Fugazi is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C. in 1987. The band’s continual members are guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. The band has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2003, but the group's members have frequently said that the band has not broken up.
Lead singer Ian MacKaye was a member of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat from 1980 to 1983. MacKaye decided, after playing with a number of other groups, to go in a more experimental direction, incorporating elements of reggae, noise rock, indie rock, and the New York City ‘No Wave’ scene of the early ‘80s. Other guitarist and vocalist Guy Picciotto, as well as drummer Brendan Canty, were both members of Rites of Spring, a 190s post-hardcore band that too originated from Washington, D.C.
The band released its first EP, Fugazi, in 1988, followed by another EP, Margin Walker and the compilation album 13 Songs. Fugazi helped inspire the growing emocore genre, and influenced the grunge and pop-punk movements of the ‘90s.
Fugazi released their first full-length album, Repeater, in 1990. Despite failing to chart high at first, Fugazi’s heavy touring and critical acclaim helped the album sell over 300,000 copies by 1991, and it is often cited as one of the first releases of the alt-rock explosion.
Fugazi continued to play and record, releasing six more albums – the introspective Steady Diet of Nothing, the abrasive In on the Kill Taker, the subdued Red Medicine, the manic End Hits, and the hauntingly final The Argument. They are noted for their DIY ethical stance and contempt toward the popular music industry.
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