Thursday, 18 December 2025

Beefeater


Beefeater were a four-piece post-hardcore band from Washington, DC that were active between 1984 and 1986. As such, they were a vital part of the "Revolution Summer" movement that saw DC punk bands move into more innovative and melodic territory, with an emphasis on pointedly political and introspective lyricism. As such, it (unintentionally) became the birthplace of "emo" with bands like Rites Of Spring and Embrace. I don't think Beefeater are quite in the same sonic category as them, but this boundary-pushing ideology is certainly shared, as they injected a variety of genre influences from funk, dub, and jazz into the raw attack of a hardcore band heavily inspired by Bad Brains and Minutemen. Their riffs are windingly discordant, their rhythms frenetically off-kilter, and Squip's vocal delivery is as manically dynamic as they come. They released one EP and two albums, with the two LP's both put out by Dischord and later compiled onto one release (along with bonus compilation songs). I say this a lot but it is astounding that I missed putting here until now; they're one of the most under-appreciated and radical bands to come out of the 80's DC scene, and returning to them now after so many years has been joyous to say the least. Enjoy.

1. Trash Funk
2. Reagonomix
3. Song For Lucky
4. 4 3 2 1
5. Mr. Silverbird
6. Manic D.
7. Mourning
8. Satyagraha
9. A Dog Day
10. Red Carpet
11. Assholes Among Us
12. Beefeater
13. Fred's Song (Slam Dancing)
14. I Miss You
15. Out Of The Woods


1. In America
2. Need A Job
3. Laurel Grove
4. Apartheid
5. Gov't Worker
6. Better'n Me

1. Introlude
2. Just Things
3. Bedlam Rainforest
4. Interlude
5. Move Me Strong
6. Interlude
7. One Soul Down
8. Ain't Got No Time (Kenny's Piece)
9. Interlude
10. Sinking Me
11. Dover Beach (Tomas' Piece)
12. Insurrection Chant
13. 40 Sonnets On Plants (Dug's Piece)
14. With You Always
15. Fredittude (Fred's Piece)
16. Live The Life

1. Trash Funk
2. Reagonomix
3. Song For Lucky
4. 4 3 2 1
5. Mr. Silverbird
6. Manic D.
7. Mourning
8. Satyagraha
9. A Dog Day
10. Red Carpet
11. Assholes Among Us
12. Beefeater
13. Fred's Song (Slam Dancing)
14. I Miss You
15. Out Of The Woods
16. Wars In Space
17. Just Things
18. Bedlam Rainforest
19. Move Me Strong
20. One Soul Down
21. Ain't Got No Time
22. Sinking Me
23. Dover Beach
24. Insurrection Chant
25. 40 Sonnets On Plants
26. With You Always
27. Freditude
28. Live The Life
29. Blind Leads Blind

Note: Compilation including both LPs and compilation tracks "Wars In Space" and "Blind Leads Blind"

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