Fugazi - "13 Songs"

 

There’s most likely nothing more synonymous with the 90s underground scene as the DC based band Fugazi. The famous rebel quartet who held their ideals and commitments above air time, fame and embodied the true nature of “Do-it-yourself” culture. Mainstream music’s rejects who managed to ravage and pick apart any punk stereotype thrown their way. The band, who ran their own label, charged no more than five dollars for their live shows and had a strict “no merchandise” policy. If there ever was an outlier for authenticity and a beacon of genuine devotion to the culture that brought the band up, it had to be Fugazi. 

It was Ian Mackaye’s record label “Dischord” that inadvertently brought the members of Fugazi together. At the time, the independently run label was famous for producing various underground punk and alternative records. The abstention from contracts, legal obligations and enforced liberty drove many talented musicians to work with Mackaye, Rites Of Spring, being one of them. The band’s raw punk energy intertwined with moments of exceeding vulnerability and introspective lyricism instantly found a place on the steps of the Dischord House’s porch. Be as it may, it was them and Mackaye’s own band - Embrace splitting apart that sparked the creation of Fugazi. An amalgamation of different ideas the musicians were exploring up to that point. Fugazi, however, did not release any music whatsoever for three whole years after their formation. Mackaye’s two unsuccessful attempts at being a band harbored a sense of wariness and reluctance to become a full fledged act, noting:

"My interests were not necessarily to be in a band, but to be with people who wanted to play music with me."

The attitude soon changed in the form of “13 songs”, Fugazi’s first ever commercial debut. To this day, the album contains their best known singles like “Waiting Room” and “Bad Mouth”. The direction of 13 Songs was a beautiful culmination and natural progression from various influences like reggae and punk. Rich guitar work, heavy emphasis on bass and unpredictable tonal shifts. Fugazi, perhaps for the first time in their career, introduced a steady and melodic sense of gentleness. Often providing a loop heavy background for the intricate lyrical themes to dominate tracks like “Give Me The Cure”. 13 Songs laid a foundation for what Fugazi stood for. Themes of inertia, lack of independence and, most importantly, the heavy emphasis of oneself as the catalyst of one’s influence are just the tip of the iceberg as to what the album offered.

"Ahistorical

You think this shit just dropped right out of the sky

My analysis:

It's time to harvest the crust from your eyes

To surge and refine

To rage and define ourselves

Against your line

So sorry friend, you must resign"

 

Fugazi quickly gathered an underground following. Their distaste of the music industry, emphasis on both emotional and mental fortitude as well as strict moral codes shifted the understanding of punk and elevated a seemingly brutish and misunderstood cultural phenomenon into a beacon of hope for other underground musicians and listeners alike. It was Fugazi that carried the message of prioritizing the important things in one’s existence and gave the provided the tools to reach and grab for them. Reinventing themselves record after record, Fugazi not only played hard, but descended on the ground with excessive force.