Washington, D.C. hardcore
Encyclopedia
Washington, D.C.
has had one of the first and most influential hardcore punk
scenes in the United States
since the early 1980s.
Among the earliest DC punk bands were the Bad Brains
, Slickee Boys, Teen Idles
, Minor Threat
, S.O.A.
, Chalk Circle
, Velvet Monkeys
, Void
, The Faith, DC Youth Brigade, Government Issue
, Untouchables, Red C, Marginal Man, Scream
, Black Market Baby and United Mutation, all of which formed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the mid-1980s during a time period quoted by some as "Revolution Summer," bands like Gray Matter
, Embrace
, Rites of Spring
, Phlegm, Soulside
, Three, Ignition and Rain emerged. Other important DC hardcore bands from this time period are Fire Party
, Dag Nasty
, Second Wind, and no-wave influenced bands like No Trend. Aside from Black Market Baby and the few suburban punk bands that followed, the majority of the DC hardcore bands were made up of middle/upper class private school educated children of diplomats and other members of the Washington establishment at the time. Many grew up in the Georgetown and NW areas of DC, where they developed a sense of social justice by witnessing its injustices first hand - they were rich kids living in a privileged world, a social elite. Prior to punk, many of these later scene stalwarts were enthusiastically dressed up participants (eye liner, long hair, fishnets, platforms - on the boys) at the midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the cinema on M Street. Washington DC, at the dawn of punk, was a truly proletarian, little town, with loads of music loving individuals, hooked on WGTB, WHFS, the Atlantic, later the 9.30 club. Though the feeling and vitality of the early scene was based on the excitement of punk, the spectrum of music played in clubs and on radio featured Roxy Music, Bowie, Ultravox, Skids, Slits, much English stuff, and lots of new American bands such as Avant Gardener, Tina Peel, B52's, the Nuns, Germs, Trenchmouth, Cramps, Slickees, X, and of course, the garage and punk bands out of New York. With the support of brilliant, progressive radio DJ's such as Milo from WHFS, Xyra and Steve Lorber (who played Iggy and the Ramones on his Sunday evening shows in 1976) from WGTB, everyone was made welcome, and everyone came. Sadly the welcome rush that punk had on the DC area was tempered by its resulting, elitist offspring, hardcore, and had the effect of shutting people out, which was the antithesis of punk (unless you were judging by footwear and haircuts). More so, it had the effect of dampening an ardent scene of music makers and music lovers. Hardcore was successful in that its brilliantly fast and heavy sound brought many boys and girls to "alternative" music at that time. Sadly, the prevailing attitude of the bands and audiences was one of homophobia and nihilism as per and amongst women. Still, it beat Toto. Of course, it all went on, and the Atlantis became the 9.30...but, since Fugazi, there has not been one band out of the DC area that has had any impact nationally (not since the Cherry People, Link Wray, Nils Lofgren from the 60's, and perhaps Boys v Girls a few seasons ago).
Dischord Records
, owned and run by Jeff Nelson
, drummer for Minor Threat
and Ian MacKaye
, the frontman for Minor Threat
, and later Embrace
, Fugazi and the Evens
put out records by many of these bands. Some other important record labels of the 1980s in D.C. include Fountain of Youth and DSI. Due to Dischord's popularity and influence, very few D.C. based bands who were not on Dischord have received much attention from outside of the DC Metro area.
Hardcore in D.C also has grown a large following in the late '80s and the '90s Swiz
, Device, World's Collide, Fury, Battery, Ashes, Gauge, and Damnation A.D.
, with a majority of these bands releasing albums on Jade Tree Records
, THD, Art Monk Construction, Lovvitt Records, and Sammich.
Today, the surrounding scene (pretty much including anything within the Capital Beltway
is "D.C.") is still quite popular locally, having produced such past and present bands as Clutch
, Striking Distance, Worn Thin, and more recent bands like Moment of Youth, Lion of Judah, The Alleged Bricks, Set To Explode, 86 Mentality, Time to Escape, Lotus Fucker, Coke Bust, Sick Fix, Troops of Tomorrow, Give, Darkest Hour, Seminal, Beasts of No Nation, Fairweather
, Cloak/Dagger, Bus Fire, Majority Rule, Frodus
, Domino Team, SEAS and Walk the Plank, The Black and Tans, among many others.
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....
has had one of the first and most influential hardcore punk
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...
scenes in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since the early 1980s.
Among the earliest DC punk bands were the 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...
, Slickee Boys, 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...
, Minor Threat
Minor Threat
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" ethic for music distribution 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...
, Chalk Circle
Chalk Circle (band)
Chalk Circle were an American punk rock band formed in 1981 in Washington, DC. Their raw, rhythmic, minimal sound had more in common with post-punk or art punk than D.C. hardcore, a community they initially helped pioneer...
, Velvet Monkeys
Velvet Monkeys
Velvet Monkeys is an American rock band currently based in New York City, formed in 1980. The name "Velvet Monkeys" was a combination of The Velvet Underground and The Monkees.-Background:...
, 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...
, The Faith, DC Youth Brigade, 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...
, Untouchables, Red C, Marginal Man, 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:...
, Black Market Baby and United Mutation, all of which formed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the mid-1980s during a time period quoted by some as "Revolution Summer," bands like 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,...
, 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...
, 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...
, Phlegm, Soulside
Soulside
Soulside were a post-hardcore band from the greater Washington, D.C. area. The original name of the band was Lunchmeat, formed in 1985. The name was changed to Soulside in spring 1986 and they disbanded in summer of 1989, after an extensive European tour and recording the definitive Hot Bodi-Gram...
, Three, Ignition and Rain emerged. Other important DC hardcore bands from this time period are Fire Party
Fire Party
Fire Party were an emotional hardcore band from Washington, D.C. They were together from the autumn of 1986 to the spring of 1990. The band members were Amy Pickering , Natalie Avery , Kate Samworth , and Nicky Thomas ....
, 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...
, Second Wind, and no-wave influenced bands like No Trend. Aside from Black Market Baby and the few suburban punk bands that followed, the majority of the DC hardcore bands were made up of middle/upper class private school educated children of diplomats and other members of the Washington establishment at the time. Many grew up in the Georgetown and NW areas of DC, where they developed a sense of social justice by witnessing its injustices first hand - they were rich kids living in a privileged world, a social elite. Prior to punk, many of these later scene stalwarts were enthusiastically dressed up participants (eye liner, long hair, fishnets, platforms - on the boys) at the midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the cinema on M Street. Washington DC, at the dawn of punk, was a truly proletarian, little town, with loads of music loving individuals, hooked on WGTB, WHFS, the Atlantic, later the 9.30 club. Though the feeling and vitality of the early scene was based on the excitement of punk, the spectrum of music played in clubs and on radio featured Roxy Music, Bowie, Ultravox, Skids, Slits, much English stuff, and lots of new American bands such as Avant Gardener, Tina Peel, B52's, the Nuns, Germs, Trenchmouth, Cramps, Slickees, X, and of course, the garage and punk bands out of New York. With the support of brilliant, progressive radio DJ's such as Milo from WHFS, Xyra and Steve Lorber (who played Iggy and the Ramones on his Sunday evening shows in 1976) from WGTB, everyone was made welcome, and everyone came. Sadly the welcome rush that punk had on the DC area was tempered by its resulting, elitist offspring, hardcore, and had the effect of shutting people out, which was the antithesis of punk (unless you were judging by footwear and haircuts). More so, it had the effect of dampening an ardent scene of music makers and music lovers. Hardcore was successful in that its brilliantly fast and heavy sound brought many boys and girls to "alternative" music at that time. Sadly, the prevailing attitude of the bands and audiences was one of homophobia and nihilism as per and amongst women. Still, it beat Toto. Of course, it all went on, and the Atlantis became the 9.30...but, since Fugazi, there has not been one band out of the DC area that has had any impact nationally (not since the Cherry People, Link Wray, Nils Lofgren from the 60's, and perhaps Boys v Girls a few seasons ago).
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...
, owned and run by 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...
, drummer for Minor Threat
Minor Threat
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" ethic for music distribution and...
and Ian 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...
, the frontman for Minor Threat
Minor Threat
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" ethic for music distribution and...
, and later 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...
, Fugazi 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...
put out records by many of these bands. Some other important record labels of the 1980s in D.C. include Fountain of Youth and DSI. Due to Dischord's popularity and influence, very few D.C. based bands who were not on Dischord have received much attention from outside of the DC Metro area.
Hardcore in D.C also has grown a large following in the late '80s and the '90s Swiz
Swiz
Swiz was a hardcore punk band formed in 1987 in Washington, DC. The founding members were Shawn Brown , Jason Farrell , Ramsey Metcalf , Nathan Larson , and Alex Daniels . Prior the formation of Swiz, Brown had been the original vocalist for Dag Nasty...
, Device, World's Collide, Fury, Battery, Ashes, Gauge, and Damnation A.D.
Damnation A.D.
Damnation A.D. is an American band from Washington, D.C.. The group released several albums in the 1990s before disbanding. They reformed in 2007.-History:...
, with a majority of these bands releasing albums on Jade Tree Records
Jade Tree Records
Jade Tree International, Inc. was an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in August 1991, out of Wilmington, Delaware....
, THD, Art Monk Construction, Lovvitt Records, and Sammich.
Today, the surrounding scene (pretty much including anything within the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
is "D.C.") is still quite popular locally, having produced such past and present bands as Clutch
Clutch (band)
Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland, formed in 1990. The band's first release was an EP entitled Pitchfork, which debuted in October 1990. Their first studio album, Transnational Speedway League, was released three years later in 1993. To date, Clutch has released nine studio...
, Striking Distance, Worn Thin, and more recent bands like Moment of Youth, Lion of Judah, The Alleged Bricks, Set To Explode, 86 Mentality, Time to Escape, Lotus Fucker, Coke Bust, Sick Fix, Troops of Tomorrow, Give, Darkest Hour, Seminal, Beasts of No Nation, Fairweather
Fairweather (band)
Fairweather is an American rock band from Virginia. They have released two full-length albums on Equal Vision Records: If They Move...Kill Them and Lusitania . The band also released several demos and the Alaska EP. In March 2011, after an 8 year hiatus, Fairweather formally announced a reunion...
, Cloak/Dagger, Bus Fire, Majority Rule, Frodus
Frodus
Frodus was a 1990s Washington, D.C.-based post-hardcore band, described by critics as a mixture of math rock, hardcore punk, and alternative rock. Their songs were frequently dark and dissonant...
, Domino Team, SEAS and Walk the Plank, The Black and Tans, among many others.
See also
- Music of Washington D.C.
- Go-go, another native music genre associated with Washington D.C.