Fugazi : Classic or Dud ?

_margin walker_ and _steady diet of nothing_ are damn fine records. distinctive sound with those crisp trebly guitars going from slashing chords to efficient but original noise, raging vocals, and icily precise rhythm section. diverse and emotional too. _steady diet_ manages to be remote, alienated, raw, and anthemic. i'm pretty sure i commented on _margin walker_ in the ep's thread. probably still my favourite fugazi. punk's energy with an undercurrent of doubt.

the other two i have are _red medicine_ and _end hits_. i'm not quite so unequivocal about these. "do you like me?," the 2nd song on _rm_, "by you," and "long distance runner" are all top-notch tracks. in fact, the noise that opens the record is almost worth the price of the record. "do you like me?" is one fugazi song with great lyrics: "your eyes like crashing jets/fixed in stained glass but not religious/you should pay rent in my mind" screamed over those blazing guitars is a great rock moment. too much of the rest of the album tends to get bogged down and noodly, which problem afflicts _end hits_ as a whole. they still have something to say but there's too much dressing to cut through. "foreman's dog" is a great track on _eh_ though.

overall, i don't listen enough to rate them as a total classic overall (as i'd do with joy division, say) but they have a unique sound that no one else does, a substantial body of diverse work, and a solid live show.

Perhaps all the more amusing in context was the identity of the first band on the bill. The Offspring.

My favorite Fugazi story is when Ian stopped a show to address some guy who kept screaming for them to play Minor Threat songs.

Fugazi's band sound and the way all the pieces interlock is what makes it work, more so than "songwriting" per say. How the voices, two guitars, and bass interact with the metronomic drums is to me the best thing. This being said, there is somewhat a similarity to much of their music.

My favorite album is "Steady Diet of Nothing", mostly because the pace is slowed up a bit more and the songs get more abstract. The first two and "In On the Kill Taker" are all filled with groovy punk. "End Hits", "Red Medicine" and "Instrument" are more spotty, but there are some cool parts on each.

The latest album "The Arguement" is probably the most varied thing they have done and is becoming a favorite of mine.

As for the politics of the lyrics and D.I.Y. attitude, it may add to the mythology, but the music is good enough on it's own for me.

They're amazing live as well--the segues from song to song are incredible. When I saw them in April of this year they went right into "Blueprint" from "Sweet And Low." It was great.

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.

Tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis's Eye of I, my most played album of current days, ends with this track feat. The Mezzthetics, who are Lally and Canty and guitarist Anthony Pirog---goes pretty well with the other tracks---then the guitar comes in:
https://jamesbrandonlewis.bandcamp.com/track/fear-not-feat-the-messthetics-2

No Mezz albs posted on Bandcamp since 2019, but a couple of those, and some upcoming shows:

Brendan Canty and Joe Lally were the rhythm section of the band Fugazi from its inception in 1987 to its period of hiatus in 2002. This is the first band they’ve had together since then. Anthony Pirog is a jazz and experimental guitarist based in Washington, D.C. One half of the duo Janel & Anthony, he has emerged as a primary figure in the city’s out-music community.

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.

I’m sure it’s nothing, but the official Locrian band twitter account posted, then quickly deleted, a tweet that essentially said, “I was watching this old video of Ire opening for Fugazi and remembered there’s a new Fugazi album coming. Stoked.”

Disappeared when I went back to screencap it.

https://i.ibb.co/j8fz6jy/IMG-5431.jpg

what, no way

Nope

Also, this other Fugazi thread has been used lately too.

Fugazi: C or D?

Now this Fugazi doc is getting more screenings

https://cinemadfilm.com/project/we-are-fugazi/

no fucking way

reunion/new album i mean

like I said, I'm sure it's nothing and I wouldn't have bothered posting it if it had come from most other places.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WRVnR3wEWY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R94Otr-jZ1w

Now that Messthetics have finished 2024 US and Europe tours I see that Joe Lally is posting on his Instagram and Facebook that he is giving bass lessons through the holidays. I know he was doing them by zoom I think during the pandemic. So that may be still how he is doing them now or is an option.

Cool!

Liked that Canty mini doc. (Someone should make a second documentary just about his bell.) Neat to learn (at least I think it's news to me) how much he contributed bass and guitar ideas, too. The Bill Berry stealth method.

He wrote Arpeggiator!

That Canty mini-doc is good and yes to another one on his bell

Canty doc is great - i've never spent time investing into the reasoning of their hiatus but life outside the band doesn't really surprise me.

Kurt Sayenga who did a late 80s early 90s zine in DC called Greed has been putting interviews from then on his substack. He also just posted a Joe Lally interview from back then tht he never put in Greed. It looks like only some of the interview is available on the link for free (you may have to get a subscription to read it all)

https://substack.com/@greedzine/note/p-150000215?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=2ck8a