THE MUSIC BLOGGING HIVE MIND

Fugazi

13 Songs

  • AMG Review of 13 Songs

    Amg
    Andy Kellman
    All Music Guide

    Disregarding all the wordiness and adjectives that can be heaped like a pile of horse dung at Disneyland upon great, timeless albums, the importance of this record can perhaps be more suitably measured by the number of people who remember the first time they heard it. 13 Songs (a combination of the Fugazi and Margin Walker EPs) is usually among the first records that spring to mind when defining alternative rock. Furious, intelligent, artful, and entirely musical, it's a baker's dozen of cannon shots to the gut -- not just a batch of emotionally visceral and defiant songs recorded by angry young men, but something greater. Nearly every song here reaches an anthemic level without falling prey to pomposity. Most of these songs are anthems of the self rather than a rallying cry of accusation or unification, with "Waiting Room" and "Suggestion" serving as two examples. The attention-getting drop into silence that occurs at the 22-second mark of the former is instantly memorable. The relentless ska/eggae-inflected drive of the song is equally effective, as Ian MacKaye tells everyone listening to get off their behinds and do what they want. During the Meters-meets-Ruts thrust of "Suggestion," MacKaye switches genders for an entirely convincing rant on the objectification of women. Guy Picciotto takes on the persona of an addict on "Glue Man," whose blurred sense of reality is also conveyed in the warped, psychedelic guitars. Picciotto threatens to set himself on fire during "Margin Walker"; given the spirited play of the remaining members, it sounds like the same could be said for the rest of them. Foreshadowing the band's knack for introspective and mid-tempo concluding tracks, the disc ends with MacKaye's "Promises," examining the pitfalls of trust in relationships of any nature. A landmark record.

Table Bed Chair - A documentary about the squatter scene of Amsterdam by Robert Hack and Jakob Proyer
over 2 years ago

Table Bed Chair DVD brand newA documentary by Robert Hack and Jakob ProyerDirector and editor: Robert HackScript and research: Jakob ProyerCamera: Jakob M. Kubizek and Peter SihorschSound Mastering: Stefan DeisenbergerLanguage: English with Dutch and English SubtitlesDuration: 30 min 41sec4:3 PALA no budget production published under creative commons attribution-noncommercial-sharealike 2.0 Aus...

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good tune
over 3 years ago

i heard this on a pandora "stooges" station. i used to be a huge fugazi fan, but now some of their stuff really turns me off. i really, really like this song, though. "glue man" is awesome, too. i guess i like guy's songs and not ian's. did they break up?

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Table Bed Chair - A documentary about the squatter scene of Amsterdam by Robert Hack and Jakob Proyer
over 2 years ago

Table Bed Chair DVD brand newA documentary by Robert Hack and Jakob ProyerDirector and editor: Robert HackScript and research: Jakob ProyerCamera: Jakob M. Kubizek and Peter SihorschSound Mastering: Stefan DeisenbergerLanguage: English with Dutch and English SubtitlesDuration: 30 min 41sec4:3 PALA no budget production published under creative commons attribution-noncommercial-sharealike 2.0 Aus...

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$288.59 Bree Beat That!
over 2 years ago

So whats up mogland. I just spent $288.59 on music today. 31 Compact discs for enjoyment. Now the list.!!!/Out Hud - "Lab Remix Series Vol.2" Split EPArchitexture In Helsinki - Fingers CrossedArchitexture In Helsinki - Heart It Races [Single]At The Drive-In - VayaBelle & Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab StrapBen Kweller - On My WayFugazi - 13 SongsThe Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The ...

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good tune
over 3 years ago

i heard this on a pandora "stooges" station. i used to be a huge fugazi fan, but now some of their stuff really turns me off. i really, really like this song, though. "glue man" is awesome, too. i guess i like guy's songs and not ian's. did they break up?

More >
Fugazi -- Waiting Room, 1988
about 1 year ago

Sigh. This brings back incredible memories or early college. Five dollar shows, lighting by Home Depot Special work lamps and a big ass bell. And if you look closely, you'll see there is NOTHING but dudes in that audience. Explains a lot, I guess.

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