Minor Threat
Encyclopedia
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk
band formed in Washington, D.C.
in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" (DIY) ethic for music distribution and concert promotion. Minor Threat's song "Straight Edge
" became the eventual basis of the straight edge
movement, while the band often professed their own "straight edge" ideals. Allmusic described Minor Threat's music as "iconic," and noted that their groundbreaking music "has held up better than [that of] most of their contemporaries."
Along with the fellow Washington, D.C. hardcore band Bad Brains
and California band Black Flag
, Minor Threat set the standard for many hardcore punk bands in the 1980s and 1990s. All of Minor Threat's records were released on Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson's own label, Dischord Records
.
and Jeff Nelson
were in the Washington, D.C., punk
band The Slinkees, which was soon renamed The Teen Idles
. After that band broke up, MacKaye decided to switch from bass guitar
to vocals, and organized Minor Threat with drummer Nelson, bassist Brian Baker
, and guitarist Lyle Preslar
. Minor Threat's first performance was in December 1980, opening on a bill with Bad Brains
, Phfat Raskals, and S.O.A.
The band's first 7" EPs, Minor Threat and In My Eyes, were released in 1981. The group became popular regionally and toured the east coast and Midwest.
"Straight Edge
," a song from the band's first EP, helped to inspire the straight edge movement
. The lyrics of the song call for abstinence from alcohol
and other drugs
, a novel ideology for rock musicians which initially found a small but dedicated following. Other prominent groups that subsequently advocated the straight edge stance include SS Decontrol and 7 Seconds.
Another Minor Threat song from the second EP, Out of Step, further demonstrates the belief: "Don't smoke/Don't drink/Don't fuck/At least I can fucking think/I can't keep up/I'm out of step with the world."
The "I" in the lyrics was usually only implied, mainly because it did not quite fit the rhythm of the song, like the version on First Two 7"s on a 12". The version on Out Of Step is slower, allotting a bridge where MacKaye explains his philosophy of straight edge, explaining that straight edge "is not a set of rules; I'm not telling you what to do. All I'm saying is there are three things, that are like so important to the whole world that I don't happen to find much importance in, whether it's fucking, or whether it's playing golf, because of that, I feel... (chorus)". Some of the other members of Minor Threat, Jeff Nelson in particular, took exception to what they saw as MacKaye's imperious attitude on the song.
Minor Threat's song "Guilty of Being White" led to some accusations of racism
, but MacKaye has strongly denied such intentions and said that some listeners misinterpreted his words. He claims that his experiences attending Wilson High School, whose student population was 70 percent black, inspired the song. There, many students bullied MacKaye and his friends. Thrash metal band Slayer
later covered
the song, with the last iteration of the lyric "Guilty of being white" changed to "Guilty of being right." In an interview, MacKaye stated that he was offended that some perceived racist overtones in the lyrics, saying, "To me, at the time and now, it seemed clear it's an anti-racist song. Of course, it didn't occur to me at the time I wrote it that anybody outside of my twenty or thirty friends who I was singing to would ever have to actually ponder the lyrics or even consider them."
, Preslar was a member of Big Black
for a few tempestuous rehearsals. During that period, MacKaye and Nelson put together a studio-only project called Skewbald/Grand Union; in a reflection of the slowly increasing disagreements between the two musicians, they were unable to decide on one name. The group recorded three untitled songs, which would be released posthumously as Dischord's 50th release. During Minor Threat's inactive period, Brian Baker also briefly played guitar for Government Issue
and appeared on the Make An Effort EP.
In March 1982, at the urging of Bad Brains' H.R.
, Preslar left college to re-form Minor Threat. Shortly afterwards, the cuts Minor Threat and In My Eyes were rereleased as First Two 7"s on a 12". The reunited band featured an expanded lineup: Steve Hansgen
joined as the band's bassist and Baker switched to second guitar.
When "Out of Step" was rerecorded for the LP Out of Step, MacKaye inserted a spoken section explaining, "This is not a set of rules..." An ideological door had already been opened, however, and by 1982, some straight-edge punks, such as followers of the band SS Decontrol
, were swatting beers out of people's hands at clubs. Minor Threat, however, did not promote such overt behavior.
EP in the studio. That was quite a contrast with the earlier recordings, as he had written and co-written the music for much of the band's early material. Minor Threat, which had returned to being a four-piece group with the departure of Hansgen, played its last show on September 23, 1983, with go-go band Trouble Funk
and the Big Boys, ending with "Last Song", which was the original title of "Salad Days".
Alternatively, MacKaye
stated that he did not "check out" on hardcore
, but in fact hardcore "checked out". Explaining this, he stated that at a 1984 Minutemen
show, a fan struck MacKaye
's younger brother Alec
in the face, and he punched the fan back, then realizing that the violence was "stupid", and that he saw his role in the stupidity. MacKaye
claimed that immediately after this he decided to leave the hardcore scene.
went on to found Embrace
with former members of the Faith, the obscure Egg Hunt with Jeff Nelson and later Fugazi
and the Evens
, as well as collaborating on Pailhead
.
Brian Baker
went on to play in Junkyard
, The Meatmen
, Dag Nasty
and Government Issue
. He currently plays in Bad Religion
.
Lyle Preslar
was briefly a member of Glenn Danzig
's Samhain
, and his playing appears on a few songs on the band's first record. He joined The Meatmen
in 1984, along with fellow Minor Threat member Brian Baker. He later ran Caroline Records
, signing and working with (among others) Peter Gabriel
, Ben Folds
, Chemical Brothers, and Idaho
, and ran marketing for Sire Records
. He graduated from Rutgers University law school and lives in New Jersey.
Jeff Nelson
played less-frantic alternative rock with Three
and The High-Back Chairs before retiring from live performance. He runs his own label, Adult Swim Records, distributed by Dischord, and is a graphic artist and a political activist in Toledo, Ohio
. The band's own Dischord Records released material by many bands from the Washington, D.C., area, such as Government Issue
, Void
, Scream
, Fugazi
, Artificial Peace, Rites of Spring
, Gray Matter
, and Dag Nasty
, and has become a respected independent record label.
Steve Hansgen
formed Second Wind with Minor Threat roadie Rich Moore. He also worked with Tool
in 1992 on the production of their first EP, Opiate.
CD) was copied by athletic footwear manufacturer Nike
for use on a promotional poster for a skateboarding tour called "Major Threat". Nike also altered Minor Threat's logo (designed by Jeff Nelson) for the same campaign, as well as featuring Nike shoes in the new picture, rather than the combat boots worn by Ian MacKaye's younger brother Alec
on the original.
MacKaye issued a press statement condemning Nike's actions and said that he would discuss legal options with the other members of the band. Meanwhile, fans, at the encouragement of Dischord, organized a letter-writing campaign protesting Nike's infringement. On June 27, 2005, Nike issued a statement apologizing to Minor Threat, Dischord Records, and their fans for the "Major Threat" campaign and said that all promotional artwork (print and digital) that they could acquire were destroyed.
played the first few seconds of Minor Threat's "Salad Days" during an NFL broadcast. Use of the song was not cleared by Dischord Records
or any of the members of Minor Threat. Fox claimed that the clip was too short to have violated any copyrights.
A small mention of this was made in music magazine Revolver
, where MacKaye commented "I don't really like hot sauce but I like the Minor Threat stuff".
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band formed in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" (DIY) ethic for music distribution and concert promotion. Minor Threat's song "Straight Edge
Straight Edge (song)
"Straight Edge" is a track from Minor Threat's first EP, Minor Threat EP, later reissued both as part of the collection First Two 7"s on a 12", then as part of 1989's Complete Discography...
" became the eventual basis of the straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
movement, while the band often professed their own "straight edge" ideals. Allmusic described Minor Threat's music as "iconic," and noted that their groundbreaking music "has held up better than [that of] most of their contemporaries."
Along with the fellow Washington, D.C. hardcore band Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
and California band Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
, Minor Threat set the standard for many hardcore punk bands in the 1980s and 1990s. All of Minor Threat's records were released on Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson's own label, Dischord Records
Dischord Records
Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
.
Early years
While attending Wilson High School, Ian MacKayeIan MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
and Jeff Nelson
Jeff Nelson (musician)
Jeff Nelson is best known as the drummer for the hardcore punk rock band Minor Threat. He and friend Ian MacKaye formed their first band, The Slinkees, in 1979. Their next band was The Teen Idles. Nelson and MacKaye founded Dischord Records in 1980, whose first record was the Teen Idles. They...
were in the Washington, D.C., punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The Slinkees, which was soon renamed The Teen Idles
The Teen Idles
The Teen Idles were an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in August 1979. Teenagers Nathan Strejcek, Geordie Grindle, Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson were the band's continual members. Their recorded output consists of two demo sessions and one EP—1980's Minor Disturbance—released...
. After that band broke up, MacKaye decided to switch from bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
to vocals, and organized Minor Threat with drummer Nelson, bassist Brian Baker
Brian Baker (musician)
Brian Baker is an American punk rock musician. He is best known as one of the founding members of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat, and as a guitarist in Bad Religion since 1994 alongside Greg Hetson...
, and guitarist Lyle Preslar
Lyle Preslar
Lyle Preslar is an American musician best known for being a guitar player and song writer for the hardcore punk band Minor Threat. Before that, he was the vocalist for The Extorts....
. Minor Threat's first performance was in December 1980, opening on a bill with Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
, Phfat Raskals, and S.O.A.
State of Alert
State of Alert was an American hardcore punk group formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980, and disbanded in 1981.-History:State of Alert were fronted by Henry Garfield, who would later rise to fame as Henry Rollins. They formed in October 1980 and disbanded in July 1981...
The band's first 7" EPs, Minor Threat and In My Eyes, were released in 1981. The group became popular regionally and toured the east coast and Midwest.
"Straight Edge
Straight Edge (song)
"Straight Edge" is a track from Minor Threat's first EP, Minor Threat EP, later reissued both as part of the collection First Two 7"s on a 12", then as part of 1989's Complete Discography...
," a song from the band's first EP, helped to inspire the straight edge movement
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
. The lyrics of the song call for abstinence from alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
and other drugs
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
, a novel ideology for rock musicians which initially found a small but dedicated following. Other prominent groups that subsequently advocated the straight edge stance include SS Decontrol and 7 Seconds.
Another Minor Threat song from the second EP, Out of Step, further demonstrates the belief: "Don't smoke/Don't drink/Don't fuck/At least I can fucking think/I can't keep up/I'm out of step with the world."
The "I" in the lyrics was usually only implied, mainly because it did not quite fit the rhythm of the song, like the version on First Two 7"s on a 12". The version on Out Of Step is slower, allotting a bridge where MacKaye explains his philosophy of straight edge, explaining that straight edge "is not a set of rules; I'm not telling you what to do. All I'm saying is there are three things, that are like so important to the whole world that I don't happen to find much importance in, whether it's fucking, or whether it's playing golf, because of that, I feel... (chorus)". Some of the other members of Minor Threat, Jeff Nelson in particular, took exception to what they saw as MacKaye's imperious attitude on the song.
Minor Threat's song "Guilty of Being White" led to some accusations of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, but MacKaye has strongly denied such intentions and said that some listeners misinterpreted his words. He claims that his experiences attending Wilson High School, whose student population was 70 percent black, inspired the song. There, many students bullied MacKaye and his friends. Thrash metal band Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
later covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
the song, with the last iteration of the lyric "Guilty of being white" changed to "Guilty of being right." In an interview, MacKaye stated that he was offended that some perceived racist overtones in the lyrics, saying, "To me, at the time and now, it seemed clear it's an anti-racist song. Of course, it didn't occur to me at the time I wrote it that anybody outside of my twenty or thirty friends who I was singing to would ever have to actually ponder the lyrics or even consider them."
Hiatus
In the time between the release of the band's second seven-inch EP and the Out of Step record, the band briefly split when guitarist Lyle Preslar moved to Illinois for college – during his semester at Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, Preslar was a member of Big Black
Big Black
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun...
for a few tempestuous rehearsals. During that period, MacKaye and Nelson put together a studio-only project called Skewbald/Grand Union; in a reflection of the slowly increasing disagreements between the two musicians, they were unable to decide on one name. The group recorded three untitled songs, which would be released posthumously as Dischord's 50th release. During Minor Threat's inactive period, Brian Baker also briefly played guitar for Government Issue
Government Issue
Government Issue was an American hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. active from 1980 to 1989. The band experienced many changes in membership during its nine-year existence, with singer John Stabb as the only consistent member in an ever-fluctuating lineup that at various times included...
and appeared on the Make An Effort EP.
In March 1982, at the urging of Bad Brains' H.R.
H.R.
H.R. is the stage name of Paul D. Hudson, the lead singer of the hardcore punk band Bad Brains. His vocals can be quite diverse, ranging from a rapid-fire nasal whine, to feral growling and screeches, to smooth near-crooning or staccato reggae rhymes...
, Preslar left college to re-form Minor Threat. Shortly afterwards, the cuts Minor Threat and In My Eyes were rereleased as First Two 7"s on a 12". The reunited band featured an expanded lineup: Steve Hansgen
Steve Hansgen
Steve Hansgen was a bass player in the hardcore band Minor Threat, joining them in the fall of 1982 to allow bassist Brian Baker to switch over to second guitar....
joined as the band's bassist and Baker switched to second guitar.
When "Out of Step" was rerecorded for the LP Out of Step, MacKaye inserted a spoken section explaining, "This is not a set of rules..." An ideological door had already been opened, however, and by 1982, some straight-edge punks, such as followers of the band SS Decontrol
SSD (band)
SSD were a straight edge hardcore band from Boston. They released two records as SS Decontrol and then formally changed their name to SSD. As SSD they released two more records, these with a very heavy metal influenced sound...
, were swatting beers out of people's hands at clubs. Minor Threat, however, did not promote such overt behavior.
Breakup
Minor Threat broke up in 1983. A contributing factor was disagreement over musical direction. MacKaye was allegedly skipping practice sessions towards the end of the band's career, and he wrote the lyrics to the songs on the Salad DaysSalad Days (Minor Threat EP)
Salad Days was the last 7" EP that highly influential American hardcore punk band Minor Threat released in 1985 after the band's breakup. The EP differs somewhat from the band's previous material. All songs are slower, making a slight departure from the group's hardcore punk style...
EP in the studio. That was quite a contrast with the earlier recordings, as he had written and co-written the music for much of the band's early material. Minor Threat, which had returned to being a four-piece group with the departure of Hansgen, played its last show on September 23, 1983, with go-go band Trouble Funk
Trouble Funk
Trouble Funk is an American R&B and funk band from Washington, DC. It helped to popularize that area's local funk subgenre known as go-go. Among the band's well-known songs are the go-go anthem "Hey, Fellas." They released several studio albums including Drop the Bomb, In Times of Trouble, Live,...
and the Big Boys, ending with "Last Song", which was the original title of "Salad Days".
Alternatively, MacKaye
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
stated that he did not "check out" on hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
, but in fact hardcore "checked out". Explaining this, he stated that at a 1984 Minutemen
Minutemen (band)
Minutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in December 1985...
show, a fan struck MacKaye
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
's younger brother Alec
Alec MacKaye
Alec MacKaye is an American singer and musician best known as a member of the Washington, DC Hardcore bands Untouchables, The Faith, and Ignition. In the mid-1990s Alec joined the band The Warmers as a vocalist and guitarist. Their album 14 Songs was released in 1996 by Dischord Records. The...
in the face, and he punched the fan back, then realizing that the violence was "stupid", and that he saw his role in the stupidity. MacKaye
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
claimed that immediately after this he decided to leave the hardcore scene.
Subsequent activities
MacKayeIan MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
went on to found Embrace
Embrace (U.S. band)
Embrace was a short-lived post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C., which lasted from the summer of 1985 to the spring of 1986 and was one of the first bands to be dubbed in the press as emotional hardcore, though the members had rejected the term since its creation...
with former members of the Faith, the obscure Egg Hunt with Jeff Nelson and later Fugazi
Fugazi (band)
Fugazi is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C. in 1987. The band's continual members are guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty....
and the Evens
The Evens
The Evens are a Washington, D.C. indie-rock duo, formed in the fall of 2001, comprising partners Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina...
, as well as collaborating on Pailhead
Pailhead
Pailhead was a short-lived side project of the industrial metal band Ministry, which featured Ian MacKaye on vocals...
.
Brian Baker
Brian Baker (musician)
Brian Baker is an American punk rock musician. He is best known as one of the founding members of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat, and as a guitarist in Bad Religion since 1994 alongside Greg Hetson...
went on to play in Junkyard
Junkyard (band)
Junkyard is a hard rock/sleaze rock band formed in 1987 in Los Angeles, with members formerly in Minor Threat, The Necros, and Dag Nasty. The band has often drawn comparisons with Guns N' Roses .-History:...
, The Meatmen
The Meatmen
The Meatmen are an American punk band headed by Tesco Vee originally from 1980 to 1997, and reformed in 2008. They are currently still touring and recording.The Meatmen made fun of the hardcore punk scene of the time...
, Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty was a Washington D.C. punk band formed in 1985 by guitarist Brian Baker of Minor Threat, drummer Colin Sears and bassist Roger Marbury, both of Bloody Mannequin Orchestra, and vocalist Shawn Brown...
and Government Issue
Government Issue
Government Issue was an American hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. active from 1980 to 1989. The band experienced many changes in membership during its nine-year existence, with singer John Stabb as the only consistent member in an ever-fluctuating lineup that at various times included...
. He currently plays in Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
.
Lyle Preslar
Lyle Preslar
Lyle Preslar is an American musician best known for being a guitar player and song writer for the hardcore punk band Minor Threat. Before that, he was the vocalist for The Extorts....
was briefly a member of Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
's Samhain
Samhain (band)
Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from the Misfits. Samhain played in more of a deathrock and heavy metal-infused style of horror punk than Danzig's previous band. By 1987 Samhain's membership evolved into a new band,...
, and his playing appears on a few songs on the band's first record. He joined The Meatmen
The Meatmen
The Meatmen are an American punk band headed by Tesco Vee originally from 1980 to 1997, and reformed in 2008. They are currently still touring and recording.The Meatmen made fun of the hardcore punk scene of the time...
in 1984, along with fellow Minor Threat member Brian Baker. He later ran Caroline Records
Caroline Records
Caroline Records started out as a subsidiary of Richard Branson's Virgin Records label during the early to mid 1970s. The label originally specialized in putting out budget price LPs by mainly progressive rock and jazz artists generally not considered to have a great deal of 'mainstream' or...
, signing and working with (among others) Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
, Chemical Brothers, and Idaho
Idaho (band)
Idaho is a rock band formed in 1992 in Los Angeles, California, founded as a duo by high school friends Jeff Martin and John K. Berry. They were signed to Caroline Records in December 1992 by Brian Long, then released the The Palms EP and Year After Year full-length in 1993...
, and ran marketing for Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
. He graduated from Rutgers University law school and lives in New Jersey.
Jeff Nelson
Jeff Nelson (musician)
Jeff Nelson is best known as the drummer for the hardcore punk rock band Minor Threat. He and friend Ian MacKaye formed their first band, The Slinkees, in 1979. Their next band was The Teen Idles. Nelson and MacKaye founded Dischord Records in 1980, whose first record was the Teen Idles. They...
played less-frantic alternative rock with Three
Three (band)
Three was a post-hardcore band signed to Dischord Records.Originally composed of Ian Mackaye and Jeff Nelson along with Geoff Turner and Steve Niles of the band Gray Matter, Mackaye left the band quickly and was replaced by Mark Haggerty, also from Gray Matter. They formed in summer 1986 and broke...
and The High-Back Chairs before retiring from live performance. He runs his own label, Adult Swim Records, distributed by Dischord, and is a graphic artist and a political activist in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. The band's own Dischord Records released material by many bands from the Washington, D.C., area, such as Government Issue
Government Issue
Government Issue was an American hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. active from 1980 to 1989. The band experienced many changes in membership during its nine-year existence, with singer John Stabb as the only consistent member in an ever-fluctuating lineup that at various times included...
, Void
Void (band)
Void was a Washington D.C.-based hardcore punk/crossover thrash band. They were one of the first hardcore outfits to fuse hardcore and some heavy metal in a way most hardcore and metal fans could accept, paving the way for bands such as The Melvins. They were one of the first local bands popular in...
, Scream
Scream (band)
Scream is a hardcore punk band from Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia active from 1981 to 1990. As of 2009, the band has reunited to play several shows.-Biography:...
, Fugazi
Fugazi (band)
Fugazi is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C. in 1987. The band's continual members are guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty....
, Artificial Peace, Rites of Spring
Rites of Spring
Rites of Spring was an American post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C. in the mid-1980s, known for their energetic live performances. A part of the D.C. hardcore punk scene, Rites of Spring increased the frenetic violence and visceral passion of hardcore while simultaneously experimenting with...
, Gray Matter
Gray Matter (band)
Gray Matter was a post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C., who played in the 1980s and '90s. They disbanded in 1986, but reformed in 1990.On September 12, 2008, the band reformed for a one off reunion show to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Black Cat, a night club in Washington DC,...
, and Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty was a Washington D.C. punk band formed in 1985 by guitarist Brian Baker of Minor Threat, drummer Colin Sears and bassist Roger Marbury, both of Bloody Mannequin Orchestra, and vocalist Shawn Brown...
, and has become a respected independent record label.
Steve Hansgen
Steve Hansgen
Steve Hansgen was a bass player in the hardcore band Minor Threat, joining them in the fall of 1982 to allow bassist Brian Baker to switch over to second guitar....
formed Second Wind with Minor Threat roadie Rich Moore. He also worked with Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
in 1992 on the production of their first EP, Opiate.
"Major Threat"
In 2005, a mock up of the cover of Minor Threat's first EP (also used on the First Two 7"s on a 12" LP and Complete DiscographyComplete Discography
Complete Discography is a 1989 compilation album released by the American hardcore punk band Minor Threat on the band's own Dischord Records. Despite its title, it only includes songs that were released on studio releases...
CD) was copied by athletic footwear manufacturer Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
for use on a promotional poster for a skateboarding tour called "Major Threat". Nike also altered Minor Threat's logo (designed by Jeff Nelson) for the same campaign, as well as featuring Nike shoes in the new picture, rather than the combat boots worn by Ian MacKaye's younger brother Alec
Alec MacKaye
Alec MacKaye is an American singer and musician best known as a member of the Washington, DC Hardcore bands Untouchables, The Faith, and Ignition. In the mid-1990s Alec joined the band The Warmers as a vocalist and guitarist. Their album 14 Songs was released in 1996 by Dischord Records. The...
on the original.
MacKaye issued a press statement condemning Nike's actions and said that he would discuss legal options with the other members of the band. Meanwhile, fans, at the encouragement of Dischord, organized a letter-writing campaign protesting Nike's infringement. On June 27, 2005, Nike issued a statement apologizing to Minor Threat, Dischord Records, and their fans for the "Major Threat" campaign and said that all promotional artwork (print and digital) that they could acquire were destroyed.
"Salad Days"
On October 29, 2005, FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
played the first few seconds of Minor Threat's "Salad Days" during an NFL broadcast. Use of the song was not cleared by Dischord Records
Dischord Records
Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
or any of the members of Minor Threat. Fox claimed that the clip was too short to have violated any copyrights.
Wheelhouse Pickles
In 2007, Brooklyn-based company Wheelhouse Pickles marketed a pepper sauce named "Minor Threat Sauce". Requesting only that the original label design (which was based on the "Bottled Violence" artwork) be amended, Ian MacKaye gave the product his endorsement.A small mention of this was made in music magazine Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
, where MacKaye commented "I don't really like hot sauce but I like the Minor Threat stuff".
Members
- Ian MacKayeIan MacKayeIan Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
– vocals (1980–1983) - Lyle PreslarLyle PreslarLyle Preslar is an American musician best known for being a guitar player and song writer for the hardcore punk band Minor Threat. Before that, he was the vocalist for The Extorts....
– guitar (1980–1983) - Brian BakerBrian Baker (musician)Brian Baker is an American punk rock musician. He is best known as one of the founding members of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat, and as a guitarist in Bad Religion since 1994 alongside Greg Hetson...
– bass (1980–1982, 1983); guitar (1982–1983) - Steve HansgenSteve HansgenSteve Hansgen was a bass player in the hardcore band Minor Threat, joining them in the fall of 1982 to allow bassist Brian Baker to switch over to second guitar....
– bass (1982–1983) - Jeff NelsonJeff Nelson (musician)Jeff Nelson is best known as the drummer for the hardcore punk rock band Minor Threat. He and friend Ian MacKaye formed their first band, The Slinkees, in 1979. Their next band was The Teen Idles. Nelson and MacKaye founded Dischord Records in 1980, whose first record was the Teen Idles. They...
– drums (1980–1983)
Albums
- Out of Step (1983)
- First Two 7"s on a 12" (1984)
EPs
- Minor Threat (1981)
- In My Eyes (1981)
- Salad Days (1985)
Compilation appearances
- Flex Your HeadFlex Your HeadFlex Your Head is a punk rock compilation album. It was originally released in January 1982, and was re-released on CD in August 1995. A remastered CD version was released in 2002...
(1982) – "Stand Up", "12XU" - 20 Years of Dischord (2002) – "Screaming at a Wall", "Straight Edge", "Understand", "Asshole Dub"
- Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s UndergroundLeft of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s UndergroundLeft of the Dial: Dispatches From The '80s Underground is a 4 disc compilation released in 2004. The Replacements' song Left of the Dial was not actually used.- Disc 1 :# R.E.M...
(2004) – "Straight Edge" - American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986 (2006) – "Filler"
Other releases
- First Two 7"s on a 12" (1984)
- Complete DiscographyComplete DiscographyComplete Discography is a 1989 compilation album released by the American hardcore punk band Minor Threat on the band's own Dischord Records. Despite its title, it only includes songs that were released on studio releases...
(1989) - First Demo Tape (2003)
Further reading
- Long Washington Post Express interview with Brian Baker from 2007
- Andersen, Mark & Jenkins, Mark (2001), Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capitol, New York, NY: Akashic Books, ISBN 1-888451-44-0.
- Azerrad, MichaelMichael AzerradMichael Azerrad is an American author, journalist and musician. He grew up in the New York City area and received his BA degree from Columbia College in 1983...
(2001), Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes From the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991Our Band Could Be Your LifeOur Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991 is a book by Michael Azerrad. It chronicles the careers of several underground rock bands who, while finding little or no mainstream success, were hugely influential in establishing American alternative and indie...
, Boston, MA: Little Brown, ISBN 978-0-316-78753-6 . - Connolly, CynthiaCynthia ConnollyCynthia Connolly is an American photographer, graphic designer, and artist. She graduated from Corcoran College of Art and Design and worked for Dischord Records and d.c. space. In 1988 she published Banned in DC: Photos and Anecdotes From the DC Punk Underground through her small press Sun Dog...
; Clague, Leslie & Cheslow, SharonSharon CheslowSharon Cheslow is an American musician, composer, and artist. In 1981, she formed Chalk Circle, Washington, D.C.'s first all-female punk band...
(1988), Banned in DC: Photos and Anecdotes From the DC Punk Underground 1979-85, Washington, DC: Sun Dog Propaganda, ISBN 978-0-9620944-0-8 .
External links
- Minor Threat Profile by Dischord Records
- Minor Threat Profile by Southern Records
- Minor Threat article from Rekindling the Punk Flame by Shana Ting Lipton.
- Minor Threat interview, 1983 from If This Goes On by Sharon CheslowSharon CheslowSharon Cheslow is an American musician, composer, and artist. In 1981, she formed Chalk Circle, Washington, D.C.'s first all-female punk band...
and Colin SearsColin SearsColin Sears is a punk drummer who has performed in Bloody Mannequin Orchestra, Dag Nasty, The Marshes, and currently Handgun Bravado and The Valley Floor... - Minor Threat article, 1983 from MRR
- Interview with Ian MacKaye on PMAKid.com