DC Rock History

• Fugazi - "13 Songs" with Jim Saah

  In this episode, we explore 13 Songs, the seminal compilation that introduced Fugazi’s raw urgency and experimental edge to a wider audience. Originally released in 1989 by Dischord Records, 13 Songs combines the band’s first two EPs Fugazi (1988) and Margin Walker (1989) and stands as a defining document of the post–Revolution Summer era in Washington, D.C.   Formed by Ian MacKaye, Joe Lally, Brendan Canty, and later joined by Guy Picciotto, Fugazi built on the intensity of their hardcore roots while incorporating dub, minimalism, and socio-political critique into their sound. Recorded at Inner Ear Studios in Virginia and Southern Studios in London, the two EPs captured a band coming into their power, forging a sound that was at once confrontational and disciplined, spacious and relentless.   In this conversation, we’re joined by Jim Saah, the D.C.-based photographer and filmmaker whose iconic live shots helped define DC hardcore's visual legacy. We talk about the band’s early shows, the scene that gave rise to their sound, and how 13 Songs became a blueprint for the future of independent music.   Go Further: Dischord Records – 13 Songs Wikipedia – 13 Songs Fugazi Live Series Dance of Days by Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins – Akashic Books   Follow Us: Social Media: @dcrockpod Email: [email protected]   Hosts: Philip Basnight – Broke Royals Alex Vidales – Pilot Waves   Podcast Artwork by Rebecca Basnight

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• Fire Party - "s/t" with Fire Party

  In this episode, we explore Fire Party, the self-titled debut from one of the most groundbreaking bands to emerge from Washington, D.C.’s post–Revolution Summer punk scene. Formed in 1986 by Amy Pickering (vocals), Natalie Avery (guitar), Kate Samworth (bass), and Nicky Thomas (drums), Fire Party brought a new perspective to D.C. punk — politically charged, emotionally direct, and unapologetically their own.   Recorded at Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara engineering and Ian MacKaye producing, the album captures the raw energy of late ’80s Dischord Records while pushing its sound into more melodic and introspective territory. The band’s 1988 European tour with Scream marked one of the first international tours for a Dischord act and solidified Fire Party’s reputation as both trailblazers and torchbearers of a more inclusive punk movement.   In this conversation, all four founding members reflect on the scene that shaped them, their first shows at D.C. Space, and how their music helped open the door for future generations of feminist and alternative punk artists.   Go Further: Dischord Records – Fire Party Wikipedia – Fire Party (band) Dance of Days by Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins – Akashic Books   Follow Us: Social Media: @dcrockpod Email: [email protected]   Hosts: Philip Basnight – Broke Royals Alex Vidales – Pilot Waves   Podcast Artwork by Rebecca Basnight

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• Embrace - "Embrace" with Mark Jenkins

  In this episode, we dive into Embrace, the posthumously released self-titled album from one of the most pivotal bands of Washington, D.C.’s Revolution Summer movement. Though only active from 1985 to 1986, Embrace brought together vocalist Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat) with three former members of the Faith, guitarist Michael Hampton, bassist Chris Bald, and drummer Ivor Hanson, to create a record that helped redefine punk’s emotional and musical boundaries.   Our guest is Mark Jenkins, longtime D.C. writer and co-author of Dance of Days. Together, we explore how Embrace captured a moment of transition in the D.C. hardcore scene, why the album was released a year after the band broke up, and how it reflects the shift toward personal introspection, community-minded values, and experimentation during the mid-1980s.   We also look at Embrace’s role within the broader context of Revolution Summer, the media’s early attempts to label this new sound as “emocore,” and how the album connects the dots between Minor Threat’s raw energy and Fugazi’s expansive post-hardcore vision.   Go Further: Dischord Records – Embrace Wikipedia – Embrace (American band) Dance of Days by Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins – Akashic Books     Follow Us: Social Media: @dcrockpod Email: [email protected]   Hosts: Philip Basnight – Broke Royals Alex Vidales – Pilot Waves   Podcast Artwork by Rebecca Basnight

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• Dag Nasty - "Can I Say" with Broke Royals

  In this episode, we dive into Can I Say, the 1986 debut album from Dag Nasty - a record that helped define melodic hardcore and mark a turning point in Washington, D.C.’s punk history. Formed in 1985 by guitarist Brian Baker after the breakup of Minor Threat, Dag Nasty united veterans of the D.C. scene including Colin Sears, Roger Marbury, and vocalist Dave Smalley. Together, they bridged the aggression of hardcore with melody and introspection, creating a sound that would influence punk and emo for decades to come.   Our guests are Broke Royals, aka Philip's own band! Together, we explore how Can I Say balanced speed and precision with emotional depth, how it was recorded at Inner Ear Studios with Ian MacKaye producing and Don Zientara engineering, and why this album continues to resonate nearly forty years later.   We also look at Dag Nasty’s role within the second wave of Dischord Records bands, their connection to the evolving D.C. scene of the mid-1980s, and how Can I Say laid the groundwork for future generations of melodic punk and post-hardcore.   Go Further: Dischord Records – Can I Say AllMusic – Dag Nasty "Dance of Days" by Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins - Akashic Books   Follow Us: Social Media: @dcrockpod Email: [email protected]   Follow Us: Philip Basnight – Broke Royals Alex Vidales – Pilot Waves   Podcast Artwork by Rebecca Basnight

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• Rites of Spring - "Rites of Spring" with Mark Andersen

  In this episode, we explore Rites of Spring, the 1985 self-titled release that intertwined with Revolution Summer and reshaped the direction of punk in Washington, D.C. and beyond. Rites of Spring formed in 1984 with Guy Picciotto (vocals, guitar), Eddie Janney (guitar), Mike Fellows (bass), and Brendan Canty (drums). The band built on the foundation of hardcore but infused their songs with personal and emotional intensity, creating a record that is often cited as a cornerstone of post-hardcore and what would later be labeled “emo.”   Our guest is Mark Andersen, co-founder of Positive Force DC and co-author of Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation’s Capital. Mark shares his first-hand experiences of seeing Rites of Spring live, the atmosphere of the D.C. punk community in 1985, and the ways in which the band’s performances helped spark a new sense of purpose in the scene. Together, we discuss how Rites of Spring’s music reflected a moment of transition, carrying forward the urgency of hardcore while opening space for vulnerability and connection.   We also examine the album’s recording at Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara and Ian MacKaye, the relationship of the band to contemporaries like Embrace and Beefeater, and the enduring influence of Rites of Spring as a defining work in D.C.’s underground history.   Go Further: Dischord Records – Rites of Spring AllMusic – Rites of Spring   Follow Us: Social Media: @dcrockpod Email: [email protected] Philip Basnight – Broke Royals Alex Vidales – Pilot Waves Mark Andersen – Dance of Days, Positive Force DC   Podcast Artwork by Rebecca Basnight

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