| 13 Songs | 1990 |
| Repeater | 1990 |
| Steady Diet Of Nothing | 1991 |
| In On The Kill Taker | 1993 |
| Red Medicine | 1995 |
| End Hits | 1998 |
| Instrument | 1999 |
Fugazi, a highly influential alt/punk/rock band, has gained a large cult following over the years, thanks in part to their cheap live shows, cheap CDs and an overall attitude and image of non-commercialism. Luckily, this has not managed to overshadow the music itself, however, and over the years Fugazi has continued to offer an original, enjoyable sound.
--Caleb Smith
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(reviewed by Caleb Smith)
A highly creative slice of punk-tinged modern rock, Repeater manages to be catchy without being poppy, experimental without being inaccessible, and punk without being one-dimensional. Yet the real strength of the band, and this album, lies in their ear for good melody, very good melody. All over this album are pretty little guitar licks, various catchy riffs and hooks, and just plain interesting rhythms. Fugazi also seems to have quite an interest in song structure, or maybe it's just me has an interest in song structure, but either way Fugazi manages to write their songs in very cool ways. They don't always rely on the "verse/chorus/verse" method, and when they do, they make sure to add a little spice to it. The good melodies, the successful song structures, as well as all the experimentation with guitar feedback and such, add together to make quite an enjoyable listening experience.
But let's ruin this picnic right now and start talking cons. For one, I'm not too crazy about the vocals. There are two vocalists in the band, but they both use the typical punk delivery. That is, a semi-singing/semi-talking vocal with a snotty tone. If you're into those type of vocals, then there's no problem. They actually don't detract from the music one bit, nor are they always bad ("Shut the Door," for instance, contains an awesome, emotionally draining vocal performance), but I personally don't care for them. Then there's the fact that I'm just not too crazy about the band's style in general. I like it, and I appreciate what Fugazi are doing, but I can't seem to get as enthralled with them as everyone else. It's no matter though, if there's enough great music, I can easily overlook the aspects I don't like, and luckily there's tons of great material here. It's easy to see why many people consider this album a masterpiece, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is. It's all subjective of course. Whatever your opinion might turn out to be, however, I can almost guarantee you'll find it well worth the purchase price.
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(reviewed by Caleb Smith)
Hmm, well now, this is something special. I've had Repeater for quite a while, and though I certainly enjoyed it, it was never on the top of my playlist. But I decided I'd go ahead and get some more Fugazi, especially since their CDs are never more than 11 or 12 bucks. I'm glad I did. I now totally understand why Fugazi is so revered. They're creative! And that's one of the main things I look for in music. I love to hear new melodies, new approaches to song structure, new sounds coming out of traditional instruments, and all of these are things that fugazi excel at on this album. Some of it sounds like straight-up rock ("Back to Base"), but there's always little nuances and subtleties that make the music sound so much more creative than typical rock music. At the same time, some of this material is straight out of left field, particularly the distorted, feedback-drenched "By You" and the haunting jazz-like instrumental "Version."
Which brings me to another things that's great about this album, the diversity. For instance, the band goes from loud, excitingly off-kilter rock on one track ("Birthday Pony") to mellow, haunting guitar-pop the next ("Forensic Scene"). This stylistic diversity, along with cool little experiments like the industrial-sounding intro to "Do You Like Me," make the possibility of someone getting bored by this album very low. I really enjoy this album, so much in fact, that I went back and reexamined Repeater and found that I like it even more than I thought. Any complaints I used to have about Fugazi were pretty much erased after listening to this album. The vocals? I love em! Ian MacKaye's throaty yell and Guy Picciotto's more traditional but equally affecting voice have grown on me quite a bit. One last thing, before you purchase this album, be warned that it's not quite as "out there" as it's often portrayed. It's certainly experimental, yes, but in the end it's simply very creative, very diverse rock and roll, and it's great. I'll certainly be buying more Fugazi in the future. Rock is dead? It's alive!
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