Sophie's Floorboard: Fire Party

Fire Party were a four-piece punk/post-hardcore band from Washington, DC that were around from 1986 to 1990. As you could probably guess, they were a Dischord band, releasing two EP's with the label in 1988 and 1989 respectively. This was later compiled along with a compilation track and a Peel session to create 1996's 19 Songs, which rounded out the band's complete discography. Fire Party are often associated with the "Revolution Summer" era of DC hardcore, where members of its previously established bands in the hardcore scene began to branch off and experiment with new sounds, bringing in melody and rhymtic complexity to their punk formula roots. This is often regarded as the beginning of "emo" as a genre. That's a very loose fit with some bands in this era, but I think it's safe to say that Fire Party were precursors of the genre, while being an important albeit underrated band in their own right.

While maintaing a distinct sociopolitical stance, they evolved the DC sound into something much bigger, more melodic, and indisputably influential. The guitars are washed in reverb, making them sound gigantic as they echo across each song, introducing angular chords/arpeggios and off-kilter rhythms to the mix, something that would become a staple of the genre in the decade to come. They played with a sense of urgency, conveying what they needed to say in a fresh and unique way, with an abundance of raw energy still intact. Enjoy.