Fugazi

Fugazi is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1987 by guitarist-vocalist Ian MacKaye, formerly of the influential hardcore band Minor Threat, alongside guitarist-vocalist Guy Picciotto and drummer Brendan Canty, both previously of Rites of Spring, and bassist Joe Lally. The band emerged from D.C.'s tight-knit hardcore punk scene, built around MacKaye's Dischord Records label and its ethic of independence and self-reliance.

Musically, Fugazi expanded hardcore's vocabulary with dub and reggae-informed basslines, dissonant guitar interplay, dynamic shifts between quiet and explosive passages, and dual vocal trade-offs between MacKaye and Picciotto. This angular, tension-driven sound, first heard on their self-titled 1988 EP and crystallized on the full-length «Repeater» (1990), became foundational to post-hardcore and helped shape the emo and indie rock movements that followed.

Fugazi were equally known for their uncompromising DIY ethics: they kept ticket and album prices low, refused corporate sponsorship, avoided major labels entirely, and toured relentlessly, building a reputation as one of the most influential and principled bands of their era. Albums like «13 Songs», «In on the Kill Taker», and «The Argument» cemented their legacy before the band went on indefinite hiatus in the early 2000s.