Fugazi | Artist

Fugazi is an American rock band formed 1987 in Washington, D.C. by guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. After the breakup of his former band Minor Threat, Ian MacKaye formed the short-lived group Embrace, then recruited Lally and former Rites of Spring members Guy Picciotto and Brendan Canty, to form his new group Fugazi. MacKaye chose the name "Fugazi" from Mark Baker's Nam, a compilation of stories of Vietnam War veterans, where the word is used as a slang acronym for "Fucked Up, Got Ambushed, Zipped In (to a body bag). The band's music style has been described as post-hardcore art-punk, and was an intentional departure from the hardcore punk sounds of the members' earlier bands. Fugazi combined punk with funk and reggae beats, irregular stop-start song structures, and heavy riffs inspired by old-school bands such as Led Zeppelin and Queen. They have released seven consistently excellent studio albums before going into an indefinite hiatus since 2003. Their recorded output kicked of strongly with the 1978 EP release, Fugazi, which attracted positive reviews such as: "short, hard-hitting, and empowering... played with a burning passion, the way punk should be". They followed up with their classic debut album Repeater in 1990. Other standout releases include the albums In on the Kill Taker, Red Medicine, End Hits and The Argument. The 1989 compilation 13 Songs is also highly recommended.

Artist Website: dischord.com/band/fugazi/

Featured Albums: Fugazi

Related Artists: Rites of Spring, Minor Threat, Ian MacKaye