Fugazi (band)

After the collapse of Minor Threat , a pioneering hardcore band, singing guitarist Ian Mackay (also a member of Teen Idles, Egg Hunt and Embrace) decided that his task was to create something “similar to Stooges - but with reggae ” ^[10] . He invited drummer Colin Sears and bassist Joe Lally to participate, and three musicians began rehearsing in September 1984. A few months later, Siers was replaced by Brendan Canty, who had previously played in the Rites of Spring . Once a former colleague Guy Picciotto ( English Guy Picciotto ) looked at a rehearsal - but (to his own disappointment), he did not receive an invitation to join.

The band gave their first concert in September 1987 at the Wilson Center - under the name Fugazi: Ian Mackay shortly before read Mark Baker’s book “Nam,” a collection of memoirs of Vietnam War veterans, from which came the name. Soon, Fugazi began to invite Picciotto to rehearsals regularly: after the collapse of Happy Go Licky, he became a regular member of the group.

Fugazi went on their first tour in January 1988 , and in June with producer Ted Niesley recorded the debut Fugazi EP , which was released by the end of the year. As the press noted, Mackay and Picciotto “... instead of raw emotion, they offered an introspective, almost poetic look“ on things> using abstractions ”(in particular, in“ Bulldog Front ”and“ Give Me the Cure ”). It was also noted that both authors "... complement each other perfectly: it is their combined talent that gives the quartet its exceptional strength." ^[9]

The record (marked with a “crunchy” sound) in many respects continued that McKay started in Embrace: “medium-tempo punk songs were ... aggressive, dynamic and understandable” ⁽⁹⁾ by Trouser Press reviewers ^[9] . The most famous of them was subsequently the “Suggestion” (unusual in that Mackay narrated in her on behalf of a woman). ^[7]

During the ensuing European tour, the quartet prepared the material for their debut album, but the recordings were deemed unsatisfactory and formed only in the second EP, Margin Walker . Pichcotto, who previously served as the second vocalist, picked up the guitar and the group first demonstrated its unique style, which, unlike the band’s early experiments in hardcore, “... was marked by Mackay’s guitar melody, powerful rhythm, but at the same time flexible rhythm -sections, sharp lyrics and finely arranged roll calls of the vocalists tandem ” ^[9] . Both EPs were then combined into a collection of 13 Songs .

The debut album Repeater was released in January 1990 , provided the group with the foundation of its touring repertoire, was “a fundamental piece for the entire post-hardcore” (Trouser Press) ^[9] and (according to Allmusic) was later recognized as a classic. ^[7] As the only drawback of the album, critics pointed to the excessive straightforwardness of the lyrics in their opinion ("... too often, the author's duet ... points a finger at Joe-Normal guy" ^[9] ).

The group spent a year on continuous touring, after which by the summer of 1991 the album sold over 100,000 copies, which is especially surprising when you consider that the Dischord Records label relied on an “oral” version of the promotional work. Fugazi rejected numerous “major” offers.

Nisley, who was invited to work on the second album, was forced to refuse to participate (since he had just started working as a chef). Steady Diet of Nothing (1991) the band recorded with their own efforts. The album, marked by thematic diversity and more inventive arrangements, revealed a counterpoint between "... razor-sharp rage and methodical sequence, when one hand firmly pulls up, the other delivers a vicious blow" ^[9] , finally dispelling the doubts of critics, some of whom still considered the group "The horse of one trick" ^[7] .

Two years passed before Fugazi - with producer Steve Albini , in Chicago - recorded their third album In on the Kill Taker (1993); the results were considered unsatisfactory, the material would have been rewritten with Ted Nysley, but still, according to many critics, he retained his “black and white” quality, remaining in the history of the group as the sharpest, dissonant and aggressive work. The album’s songs (according to some reviewers) turned out to be “constructed without the same thoroughness”, the group “did not bother with the thought of how best to present them” and, in general, noise excessiveness somewhat reduced the overall effect ^[9] . However, by that time the alternative rock boom had already begun and In on the Kill Taker first put Fugazi on the Billboard 200 .

The album Red Medicine (1995) turned out to be generally more experimental than the previous ones: reviewers noted “the group’s desperate attempt to free itself from the framework of song forms”: elements of specific music (“Do You Like Me”), sound effects (“Birthday Pony” appeared in the group’s music "), In" Version "the saxophone sounded. Of the texts, “Target” was especially noted, in which the authors chose as their target a new generation of “rock millionaires” hunting for the “hearts” of teenagers ^[9] .

By the time the record was released, Fugazi had already noticeably reduced the scope of their touring activities, in many cases due to their employment - professional and personal. A part of the negative role was played by the fact that as the influence expanded, the group attracted more and more people unfamiliar with its principles and ethics to its concerts. Mackay (in particular, who did not recognize the mosh ) often stopped concerts in order to return the money to the most aggressive spectators and send them out of the hall ^[7] .

The album End Hits already with its title alone terrified the fans who decided that Fugazi thus announced the “beginning of the end”. But the group, as it turned out, merely declared in this way the abandonment of the previous method of work. As reviewers noted, Fugazi is here to move along the evolutionary path that was laid out in Red Medicine , "except with more focus and less reliance on the punk sound of his own invention." ^[9] Among the songs typical of the group, critics noted Five Corporations; otherwise, Fugazi moved away from the traditional post-hardcore, and at times began to show unexpected restraint (“Close Captioned”). Having completely abandoned hard punk sound, Fugazi created an album of musically diverse, skillfully written songs that continue the path of evolution and change ^[9] .

In 1999, a film about Fugazi called "Instrument" was released, directed by Jem Cohen . The soundtrack for it was composed mainly of demo material prepared for the End Hits album and instrumental compositions; several songs were performed in unexpected tempo and structural patterns. (“Slo Crostic” - a braked version of “Caustic Acrostic”, “Pink Frosty” - an accelerated and more clearly recorded version of the album track). ^[9]

The Argument (2001) was first recorded with the active participation of invited experts, in particular, sound engineer Jerry Bushehr, who performed additional parts of percussion in most of the songs on the album. ^[7] In “Cashout”, for the first time, strings sounded, in “Life and Limb” - female backing vocals. Along with the album, Furniture EP came out with three tracks, one of which is a concert one. ^[9]

The events of September 11, 2001, apparently, in many respects predetermined the further fate of the group. As noted in the Riverfront Times' review of The Argument , “Fugazi have criticized America since its inception. They are terribly angry - at big business, a society of wild consumption, the opportunity for a village idiot to become king ... Many of their ideas turned out to be illegal after September 11th. ” ^[eleven]

“My mission is never to agree,” these words of Mackay from The Argument track, according to the reviewer, can largely serve as an epigraph to all of Fugazi's work. In 2002, without officially breaking up, Fugazi decided to "take a vacation." However, it was noted that this was partly due to the fact that bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty started families.

Mackay has been performing in The Evens duet since 2004 (with Amy Farina, ex-Warmers), preferring small clubs. In 2004, as a producer, he recorded the DC EP for Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frushante . Second drummer Jerry Bushehr also took part here.

Canty was busy writing soundtracks, and also played bass in the Garland of Hours trio, along with Jerry Busher and Amy Dominguez. He took part in the creation of Bob Mold 's album “Body of Song”, took part in concert performances of Mary Timoni and the release of the Burn to Shine (Trixie) DVD-series. Canty recorded on Decahedron 's debut album, "Disconnection Imminent." Joe Lelli released a solo album, "There to Here," and also participated in a project by Frushante and Josh Klinghoffer (from The Bicycle Thief ) called Ataxia . He performs solo and with producer Don Zientara. Piccotto works mainly as a producer (in particular, with Blonde Redhead and The Blood Brothers ).

In October 2007, the Baltimore Sun newspaper reported on the death of Ian Mackay (duplicated on Wikipedia), but it turned out to be false and was refuted, in particular, by the NME ^[12] .

As noted in the biography of the Allmusic group, Fugazi remained in history not only thanks to social activities, social campaigns, low-budget releases and “ridiculous folklore” that has developed around their lifestyle, but primarily because they “reached a high level of artistic splendor”, to which "many strive for, but which few reach." ^[7] For many (noted there), “Fugazi meant no less than Bob Dylan meant to their parents.” Most importantly, "Fugazi was an inspiration, demonstrating how art can prevail over commerce." ^[7]

Few groups are able to take a principled stand in the music business and still create music for quite some time, but that’s what Fugazi has done for more than a decade. The creators of pure, super-intense punk rock, the cleverness of the clever and high-quality in terms of art, they did not succumb to either the thrust of commercialization or the internal frictions that usually arise in such highly conscious organizations ^[9] . - Trouser Press. Fugazi

Original text

The ability to maintain a principled posture toward the business of making music for any appreciable length of time, however, presents a challenge that few bands have ever proven equal to. Yet those are the shoes in which Fugazi has stood now for more than a decade, producing pure, high-intensity punk rock of rare intelligence and artistry without any concession to the tug of commercialism or the internal tensions that usually cause such high-minded organizations to implode. Staunch and vocal opponents of senseless violence, exploitation, alienation, stardom and conformity, the modest but explosive Fugazi is a knuckle sandwich made with nine-grain bread, building strong minds and bodies with rattling guitar power. The quartet's achievement is a marvel to behold - and even better to hear.

Studio albums

• 1990 - Repeater
• 1991 - Steady Diet of Nothing
• 1993 - In on the Kill Taker
• 1995 - Red Medicine
• 1998 - End Hits
• 2001 - The Argument

Live albums

• 2004 - 2005 - Fugazi Live Series

Compilations / Soundtracks

• 1989 - 13 Songs
• 1999 - Instrument Soundtrack

Video

• 1999 - Instrument

• Fugazi at www.dischord.com
• www.s Southern.com (unavailable link from 11/08/2013 [2220 days] - history , copy )
• Dischord records
• Mackay Interview for The Land Salmon
• Mackay Interview Jaimeville.com
• Loserdom: interview with Lally