Tag Archives: minor threat

Dischord! And it’s not even Christmas

And once inside gonna tear till there’s nothing left to find
And you wonder just how close close-up can be?
Can’t you see? Can’t you see?
I had a dream all my thoughts turned to real lips

– Rites of Spring ‘Deeper Than Inside’

Somewhere in Washington is a house with the most famous porch in hardcore music. That porch is near a house (I’m an avid reader of stuff, but I’m never sure if it’s the house or the house across the street) where a man lives named Ian Mackaye. I’m not even sure he lives there, but it is rumoured he chases eager hardcore kids of his lawn (read about it on The Hard Times).

Now, you may have seen old man Mackaye in pretty much every hardcore documentary you’ve ever seen. There’s a man you can’t avoid if you want to talk about hardcore music. Founder (unwillingly) of the straight edge movement, kicking DIY in the ass to kickoff a movement and sticking to his guns of chosing the alternative to the big money, Ian Mackay is a legend.

I can tell you all about how that Minor Threat record changed my world, I can tell you how much I love Fugazi and what they stood for, but I just love the concept of Dischord Records, the label owned by Ian Mackaye. Fugazi never made their tickets too pricey, because that would keep the kids out. Another thingy…

This far Dischord records have been pretty much available to listen, but some stuff was just rare, hard to get by. Out of print was a common issue. Anyways, it’s not even Christmas, but all Dischord records are available on bandcamp. So thanks Ian, you’re the man!

Let me highlight some of my favorites!

Nation of Ulysses – Play Pretty for Baby

I’ve always felt that the Hives must have listened to Nation of Ulysses, there are so many similarities to be mentioned.  I probably lose scene points for saying that, but I dig this band big time.

Rites of Spring – End on end

So they may have had a hand in kickstarting whatever that thing is that we call emo now, but this full length of Rites of Spring is one of the bes things out there wit those rabid vocals and lyrics that grab you by the neck.

The Evens – The Odds

I wish that Ian Mackay made some more music himself, this last The Evens record is already from 2012, but isn’t it great? Solid guitar work and those great vocals by Amy Farina. A record to fall in love to.

State Of Alert – First Demo

Yes, it’s a demo, so why is this record so significant? I think because of the vocalist, who is Henry Garfield. You know him as Henry Rollins of Black Flag. Oh yeah, that demo….

Dag Nasty – Can I Say

My point is to make you go to bandcamp and check out Dischord. I will hardly do that with obscure shit, because you’re busy and you want to live your life and use your time wisely. So I give you this and it doesn’t need explanation. Look at the list of bands here… Go check this out.

So go forth and hear Fugazi, Fear, Faith, Void and so much more!

 

 

Music films that you should be watching

For a long time I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching music documentaries on my free nights. If I’m not hitting the gym, seeing a show or enjoying some other form of entertainment, it’s pretty much what I’m looking for. I was hoping to highlight some cool stuff for you in this blog.

Ok, it’s not just documentaries, also the films they made about stuff. There are some really brilliant ones. So get them in (in any way you want, though I ofcourse have to condemn downloading here ofcourse).

Good Vibrations (2013)

“New York has the hair, London has the pants, but Belfast has the reason!” – Quote from the film.

This film is about Terri Hooley, the godfather of Belfast punkrock. A story of a war-torn country and the spark of hope from a guy who believes in the shared love for music. From opening a record shop on ‘bomb alley’ to signing some shitty punkbands on his own Good Vibrations records label. A great story, made into the funny surreal journey that these events actually were. The film has a lot of humor in it, but also a bit of the darkside that is often found in people that put music first. Enjoy tunes from The Undertones, The Outcasts, Rudi and ofcourse a bit of Belfasts very own Stiff Little Fingers.

Salad Days (2014)

Hardcore is a global thing these days, but its roots are on a few places in the USA. This documentary focusses on the scene in Washington DC. Going from the Teen Idles and State of Alert days to its glory of Void, Minor Threat and many other cool bands. Also the latter days are treated, with Fugazi and the decline of USA Hardcore. The best part is that they actually got the people interviewed who were at the centre of things, not the ones on the sides, particularly for the first part of the documentary. Henry Rollins and Ian Mackaye give their views and ofcourse the Bad Brains drop in as well.
If you are not familiar with hardcore, this is as good as any documentary to get a feeling of what it is about and why it matters. Enjoy.

One Man Metal (2012)

Noisey is one of my favorite outlets for news on the music scene and they have a habit of exploring the unexplored fringes of music. This leads to amazing and in debt documentaries that are utterly fascinating. This docu about the famous one man metal bands is one of those. It’s often forgotten that this is not the natural shape music is formed in, so Noisey visits three of the more significant musicans to see what drives them.

This means LeviathanXasthur and Striborg are part of the series of three. It’s a harsh and confronting journey, showing some of the deep loneliness and darkness some individuals experience and transform into haunting art.