dischord's legacy and archive but some of the wider punk/hardcore culture, collecting fanzines/letters/photos and ephemera.

Yes to this. I found some old Minor Threat photos my brother took (plus some negatives of other bands he took pics of back then - DC band Doulbe O, Cramps , others) at our late parents home cleaning up , and my brother and I visited the Dischord house and warehouse and Ian as he is going to digitize them and such. He says he still plays guitar everyday but has put Coriky on hold. He has so much stuff archived -- both physical items, diaries from tours, tapes in multiple formats of practices and gigs.

that insta clip sounded like something that SST would've put out in 1989 (i didn't hate it)

lololol I can't deny that

it's not really for me

I feel like Ian would have good tips for the digital music collection thread.
But maybe it would be vice versa?

"What if Alan Holdsworth joined Saccharine Trust?"

Folk-artist and performer Lonnie Holley will be backed by Lee Bains, Joe Lally, and Brendan Canty at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage tonight from 6 to 7 pm Eastern US time. The show is free but ticketed. It will also be streamed on the Millennium Stage Youtube & Facebook page

https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/millennium-stage/2024/february/lonnie-holley/

Alabaman guitarist and backing vocalist Lee Bains is kinda prominent there behind Holley, but Lally and Canty are of course there and sound strong.

Canty has been filling in Hammered Hulls on bass , and has a gig coming up with Johnny Temple ( Girls against Boys, new wet kojak)

what a fucking band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Gy7TAkQW8

Yep. Old guy me was at that Washington Monument show . Well, I was around Ian’s age then .

It's been eight years since they were mentioned and the link's dead so a re-up for the immense Torso Butter by Happy Go Licky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVaoEbFBTBc

Thanks. You can hear what Guy and Brendan later brought to Fugazi. I was a big fan of Eddie Janney in this group and Rites of Spring.