The Evens

Filing this under “posts I just assumed were done years ago but I overlooked”. The Evens are a two-piece band formed by Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina, both of whom are known for their extensive involvement in the DC music scene. MacKaye of course is one of the founders of Dischord Records and was in a litany of bands, the most notable of which were Minor Threat, Embrace, and of course Fugazi, while Farina was in The Warmers alongside Alec MacKaye. This project is a lot more subdued than their previous work, with MacKaye and Farina sharing vocal duties (often harmoniously with pointed political lyricism). Farina's drums and MacKaye's clean baritone guitar form this rhythmic interlock that's textured and intricate yet simple in its deliberate minimalism; it's a unique sound for sure, like jazzy folk that doesn't quite fit into either of those genres. If you've never heard them and want to hear something that sounds like post-Fugazi, The Evens are your best bet. Try their first self-titled LP first if you're new to them and go from there. Enjoy.

The Evens (2005)

1. Shelter Two

2. Around The Corner

3. All These Governors

4. Crude Bomb

5. Sara Lee

6. Mt. Pleasant Isn't

7. Blessed Not Lucky

8. If It's Water

9. Until They're Clear

10. On The Face Of It

11. Minding One's Business

12. You Won't Feel A Thing

Get Evens (2006)

1. Cut From The Cloth

2. Everybody Knows

3. Cache Is Empty

4. You Fell Down

5. Pushed Against The Wall

6. No Money

7. All You Find You Keep

8. Eventually

9. Get Even

10. Dinner With The President

2 Songs (2011)

1. Warble Factor

2. Timothy Wright

The Odds (2012)

1. King Of Kings

2. Wanted Criminals

3. I Do Myself

4. Warble Factor

5. Sooner Or Later

6. Wonder Why

7. Competing With The Till

8. Broken Finger

9. Architects Sleep

10. Timothy Wright

11. This Other Thing

12. Let's Get Well

13. KOK

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Rain

Rain were a three-piece (later four-piece) punk/emo band from Washington, DC that formed in 1986 and dissolved in 1987. They shared members with The Untouchables, Youth Brigade, Gray Matter, Soulside/Lunchmeat - in other words, they were a DC band at the tail end of "Revolution Summer", a time marked by a major shift in the DC hardcore scene towards socially conscious activism and sonically experimental music. It's now best known as the birthplace of "emo" though it is a term vocally rejected by some of its participants) with bands like Rites Of Spring and Embrace infusing personal, poetic lyricism into a more dynamic and melodic version of hardcore's raw, energetic bite. If you're at all familiar with the bands coming out of this era, there's no doubt you're going to love Rain's punchy basslines, angular octave-shredded guitars, and desperate vocal delivery. Between two studio sessions (one as a three-piece, one as a four-piece), Rain's recorded material was all eventually released as La Vache Qui Rit in 1990 as a co-release between Dischord and Peterbilt Records. Enjoy.

La Vache Qui Rit (1990)

1. That Time Of Year

2. End Of My Mind

3. Snakeout

4. Worlds At War

5.Around The Axis

6. Rivers

Dischord

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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.

Plays For Lovers (1985)

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

Need A Job (1986)

1. In America

2. Need A Job

3. Laurel Grove

4. Apartheid

5. Gov't Worker

6. Better'n Me

House Burning Down (1987)

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

Plays For Lovers & House Burning Down (1992)

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"

Dischord Records

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No Trend

No Trend were a noise rock/post-punk band from Ashton, Maryland that were around from 1982 to 1988. The first incarnation of the band was a four-piece, comprised of members who came into the band with a punk/hardcore background. Despite this, they were intentionally antagonistic towards the DC scene they existed in the periphery of, wanting to eschew the subculture that had grown out of it. They set out to make music that they wanted to make, with no creed or agenda, and it shows. For their early material, Flipper and Saccharine Trust are often cited as loose comparisons, though No Trend really did occupy a space of their own. Teen Love was their debut, a 7" they self-released (as they would for the majority of their material). This was followed up by a full-length, Too Many Humans. These are the best introductions to the band, as they immediately throw you into the misanthropic, nihilistic world they created. Through driving bass lines, pummelling drums, and trebly feedback-laden guitars, vocalist Jeff Mentges delivered shrieks, screams, and the occasional spoken word. It makes for an impactful listen, and highly recommended to anyone looking for raw, unbridled negativity. 

Following these early years, the band experienced a line-up overhaul, with Mentges being the only original member left for by their second album. 1985's A Dozen Dead Roses was a major shift from the overt, noisy and hardcore-adjacent sound they were founded on. Though there are still flashes of that, they expanded their sonic palette to include elements of funk and jazz, while keeping the bass as the driving force behind these songs. Instrumentally, their palette is widened to include synths and saxophones, and the guitars are laden with chorus, taking on a more traditional lead role with a litany of classic rock-esque solos. A handful of tracks were also done as collabs with Lydia Lunch, which were also released on a separate EP. Overall, I absolutely love this album, as much as their early work, because it maintains that desperate, pessimistic aggression while exploring a new, genuinely unique avenue.

By 1986, the band had now rounded out as 12-piece to include strings, horns, and synths as mainstays of their sound. They continued on this wave of hybrid experimentation into their next full-length, with more layers of instrumentation and a cleaner sound. This record was put out by Touch And Go, their first to not be self-released. It was followed by another album slated to be released in 1989, but was shelved until 2001. More, as it became, completed their full heel-turn into deconstructionist jazz-funk, with their cleanest sound to date, but too Beefheartian avant-garde to ever come close to a traditional rock outfit. 

No Trend were a one-of-a-kind band with an equally intriguing legacy. There's a few great articles that came out around the reissue of Too Many Humans / Teen Love, which I suggest checking from Bandcamp, The Washington Post and Tidal for more information. If you're new to this band, the aforementioned reissue is probably your best bet for a starting point. Enjoy.

Teen Love 7" (1983)

1. Mass Sterilization Caused By Venereal Disease

2. Cancer

3. Teen Love

Too Many Humans (1983)

1. Family Style

2. Blow Dry

3. Reality Breakdown

4. Kiss Ass To Your Peer Group

5. Fashion Tips For The 80's

6. Do As You're Told

7. Too Many Humans

8. For The Fun Of It All

9. Mindless Little Insects

10. Happiness Is...

Teen Love 12" (1984)

1. Mass Sterilization Caused By Venereal Disease

2. Cancer

3. Die

4. Teen Love

5. Untitled

When Death Won't Solve Your Problem (1985)

1. Two Seconds Til Non Existance

2. Die

3. Cancer

4. Mass Sterilization Caused By Venereal Disease

5. Too Many Humans

6. Fun Of It All

7. One Last Dream

8. Killing Me

9. Heartache

10. Mindless Little Insects

11. Blow

12. Teenlove

Heart Of Darkness (1985)

1. Your Love

2. Tear You Apart

3. The Curse

4. Who's To Say

A Dozen Dead Roses (1985)

1. Karma Nights

2. Your Love

3. Tear You Apart

4. Never Again

5. All Of Nothing

6. Good Day Mrs. Hamm

7. For The Fun Of It All

8. The Curse

9. Heartache

10. Who's To Say

Tritonian Nash-Vegas Polyester Complex (1987)

1. One Under Parr

2. Copperhead

3. Without Me

4. Fred Reality

5. Space Disco

6. Cry Of The Dirtballs

7. Angel Angel Down We Go

8. Overweight Baby Boom Critter

9. Choc-O-Jet

10. Freak

11. Bel-Pre Rising

The Early Months (1995)

1. Cancer

2. Hanging Out In Georgetown

3. Kiss Ass

4. Family Style

5. Reality Breakdown

6. Human Garbage

7. Purple Paisleys Make Me Happy

8. Mass Sterilization

9. Teen Love

10. Turn Away

11. Cancer

12. Blow Dry

13. Polyester Man

14. Kiss Ass

15. Teen Love

16. Mass Sterilization

17. Hanging Out In Georgetown

18. Death

19. Punker

More (2001)

1. Intro

2. Fuzzy Dice

3. Sorry I Asked

4. Spank Me (With Your Love Monkey, Baby)

5. Last On Right, Second Row

6. Bel-Pre Declining

7. No Hopus Opus

You Deserve Your Life (2018)

1. Cancer

2. Hanging Out In Georgetown

3. Kiss Ass

4. Family Style

5. Reality Breakdown

6. Human Garbage

7. Purple Paisleys Make Me Happy

8. Mass Sterilization

9. Teen Love

10. Death (Live)

11. Punker (Live)

Too Many Humans / Teen Love (2020)

1. Family Style

2. Blow Dry

3. Reality Breakdown

4. Kiss Ass To Your Peer Group

5. Fashion Tips For The 80's

6. Do As You're Told

7. Too Many Humans

8. For The Fun Of It All

9. Mindless Insects

10. Happiness Is...

11. Mass Sterilization Caused By Venereal Disease

12. Cancer

13. Die

14. Teen Love

15. Untitled

16. Cancer (demo)

17. Mass Sterilization Caused By Venereal Disease (demo)

18. Teen Love (demo)

19. Hanging Out In Georgetown (demo)

20. Kiss Ass To Your Peer Group (demo)

21. Family Style (demo)

22. Reality Breakdown (demo)

23. Human Garbage (demo)

24. Purple Paisleys Make Me Happy (demo)

25. Do As You're Told (live at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, 1983)

26. Fashion Tips For The 80's (live at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, 1983)

27. Mindless Little Insects (live at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, 1983)

28. Reality Breakdown (live at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, 1983)

29. Teen Love (live at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, 1983)

30. Cancer (live at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, 1983)

31. Family Style (live at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, 1983)

32. Blow Dry (live at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, 1983)

33. Kiss Ass To Your Peer Group (live at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, 1983)

34. Mass Sterilization Caused By Venereal Disease (live at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, 1983)

35. Do As You're Told (live at Cathay de Grande, Hollywood, 1983)

36. Fashion Tips For The 80's (live at Cathay de Grande, Hollywood, 1983)

37. Mindless Little Insects (live at Cathay de Grande, Hollywood, 1983)

38. Reality Breakdown (live at Cathay de Grande, Hollywood, 1983)

39. Cancer (live at Cathay de Grande, Hollywood, 1983)

40. Family Style (live at Cathay de Grande, Hollywood, 1983)

41. Kiss Ass To Your Peer Group (live at Cathay de Grande, Hollywood, 1983)

42. Teen Love (live at Cathay de Grande, Hollywood, 1983)

43. Mass Sterilization Caused By Venereal Disease (live at Cathay de Grande, Hollywood, 1983)

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Jawbox

Jawbox are a four-piece post-hardcore band from Washington, DC that formed in 1989. The band was started by vocalist/guitarist J. Robbins, bassist Kim Coletta and drummer Adam Wade. Robbins previously played bass in DC hardcore band Government Issue during the final few years of their initial run. They put out their first EP in 1990 and followed it up with their debut full-length Grippe in 1991, both of which were released by Dischord Records. In their early years, the influence from the DC scene they emerged out of is most evident. In particular, the more melodic musings of Revolution Summer bands, alongside the throttling of Naked Raygun, the massive guitars and catchy hooks of Hüsker Dü, and the atmosphere of Joy Divison (who they cover on this album). It's a fantastic debut, and one that brought that stirrings of the punk underground into a more accessible, "alternative" styling. Shortly after it's release, guitarist/vocalist Bill Barbot jointed the band. They followed it up a year later with Novelty a year later, which saw the band experimenting with heavier, darker, and more discordant sounds, while they still keeping up the energy and melody of their debut. Drummer Adam Wade shortly after its release, and was replaced by Zach Barocas. 

They were one of many indie bands that get swept up by major labels in the wake of Nevermind, with For Your Own Special Sweetheart being put in 1994 by Atlantic. It even spawned a (relatively) commercial single in "Savory". This album is a masterclass in post-hardcore, sitting on the precipice of dissonance and melody, being simultaneously heavy and catchy. It's a shuffle of muted strings, octave chords and arpeggios wrapped around a grooving bass line and frantic rhythms. If that sounds familiar, this band (along with others like Fugazi) is where it came from. They carried on this angular and off-kilter sound into their 1996 self-titled album, which ended up being their last as they parted ways in 1997. Members were involved in a number of projects thereafter, most notably Burning Airlines with Robbins and Barbot. Robbins has also worked as a producer with a ton of incredible bands, including Jawbreaker, Texas Is The Reason, The Promise Ring, Against! Me, Paint It Black, mewithoutYou, Coliseum, and a ton more.

They reunited in 2009 for a one-off show of "Savory" on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and 10 years later reunited full-time in 2019 to play shows again. In 2021, Bill Barbot left the band, with Brooks Harlan taking his place. This year marks their first new studio material in over two decades, with a re-recording of Grippe songs and a Wire cover. Without a doubt Jawbox are one of the greatest and most important (albeit underrated) post-hardcore bands, so if you are new to them I implore you to check them out. Enjoy.

Demo (1989)

 1. Tools And Chrome

2. Bullet Park

3. Beneath The Wheel

4. Footbinder

5. Consolation

6. Paint Out The Light

7. Mother Lode

8. Something Must Break

Tools & Chrome (1990)

1. Tools & Chrome

2. Secret History

3. Ballast

4. Twister

Grippe (1991)

1. Freezerburn

2. Impossible Figure

3. Tools And Chrome

4. Paint Out The Light

5. Consolation Prize

6. Grip

7. Ballast

8. Something Must Break

9. Green-Line Delayed

10. Bullet Park

11. Manatee Bound

Airwaves Dream / With Or Without U2 (1991)

1. Jawbox - Airwaves Dream (Buzzcocks cover)

2. Jawbreaker - With Or Without U2

Tongues / Ones & Zeros (1992)

1. Tongues

2. Ones And Zeros

Novelty (1992)

1. Cutoff

2. Tracking

3. Dreamless

4. Channel 3

5. Spiral Fix

6. Linkwork

7. Chump

8. Static

9. Spit-Bite

10. Send Down

11. Tongues

12. Ones & Zeros

Motorist / Jackpot Plus! (1993)

1. Motorist

2. Jackpot Plus!

September (1993)

1. Jawbox - Falk

2. Crackerbash - Back To School 

Static (1993)

1. Jawbox - Static (Tar cover)

2. Tar - Static (Jawbox cover)

Your Selection (1993)

1. Jawbox - Savory

2. Edsel - Penaluna

Your Choice Live Series 023 (1994)

1. Leatherface - Eagle

2. Leatherface - Not Superstitious

3. Leatherface - Speak In Tongues

4. Leatherface - Books

5. Leatherface - Pale Moonlight

6. Leatherface - Hops And Barley

7. Leatherface - I Can't Help Falling In Love

8. Jawbox - FF=66

9. Jawbox - Green Glass

10. Jawbox - Tongues

11. Jawbox - Chinese Fork Tie

12. Jawbox - Chicago Piano

13. Jawbox - Motorist

For Your Own Special Interest (1994)

1. FF=66

2. Savory

3. Breathe

4. Motorist

5. LS/MFT

6. Cooling Card

7. Green Glass

8. Cruel Swing

9. Jackpot Plus!

10. Chicago Piano

11. Reel

12. U-Trau

13. Whitney Walks

Savory +3 (1994)

1. Savory (LP Version)

2. Lil Shaver

3. 68

4. Sound On Sound

Cooling Card (1994)

1. Cooling Card

2. Thin White Line (Avengers cover)

3. I've Got You Under My Skin (Frank Sinatra cover)

Absenter / Chinese Fork Tie (1995)

1. Absenter

2. Chinese Fork Tie

Jawbox (1996)

1. Mirrorful

2. Livid

3. Iodine

4. His Only Trade

5. Chinese Fork Tie

6. Won't Come Off

7. Excandescent

8. Spoiler

9. Desert Sea

10. Empire Of One

11. Mule/Stall

12. Nickel Nickel Millionare

13. Capillary Life

14. Absenter

15. Cornflake Girl

My Scrapbook Of Fatal Accidents (1998)

1. Static

2. Tongues

3. Chinese Fork Tie

4. Cooling Card

5. 68

6. Apollo Amateur

7. Under Glass

8. Low Strung

9. The Big Shave

10. Dreamless

11. Bullet Park

12. Won't Come Off

13. Mirrorful

14. Desert Sea

15. Savory

16. I've Got You Under My Skin

17. Sound On Sound

18. Static

19. Low

20. It's Expected I'm Gone

21. Meathook

22. Airwaves Dream

Note: Compilation includes Peel session, unreleased studio tracks, live material and covers

Live At Metro Chicago 2019 (2019)

1. Mirrorful

2. 68

3. Desert Sea

4. Grippe

5. Nickel Nickel Millionare

6. Motorist

7. Tongues

8. Livid

9. Iodine

10. Cooling Card

11. Spoiler

12. Static

13. Dreamless

14. FF=66

15. Green Glass

16. LS/MFT

17. Chinese Fork Tie

18. Breathe

19. Cut Off

20. Chicago Piano

21. Savory

22. Cornflake Girl

23. The Robbery

24. Jackpot Plus!

25. Absenter

The Revisionist EP (2022)

1. Grip

2. Consolation Prize

3. Lowdown

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