Who would think that music made by four non-violent, drug-free, and staunchly ethical punks could be so intricate, masterful, and intense?
Their albums are cohesive and distinct, and their well documented live sets are extremely well done. Truly great.
The interaction of vocals and interplay of guitars stands out on top of a monolithic rhythm section.
Given the unearthly sounds that appear in their songs, I was surprised to learn that they use minimal effects for their guitars. Their business practices teach more about managing a business than any Harvard Business School case study.
Interviews
There was a GeoCities page with links to many Fugazi interviews and general information about the band. Since GeoCities was shut down, this site can now be accessed at archive of the site at OOcities. Since Fugazi eschewed publications managed by large corporations, this is a valuable compilation of interviews that may be out of circulation or otherwise hard to find. Luckily, many of the interviews were transcribed on the GeoCities page and can still be accessed through OOcities. However, the passage of time is clearly visible in the number of dead links are to now defunct publications or sites. Even where sites that are still active link to an existing publication, the URL scheme may have changed, leaving the link useless. In these cases, the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, which maintains historical snapshots of webpages and can be used to view the pages.
The Low Times Podcast had an excellent interview with Guy Picciotto, which I recommend hunting for (I think that it is still accessible through iTunes). The Low Times website has now vanished. I will try to write up what I remember from it.
Media
- Unlimited Streaming via Bandcamp - Dischord Records made their catalog available for streaming on Bandcamp. Give Fugazi a listen, and also check out their progenitors such as Rites of Spring and Minor Threat
- Waiting Room the way it is meant to be played. Shirtless in front of an undulating mass of dancing kids.
- Song #1 from Instrument - I wish I had moves like Guy.