Fugazi

Fugazi (/fuˈɡɑːzi/; foo-GAH-zee) is an American rock band that formed in Washington, D.C. in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-transcending music, DIY ethical stance, manner of business practice, contempt for the music industry, and Ian Mackaye's little red hat.[2]

For other uses, see Fugazi (disambiguation).
Fugazi
Fugazi performing at Emo's in 2002
Background information
OriginWashington, D.C., U.S.
Genres
Years active1986–2003 (on hiatus)
Labels
Associated acts
Websitewww.dischord.com/band/fugazi
Members
Past membersColin Sears

Fugazi have performed numerous worldwide tours and produced six studio albums, a film and a comprehensive live series, gaining the band critical acclaim and success around the world.[3] Fugazi has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2003.

History

Formation and early years (1986–1989)

After the hardcore punk group Minor Threat dissolved, Ian MacKaye (vocals and guitar) was active with a few short-lived groups, most notably Embrace. MacKaye decided he wanted a project that was "like The Stooges with reggae", but was wary about forming another band after Embrace's break up. MacKaye recalled, "My interests were not necessarily to be in a band, but to be with people who wanted to play music with me."[4]

MacKaye recruited ex-Dag Nasty drummer Colin Sears and bass guitarist Joe Lally, and the trio began practicing together in September 1986. After a few months of rehearsals, Sears returned to Dag Nasty and was replaced by Brendan Canty (earlier of Rites of Spring). One day Canty's Rites of Spring bandmate Guy Picciotto dropped by during a practice session to see how his friend was getting along; he later admitted he secretly harbored the idea of joining the group. But Picciotto was disappointed that there seemed to be no place for him.[5]

After some uncertainty from Canty about what he wanted to do with his future, the trio regrouped and booked their first show at the Wilson Center in early September 1987. The group still needed a name, so MacKaye chose the word "fugazi" from Mark Baker's Nam, a compilation of stories of Vietnam War veterans, it there being a slang acronym for "Fucked Up, Got Ambushed, Zipped In [into a body bag]".[6]

The band began inviting Picciotto to practices. Inspired by use of a foil in hip hop, Picciotto sang backup vocals. After his band Happy Go Licky broke up, he became more involved with Fugazi. MacKaye eventually asked Picciotto to become a full member, which he accepted.[7]

Fugazi EP & Margin Walker – 13 Songs (1988–1989)

Fugazi embarked on its first tour in January 1988. In June 1988 the band recorded its debut EP Fugazi with producer Ted Niceley and producer/engineer Don Zientara (who would become a long-time collaborator), and shortly afterwards embarked on an arduous tour of Europe.[8]

At the tour's conclusion in December, the band recorded songs for its intended debut album. However, the band was spent from touring and decided that the resulting sessions were unsatisfactory. The track list was cut down to an EP and released as Margin Walker the following year. Both EPs were eventually combined into the 13 Songs release in late 1989.[9][10] Upon the band's return from Europe, Picciotto, unsatisfied with singing, began playing guitar too.[11]

Repeater and Steady Diet of Nothing (1990–1992)

With Picciotto playing guitar full-time, Fugazi made the transition into jamming and writing new material as a band as opposed to performing songs composed solely by MacKaye. In addition to working on new material, songs they had been performing live were refined, such as "Merchandise" and "Turnover", for inclusion on their first official full-length studio album.[2]

Released on April 19, 1990, through Dischord Records, Repeater did not initially reach the Billboard 200 charts or become a commercial success. However, the band spent most of 1990 and 1991 touring heavily behind Repeater, performing a total of 250 concerts between March 1990 and June 1991, routinely selling out 1,000-plus capacity venues throughout the world. By summer 1991, the album sold more than 300,000 copies, a large number for a label that relied on minimal promotion. While major labels began to court Fugazi, the band decided to stay with Dischord and refused the offers of those labels. Repeater ultimately went on to sell more than 1 million copies in the U.S. alone, and more than 2 million worldwide. The album was critically well received and featured an alternative rock sound that pre-dated significant releases such as Nirvana's Nevermind and Pearl Jam's Ten, which would unexpectedly go on to break the genre into the mainstream.[2]

For Fugazi's second studio-album Steady Diet of Nothing, released in July 1991, the band once again asked Ted Niceley to produce. Niceley had become a chef and had to reluctantly turn down the job, so the band members decided to produce the record themselves.[12] After the success of Repeater and its subsequent world tour, Steady Diet was highly anticipated, six months prior to its release Dischord had pre-orders in excess of 160,000 for the album.[13]

In On the Kill Taker and Red Medicine (1993–1996)

Fugazi recorded its third album In on the Kill Taker in the fall of 1992 with Steve Albini in Chicago; however, the results were deemed unsatisfactory and the band re-recorded the album with Ted Niceley and Don Zientara. With the breakthrough of alternative rock in the early 1990s, In on the Kill Taker; released on June 30, 1993, became the group's first record to enter the Billboard album charts, received critical praise from Spin, TIME magazine and Rolling Stone, and subsequently became the band's breakthrough album.[3]

By the In on the Kill Taker tour, the group began to sell-out large auditoriums and arenas, as well as receive more lucrative major label offers. During the band's sold-out 3-night stint at New York City's Roseland Ballroom in September 1993, music mogul and Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun met with the band backstage in an attempt to sign them. Ertegun offered the band "anything you want", their own subsidiary label and more than $10 million just to sign with Atlantic. Fugazi declined the offer.[14] The organizers of Lollapalooza also attempted to recruit the band for a headlining slot on its 1993 tour, which the band considered but ultimately turned down.[15]

Fugazi began writing the material for Red Medicine in late 1994, after touring in support of In on the Kill Taker. The band worked with engineer Don Zientara, but did not choose to work with producer Ted Niceley again. Fugazi opted to retreat from the in-your-face production values of In on the Kill Taker and instead worked to create an ambient sound which would display greater range and depth. To achieve this, the band handled production duties themselves, and in doing so, became more confident with in-studio experimentation. Red Medicine would take Fugazi a step further toward art rock. The band began an extensive worldwide tour in support of the album, playing a total of 172 shows between March 1995 and November 1996.[3][16]

McKaye performing with Fugazi at the Academy 1 in Manchester England on 30 October 2002

End Hits and The Argument (1997–2002)

After the grueling worldwide tour the band had completed in support of Red Medicine, Fugazi took an extended break and also began writing material for a follow up release. By March 1997 Fugazi had once again returned to Inner Ear Studios with producer/engineer Don Zientara to begin recording what would become the End Hits album with the intention of taking a more relaxed approach to recording and a longer amount of time to experiment with different songs and techniques in the studio. The group ultimately spent 7 months recording the album. Due to the title, rumors began circulating at the time that it was to be their last release.[17] Released on April 28, 1998 the album was commercially successful and marked one of the band's highest debuts yet on the Billboard charts. However, critical reaction to End Hits was mixed. Many critics praised the album's heavier tracks, while others questioned the inclusion of the group's longer, more experimental songs.[18]

Fugazi began work on The Argument in 1999. This process saw the group taking more time than usual to write and demo material. Each member would bring his own individual riffs and ideas to the band, jam on them, and then begin piecing the songs together into various configurations before deciding on what would become the final versions.[19] The album's recording sessions took place between January and April 2001 at Inner Ear Studios and Dischord House in Arlington, VA, located just outside Washington, D.C. The band once again worked with producer/engineer Don Zientara. During the recording process a considerable amount of time was spent finalizing each song's production, in particular the album's drum tracks, in an effort to give it a unique feel.[20] Drummer Brendan Canty explained to Modern Drummer that "We recorded them all very differently in terms of the drum sounds. We used a lot of different cymbals, snares, and ways of miking."[20]

The Argument was released by Dischord Records on October 16, 2001, along with the EP Furniture + 2, almost 4 years after the release of End Hits. Arion Berger of Rolling Stone called the album "bracing" and "intellectual"[21] and Chris True of AllMusic referred to the album as "spine-tingling and ear-shattering all at once" stating that, "the band has raised the bar for themselves and others once again." He also noted that the album had "touched on strange new territory."[22] By this point Fugazi were on tour less frequently, due in large part to other professional and personal commitments, they performed only 32 shows in 2001 and 2002 respectively.[3]

Indefinite hiatus and reunion rumours (2003–present)

Fugazi went on what they have called an "indefinite hiatus" after the conclusion of their 2002 UK tour following three sold-out nights at the London Forum in England on November 2, 3, 4, 2002.[23] The hiatus was brought on by the band members' insistence on spending more time with their families and to pursue other professional projects.[24]

Since Fugazi went on hiatus in 2003, rumors began circulating regarding a possible reunion, with some insinuating that the band may get back together to headline the Coachella Festival. While the band has confirmed that they have been offered large sums of money to reunite and headline festivals, such as Coachella, they have so far declined the offers.[25]

In March 2011, MacKaye reiterated that Fugazi has "been offered insane amounts of money to play reunions, but it's not going to be money that brings us back together, we would only play music together if we wanted to play music together and time allowed it".[26]

In November 2011, when asked by The A.V. Club about the possibility of a reunion and a follow up to 2001's The Argument, Lally stated that "The Argument was a great record that we should try and top. It'll take some time to come together and everything. To do that, we'd have to, the way the four of us are, we would take quite some time, I think, re-associating ourselves musically, and then just letting it come about naturally, because it would have to be a natural thing. So we'll just see."[27]

In August 2014, Dischord announced an official release for First Demo, an album featuring 11 demo songs recorded in January 1988.[28] The announcement included a preview of the demo for the Fugazi track "Merchandise." [29] The eleven-track album was released on November 18, 2014.[30]

MacKaye insisted in a 2017 interview that Fugazi is not, in fact, broken up. While he admits any future public performance will have to contend with various confounding factors, the members have occasionally played music together, privately, since their 2003 hiatus.[31] On March 21, 2018, in an interview on Vish Khanna's Kreative Kontrol podcast, Lally confirmed the band's irregular practice of casual get-togethers. He stated: “Yeah, when we’re all in D.C., we totally hang out together and talk and spend a lot of time laughing. We have a great time together, go out to dinner, and we'll play some music together.” Lally also stated that additional public performances or tours were unlikely: "There's so much to try to look after to allow Fugazi to do anything, that we do not have the time to give it the respect that it deserves. So unfortunately, it is where it is.”

On February 13, 2019, Louder Sound asked Lally and Canty about the possibility of Fugazi returning, Lally responded “You never want to say never about anything, because how can you say that about the future? But there does seem to be a lack of time to allow it to happen, because the four of us would have to spend a lot of time together to figure out, 'Should we play old songs?' 'Who are we now?' 'What is it now?' We are not the kind of band to get together and just rehearse two hours of old songs to go out and play it, rake in the dough and come home.” Canty added, "If we got back together it would have to be from the spirit of creativity. It would be different if we got back together.”[32]

In the hiatus, the members undertook side projects, with MacKaye forming the duo The Evens with drummer and singer Amy Farina (formerly of the Warmers).

In 2004, MacKaye produced the DC EP for former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, which also featured Jerry Busher.

Canty has been doing a variety of soundtrack scores and playing bass in the trio Garland Of Hours alongside frequent Fugazi guest contributors Jerry Busher and Amy Domingues, and has played bass live with Mary Timony. Canty also appears on Bob Mould's 2005 album Body of Song and on Mould's 2008 album District Line, and has toured with Mould, appearing in the live DVD Circle of Friends. He is currently working in the Burn to Shine DVD series which is being released by Trixie DVD. Now, he is playing in Deathfix alongside Devin Ocampo (Medications, Faraquet, Smart Went Crazy, Beauty Pill), Rich Morel (Bob Mould, Blow Off) and Mark Cisneros (Medications, The Make-Up). They will release their album in February 2013 on Dischord Records.

Lally has released three solo albums, There to Here (2006), Nothing Is Underrated (2007), and Why Should I Get Used To It (2011). He has also appeared on fellow DC post-punkers Decahedron's debut album Disconnection_Imminent, as well as on a project with Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarists John Frusciante and Josh Klinghoffer, known as Ataxia. The group has recorded two albums, Automatic Writing (2004) and AW II (2007).

Picciotto currently works as a record producer most notably with Blonde Redhead and The Blood Brothers, and he has performed alongside members of The Ex at the Jazz festival in Wels, Austria. Picciotto also contributed guitar on two Vic Chesnutt albums, 2007's "North Star Deserter and 2009's At the Cut (co-producing the latter), for Constellation Records and performed live with Chesnutt and members of Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra and The Quavers in Jem Cohen's program entitled, "Evening's Civil Twilight in Empires of Tin at the Vienna International Film Festival (Viennale) in 2007 (a DVD of the program was released in 2009). Picciotto played guitar on Chesnutt's Fall/Winter 2009 North American Tour. He has a daughter with musician Kathi Wilcox from the band Bikini Kill and The Frumpies.

In July 2011, Minneapolis based record label Doomtree released an album of mash-ups between Fugazi and east coast veteran rap crew the Wu-Tang Clan. The album is titled 13 Chambers, group name Wugazi. However, Fugazi itself did not have any involvement with the release.[33] Bassist Joe Lally was asked about his thoughts on the Wugazi release, and stated "I think they could've found better Fugazi pieces to sample with Wu-Tang guys rapping on it. I mean, it's enjoyable, and I do appreciate it for the fact that somebody enjoys our music enough to bring it into that. But, you know, I don't know. I guess I should shut up, because I suppose I'm about to run into these people at the Fun Fun Fun Fest festival and talk to them. But I'm afraid that is my opinion on it. It's like, get better samples of our stuff, do better work."[27]

In October 2012, Chris Lawhorn released Fugazi Edits. The album includes 22 instrumental tracks, which sample 100 songs from Fugazi's discography.[34] As in other cases, the band had no involvement in the production. But, the album was authorized for release by MacKaye, with the proceeds going to charity.[35]

In 2016, Canty and Lally joined with guitarist Anthony Pirog to form the Messthetics, Canty and Lally's first project together since Fugazi's hiatus.[36] In March 2018, the Messthetics released their self-titled debut album and embarked upon a tour of the US and Japan.[37] The band toured further and released a second album entitled Anthropocosmic Nest in 2019.[38][39]

In 2018, Ian MacKaye, Amy Farina and Joe Lally debuted a new band.[40] In February 2020, it was announced that the band, now called Coriky,[41] would release their first album on March 27, 2020.[42] The debut single, "Clean Kill", was released on February 11, 2020.[43] The band previewed their album at a free show in D.C.'s St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church on February 22, 2020.[44] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release of Coriky was delayed to June 12, 2020, in part to accommodate independent record stores closed due to the pandemic.[45] Upon release the record was favorable reviewed in a few publications. Often drawing comparisons and contrasts with Ian and Amy's other band The Evens, as well as fugazi.[46][47][48]

Live performances
Main article: Fugazi Live Series
Handmade tickets for a Fugazi concert from 2001 in Indianapolis, Indiana

Between 1987 and 2003, Fugazi played over 1000 concerts in all 50 US states and all over the world. Over 800 of these shows were recorded by the band's sound engineers. Beginning in 2004 and continuing into 2005, Fugazi launched a 30 CD Live Series that featured concerts from various points in their career, which were made available for sale via Dischord Records. Continuing with the live series concept and after several years of development on December 1, 2011 Fugazi launched a comprehensive Live Series website through Dischord Records that features 750 recordings available for download at the suggested price of $5 each or a "pay what you want" sliding scale option for each download between $1–100 with the goal of eventually making all 800 of the shows that have been recorded available for purchase.[49] For $500 fans can also purchase an "All Access" privilege which will include access to any future concerts and downloads added to the site.[50]

While each concert was professionally mastered, the recordings capture everything that happened onstage and for preservation's sake the band chose not to edit anything out, singer/guitarist Guy Picciotto explained to the New York Times, "We liked this idea of, 'Let's just let it be everything,' ... There doesn't have to be the idea that this is the great, golden document. It's all there, and it's not cleaned up. You get what you get." The sound quality also varies as the earliest recordings were made to cassettes, then eventually digital formats such as DAT, CD-R and ultimately hard-drives were used. Each concert page also includes flyers, photographs and ticket stubs. As a career-spanning archival project, the Fugazi Live Series has few equals, putting the band in the company of acts like the Grateful Dead, Phish and Pearl Jam, three notable examples of other artists with such a large volume of concerts available for purchase.[50]

Musical style

Fugazi's style has been described as post-hardcore,[51] art punk,[52][53] alternative rock,[54] and experimental rock.[55] Fugazi's music was an intentional departure from that of the hardcore punk bands the members had played in previously. Fugazi combined punk with funk and reggae beats, irregular stop-start song structures, and heavy riffs inspired by popular rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Queen, bands that the punk community of the time largely disdained.[56]

Picciotto became the group's second guitarist when he realized MacKaye's typically chunky, low-end riffs and Lally's dub-influenced basslines allowed him to focus on high-pitched parts. In both vocal and guitar roles, Picciotto assumed the role of a foil to MacKaye; employing a Rickenbacker guitar for its scratchy single-coil sound in order to "cut through MacKaye's chunky chording like a laser beam."[11] Picciotto's assumption of guitar duties allowed all four members of the band to jam together and write songs that way, where previously they had played songs largely as MacKaye had arranged them.[57] When writing songs, the band often rearranges them with different structures and different singers.[3] Spin Magazine has listed MacKaye and Picciotto together at No. 86 on their list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time for their unique and interlocking guitar style in Fugazi.[58]

Generally, MacKaye's lyrics and singing are more direct and anthemic (MacKaye admits that he loves audience sing-alongs and writes songs with shout-able slogans), while Picciotto usually favors a more abstract, oblique approach.[3] Lally has contributed vocals to a few songs as well, in which he sings in a more relaxed, quiet style as opposed to MacKaye and Picciotto, whose lyrics and vocals often feature strong emotional intensity. Later, Fugazi more fully integrated elements of punk rock, hardcore, soul and noise with an inventively syncopated rhythm section. Notable is MacKaye and Picciotto's inventive, interlocking guitar playing, which often defies the traditional notion of "lead" and "rhythm" guitars. They often feature unusual and dissonant chords and progressions filtered through a hardcore punk lens.

Each of Fugazi's albums since Repeater have featured an instrumental. By the time of 1995's Red Medicine bassist Joe Lally also began contributing vocals to the band and the group was implementing many of their broader influences into the overall sound. Critics Ian McCaleb and Ira Robbins declared that Fugazi's music combined an "unprecedented dynamic range ... and previously unimagined elements" such as "clattering musique concrète ... piano and sound effects ... murky dub and lancing clarinet" and "loose-limbed jammy funk ... into an ambitious, experimental format that raises more stylistic questions than it answers."[59]

Influences

When questioned by Guitar World in 2002 about the band's influences, singer/guitarist Ian MacKaye responded, "Too many to mention. And not just from the last few years. Some of them predate us by decades, and most of them wouldn't be punk. I would hope any musician would be inspired by a lot of different kinds of music." In a 2004 interview with Indonesian magazine Deathrockstar, Picciotto named "D.C. groups" such as Bad Brains (" [...] who inspired all of us so much at the beginning [...]"), The Faith and Void as influences, in addition to Minutemen, Black Flag, Sonic Youth, The Ex and The Beatles, the latter of which all the members "share[d] a major love for". Despite this, he similarly conceded that "[i]ts [sic] impossible to narrow it down to one band or record because we didn’t just crib from one blueprint, we were grabbing ideas from all over the place and then filtering them through our own limited and personally shaped skills."[60]

Business practices

On their first tours, Fugazi worked out its DIY ethic by trial and error. The group's decisions were partly motivated by pragmatic considerations that were essentially a punk rock version of simple living: for example, selling merchandise on tour would require a full-time merchandise salesperson who would require lodging, food, and other costs, so Fugazi decided to simplify their touring by not selling merchandise. The band was also motivated by moral or ethical considerations: for example, Fugazi's members regarded pricey admission for rock concerts as tantamount to price gouging a performer's most loyal fans. Fugazi's inexpensive target goal of $5 admission was spawned during a conversation on an early tour when the band's members were debating the lowest profitable admission price.[61] Everett True has said that MacKaye and Fugazi "had a mind-set that believed that any involvement with the system was corrupting and that you should create completely alternative structures outside".[62]

In later years and at many venues, particularly on the east and west coasts of the U.S., Fugazi was unable to get ticket prices below about $10–$15 total. However, it never saw the $5 rule as inviolable, instead aiming to charge a price that was both affordable and profitable. Unlike some similar, independent rock contemporaries, Fugazi's performances and tours were always profitable, due to the group's popularity, low business overhead costs, and MacKaye's keen sense of audience response in given regions. Many times the band performed sold-out shows multiple consecutive nights at the same venue.[61]

Fugazi's early tours earned it a strong word-of-mouth reputation, both for its powerful performances, and also for the band's eagerness to play in unusual venues. The group sought out alternatives to traditional rock clubs partly to relieve the boredom of touring, but also hoping to show fans that there are other options to traditional ways of doing things. As Picciotto said, "You find the Elks Lodge, you find the guy who's got a space in the back of his pizzeria, you find the guy who has a gallery. Kids will do that stuff because they want to make stuff happen."[63]

The group (MacKaye in particular) also made a point of discouraging violent, unwanted slam dancing and fistfights, which it saw as relics of the late 1970s/early 1980s hardcore punk era. Michael Azerrad quotes Mackaye, "See, [slam dancers] have one form of communication: violence ... So to disorient them, you don't give them violence. I'd say, 'Excuse me, sir...'- I mean, it freaks them out – 'Excuse me, sir, would you please cut that crap out?'"[64] Azerrad writes, "[MacKaye's] admonitions seemed preachy to some. And by and large, people would obey – it wasn't cool to disrespect Ian MacKaye."[64] Occasionally, Fugazi would have an unrepentant slam-dancer escorted from the concert, and give them an envelope containing a $5 refund (the group kept a stock of such envelopes in their tour van for these occasions).

During the summer of 1990 MacKaye formed the corporation Lunar Atrocities Ltd.[65] in order to shield his own and his bandmates' personal assets from the threat of lawsuits. As MacKaye's financial advisor, Seth Martin, explained to the Washington Post in a 1993 interview: "protection from liability is the main reason to form a corporation, and for these guys it makes sense. If someone got hurt stage-diving and decided to sue, it would be harder to go after their personal assets."[66]

Influence and legacy
I just think of it as part of the reciprocal process inherent in the way music works. Ideas and inspiration are just handed down the line from band to band from generation to generation. For us, we came up completely in awe of bands like the Bad Brains – they lit a fire in us and we just did our best to pass that feeling on to other people in our own way.

Guy Picciotto on the band's influence.[60]

Fugazi's music and ethics have been immensely influential on a number of punk and alternative bands throughout the years, and has earned the band praise from many notable musicians as well. Sublime "thanked" the band by namedropping them on their debut album.[67] At the Drive-In called the band an influence on their own music,[68] as did other notable post-hardcore bands such as Refused,[69] Quicksand,[70] Drive Like Jehu,[71] Mclusky,[72] and Cursive.[73] John Frusciante named them an influence on Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication and on his solo album The Will to Death.[74] Nirvana cited the band as an influence,[75] and Kurt Cobain - who was friends with the members of Fugazi[76] - was even spotted in a popular photo of the band with the word "Fugazi" misspelt on both shoes.[77][78] Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam remarked that witnessing the band live "was a life-changing experience" for him.[79] Reportedly a huge fan, Elliott Smith was "super-obsessed" with the band[80] and later admitted that his former band Heatmiser was "trying to be Fugazi".[81] The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr offered the band praise, and called MacKaye one of his favorite guitarists.[82][83] Towards the end of his life, Joe Strummer, lead vocalist of The Clash, recognized Fugazi as the band that best exemplified "the spirit of punk" in a 2000 Rolling Stone interview, besides offering them accolades on several other occasions.[84][85] In 1993, Joey Ramone of The Ramones picked the band as a favorite, labeling them a "great social conscience".[86]

Graham Coxon of Blur recalls his introduction to bands such as Fugazi (and the Picciotto-led Rites of Spring) in the mid 90s as being one of the most musically significant moments of his life: "They used the guitar in an incredible way; making quite restrained noisy music, which I’d never heard English bands doing."[87] Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World named both MacKaye & Picciotto as an influence on his guitar playing as they made him "more open to the ideas behind guitar playing, as opposed to the technical difficulty of it.".[88] Daniel Kessler of Interpol was also influenced by the band in his guitar-playing,[89][90] as was Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan[91] and Colin Frangicetto of Circa Survive.[92] Tim Commerford of Rage Against the Machine found the band's music on Repeater[93] revelatory, as did Steve Holmes of American Football.[94] Tom DeLonge of Blink-182 called the band a big influence as they “stood for something and never varied from that path.”[95] “Fugazi was probably my biggest influence as far as wanting to start a band,” Modest Mouse founding member Jeremiah Green admitted, "It was really great music and just sounded like something I could possibly do."[96] Gareth Liddiard, lead vocalist & guitarist of both The Drones and Tropical Fuck Storm, named Fugazi (amongst many others) as an influence on his guitar-playing,[97] and praised the band's live performances.[98] When asked to name some of his favorite records or discographies, Brain Cook of Botch (and later Russian Circles) included the band's entire discography amongst others.[99] Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz called the band's debut EP "probably the best I ever heard. It's so together and everything sits in the right place."[100] Jeff Rosenstock not only called the band a big influence on his music,[101] but also on his strict DIY business practices & ethics.[102][103] Sunny Day Real Estate cited the band as an influence for similar reasons.[104]

In addition, the band was a formative influence on Tool bassist Justin Chancellor,[105] Jack White,[106] Daniel Johns of Silverchair,[107] Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney,[108] Iceage,[109] ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead,[110] Dylan Baldi of Cloud Nothings,[111] Arcade Fire lead singer Win Butler,[112] Travis Morrison of The Dismemberment Plan,[113] Efrim Menuck of Godspeed You! Black Emperor,[114] Alison Mosshart of The Kills,[115] Brand New guitarist Jesse Lacey,[116] Converge lead vocalist Jacob Bannon,[117] Coalesce,[118] Tad Kubler of The Hold Steady,[119] Ben Lee,[120] Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers,[121] Explosions in the Sky,[122] Kele Okereke of Bloc Party,[123] Ted Leo,[124] Matt Healy of The 1975,[125] Mary Timony,[126] Hayley Williams of Paramore,[127] Justin Vernon of Bon Iver,[128] and Lorde.[129]

Members

Current

Former

Touring musicians

Timeline

Discography
Main article: Fugazi discography

Studio albums
Year Album details Peak chart positions
US
[130]		 UK
1990 Repeater
  • Release date: April 19, 1990
  • Label: Dischord
 — —
1991 Steady Diet of Nothing — 63
1993 In on the Kill Taker
  • Release date: June 30, 1993
  • Label: Dischord
 153 24
1995 Red Medicine
  • Release date: June 12, 1995
  • Label: Dischord
 126 18
1998 End Hits
  • Release date: April 28, 1998
  • Label: Dischord
 138 47
2001 The Argument
  • Release date: October 16, 2001
  • Label: Dischord
 151 63
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Notes
  1. "Fugazi Members Announce Debut Album From New Band, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  2. ^ a b c d Perlah, Jeff. "The Independent". Guitar World. March 2002.
  3. Perlah, Jeff. "The Independent". Guitar World. March 2002.
  4. Azerrad, p. 384.
  5. Azerrad, p. 385.
  6. Baker, p. 321.
  7. Azerrad, p. 386.
  8. Azerrad, p. 396.
  9. "Brooklyn based Music Blog: Anachronique : Fugazi (War Punk)". Still in Rock. 2004-02-26. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  10. Azerrad, p. 398.
  11. Azerrad, p. 399.
  12. Azerrad, p. 407.
    • Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. New York: Akashic Books. ISBN 1-888451-44-0. p. 304
  14. Freidman, p. 52.
  15. Norman 1993
  16. "Red Medicine : Fugazi : Review : Rolling Stone". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  17. "Guy Picciotto of Fugazi:The Argument (2001): Interview". Morphizm. Morphizm.com. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  18. Crane, Larry. "Fugazi: Brendan Canty & Guy Picciotto on the Recording Process". TapeOp Magazine. February 1999.
  19. Chanko, Chip (2002). "Interviews:Fugazi". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  20. Perlah, Jeff. (2005). Brendan Canty. Modern Drummer Magazine.com. Retrieved 4/28/11.
  21. Berger, Arion. Fugazi The Argument Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 4/28/11.
  22. Kellman, Andy. "Allmusic (((Steady Diet of Nothing > Review)))". Retrieved March 17, 2010.
  23. Freidman, p. 11.
  24. Freidman, p. 12.
  25. "Brendan Canty discusses Fugazi hiatus, "Burn to Shine" and new projects". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  26. "Approaching Oblivion: Ian Mackaye Interview (Minor Threat, Fugazi, Dischord Records)". Approachingoblivion.blogspot.com. 2011-03-22. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  27. "Interview: Joe Lally". The A.V. Club Chicago. 2011-11-10. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
  28. "Fugazi "First Demo" Out November 18th". Dischord.com. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  29. "Fugazi – "Merchandise" (Demo) - Stereogum". Stereogum. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  30. "Fugazi - First Demo". Dischord Records. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  31. "Fugazi's still around--they just went underground". culturecreature.com. 2017-01-19. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  32. "The Messthetics are the band every Fugazi fan needs in their life". Loudersound.com. 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
  33. Joe Gross (July 13, 2011). "Wugazi's '13 Chambers': A Track-by-Track Breakdown". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  34. "Fugazi Edits". Cool Hunting. 2013-01-23. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  35. "Fugazi Edits is the Ultimate Mash-up Album". Creators Project. 2012-11-30. Archived from the original on 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  36. "Press Release: The Messthetics" (PDF). Dischord Records. 2018-03-23. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  37. "The Messthetics: The Messthetics". Pitchfork. 2018-03-31. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  38. "The Messthetics Announce New Album Anthropocosmic Nest for September 2019 Release". mxdwn.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  39. "The Messthetics Anthropocosmic Nest". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  40. "Ian MacKaye, Joe Lally & Amy Farina's band played their first show (pics)". Brooklyn Vegan. November 12, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  41. Grow, Kory (February 11, 2020). "Coriky — Featuring Fugazi, Evens Members — Tease Album With 'Clean Kill'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  42. Sacher, Andrew (February 11, 2020). "Ian MacKaye's new band Coriky announce debut album, share "Clean Kill"". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  43. Gotrich, Lars (February 11, 2020). "Coriky, Ian MacKaye's New Band With Joe Lally And Amy Farina, Announces Debut Album". NPR. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  44. "Ian MacKaye's band Coriky played DC's St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church (pics)". Brooklyn Vegan. February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  45. "Coriky release update". Dischord Records. April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  46. "Coriky is the sound of D.C.'s punk past landing squarely in the present". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  47. "Coriky - Coriky". brooklynvegan.com/. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  48. "Album Of The Week: Coriky Coriky". stereogum.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  49. "Fugazi Live Series: A to Z". Dischord.com. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  50. "Fugazi Rises Again, In Online Archive". New York Times. 2011-11-25. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
  51. Andy Kellman. "Fugazi | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  52. Carlick, Stephen (July 19, 2010). "Fugazi Nearly Finished Massive Live Archive Project". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  53. Little, Michael (October 17, 2003). "In on the Killjoy". Washington City Paper. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  54. Farseth, Erik (2012). American Rock: Guitar Heroes, Punks, and Metalheads (1st ed.). Retrieved January 18, 2017. Fugazi's mixture of punk guitars and funky rhythms made it one of the most influential bands in alternative rock.
  55. Toth, James Jackson (August 23, 2012). "Fugazi Albums From Worst To Best: Red Medicine". Stereogum. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  56. Azerrad, p. 391–392.
  57. Azerrad, p. 399–400.
  58. "SPIN's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Spin.com. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  59. "Fugazi". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  60. "Interview with Fugazi's Guy Piciotto". Cultural Glitch. November 3, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  61. Eric Brace. (August 1, 1993) PUNK LIVES! Washington's Fugazi Claims It's Just a Band. So Why Do So Many Kids Think It's God? The Washington Post
  62. Goldberg, Danny (2019). Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain.
  63. Azerrad, p. 391.
  64. Azerrad, p. 392.
  65. Archived March 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  66. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved April 27, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  67. "Sublime: 40oz. to Freedom". Pitchfork.
  68. Grubbs, Eric (2008). POST: A Look at the Influence of Post-Hardcore-1985-2007. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, Inc. p. 269. ISBN 0-595-51835-4.
  69. "Refused's Dennis Lyxzén Revisits Fugazi's Red Medicine". June 30, 2015.
  70. November 2017, Stephen Hill 09. "Quicksand's track by track guide to new album Interiors". loudersound.
  71. "Drive Like Jehu | San Diego Reader". www.sandiegoreader.com.
  72. "South Wales: M". link2wales. Retrieved May 16, 2020. They claim to take their influences from Fugazi, Pixies and Steve Albini, and their gigs [...]
  73. Dan Ozzi (November 24, 2014). "The Oral History of Cursive's Accidental Masterpiece, 'The Ugly Organ'". Noisey. Retrieved May 16, 2020. We loved Archers of Loaf, but we also loved Fugazi and all these influences. We often ended up on tour with posthardcore bands but we really weren’t that hard even if we were heavy at times.
  74. Miller, Eric T. (October 1, 2004). "John Frusciante: Perfect From Now On".
  75. Luerssen, John D. (March 1, 2014). "Nirvana FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Most Important Band of the 1990s". Rowman & Littlefield – via Google Books.
  76. Brace, Eric (August 1, 1993). "PUNK LIVES! WASHINGTON'S FUGAZI CLAIMS IT'S JUST A BAND. SO WHY DO SO MANY KIDS THINK IT'S GOD?" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  77. "Why Did Kurt Cobain Write FUHGAWZ On His Shoe???". October 13, 2009.
  78. "Nirvana: The 1993 'In Utero' Cover Story, 'Smashing Their Heads on the Punk Rock'". Spin. September 19, 2013.
  79. Alex Young (March 27, 2020). "Pearl Jam Talk Gigaton, Favorite Venues, and Basketball on The Bill Simmons Podcast: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  80. Benjamin Nugent. "Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing". Retrieved May 12, 2020. He was becoming really super-obsessed with Built to Spill and Fugazi, and I know he admired Ian [MacKaye, of Fugazi] and Doug [Martsch, of Built to Spill] like crazy.
  81. Nugent, Benjamin (April 27, 2009). "Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing". Hachette Books – via Google Books.
  82. "JOHNNY MARR - 'It was my destiny'". Record Collector. Retrieved May 15, 2020. I discovered how great Fugazi are and I got to see it all first-hand because I was in Modest Mouse. It was an intoxicating time and it coincided with a change in my personal life
  83. "One of my favourite guitar players Ian MacKaye of Fugazi, Minor Threat and The Evens, and a cup cake". Twitter. November 11, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  84. Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (2003). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation’s Capital. New York: Akashic Books.
  85. Mark Andersen. "The Clash and Fugazi: Punk Paths Toward Revolution" (PDF). Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  86. "Who Do You Love?". Spin. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  87. John Lewis (February 10, 2017). "Graham Coxon on Blur and pop: "It's a strange, limiting form… but me and Damon are more receptive these days"". Uncut. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  88. September 2016, Matt Stocks 08. "The 13 best guitarists according to Jimmy Eat World's Jim Adkins". loudersound.
  89. Myers, Marc (October 2, 2014). "Interpol's Daniel Kessler on Five Electrifying Albums" – via www.wsj.com.
  90. Goodman, Lizzy (August 1, 2017). "Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001–2011". Faber & Faber – via Google Books.
  91. Weinman called Repeater one of his biggest influences. See:Benjamin Weinman (October 30, 2013). "Under the Influence: Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Weinman". The Skinny. Retrieved May 16, 2020. Repeater was a record that was meant to be performed. And no band put on a better show then Fugazi. It was their live show that literally drove an underground punk band based on specific ethics and values to almost mainstream success.
  92. Big Poppa Pump (May 15, 2018). "Interview: Colin Frangicetto of Circa Survive". Spotlight Report. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  93. "RATM's Tim Commerford on Fugazi and more - Under the Influence". www.theskinny.co.uk.
  94. "American Football: 5 Albums That Changed My Life". read.tidal.com.
  95. "List: Five Bands That Influenced Blink-182". Tri Eye Creative Writing & Design.
  96. Stephen Bidwell. "Features - Jeremiah Green". Modern Drummer. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  97. Txema Mañeru (October 16, 2016). "THE DRONES". Staf Magazine. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  98. Marissa Paine (April 10, 2013). "interview: gareth liddiard, the drones". lip magazine. Retrieved May 17, 2020. We’d go and see them and their live gigs were amazing because they didn’t just go out and launch into a song. They’d walk out and scratch their arses and adjust their mic stands and get to know you. They’d talk to the crowd for 10 minutes and make everyone feel like they’re in the room together. When that happens there’s no separation, it’s a party and everyone’s involved.
  99. "Interview #68 /// Brian Cook of Botch / Russian Circles". Now Spinning. November 22, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2020. [...] Magma’s Udu Wudu, any Fugazi LP, Neutral Milk Hotel’s Aeroplane Over The Sea, [...]
  100. "The Quietus | Features | Baker's Dozen | Soul-Searching Frequencies: Eugene Hütz Of Gogol Bordello's Favourite LPs". The Quietus.
  101. Morgan, Steven (October 6, 2018). "In Conversation With Jeff Rosenstock".
  102. "Interview: Jeff Rosenstock on being 'Cool', writing depressing lyrics for upbeat songs, and staying relevant past 30". Vanyaland. March 4, 2015.
  103. HydenTwitter, Steven (October 7, 2016). "DIY Punk God Jeff Rosenstock On Maturity, Sell Outs, Defending Ska, And His Great New LP 'Worry'".
  104. Marc Hawthorne (September 17, 2009). "Sunny Day Real Estate". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 26, 2020. And I think we were pretty influenced by kind of that Fugazi, we-owe-you-nothing, you-have-no-control ethic. Like, “We’re gonna let you have one picture of us, we’re gonna do one interview, and we’re just gonna let our music speak for us, and that’s gonna be that.”
  105. "The Tool Page: Articles". toolshed.down.net.
  106. Barney Hoskins (April 3, 2012). "Jack White: 'Is it fun to make music? I don't really know' – an in-depth Q&A from the vaults". The Guardian. Retrieved April 26, 2020. Dominic [White] and I liked Fugazi and Flat Duo Jets, which I got to from working at the upholstery shop. Those were those punk influences coming up [...] In addition, the first concert White ever attended was a Fugazi concert, see:"'Kneeling At The Anthem D.C.' Finds Jack White Wrestling With His Past And Planning For The Future". September 28, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  107. "Young Moderns: Silverchair". The Washington Post'. July 23, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  108. Stone, Rolling; Stone, Rolling (May 8, 2015). "Carrie Brownstein: The Music That Made Me".
  109. "The Agit Reader • Feature: Iceage". www.agitreader.com.
  110. Ryan Reed (September 25, 2012). "Song Premiere: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, 'Catatonic'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 11, 2020. Lost Songs clearly flirts with political and social commentary, but as Reece notes, “It’s really more observations and reflections. We’re not trying to shove any sort of gospel down someone’s throat – we’re just trying to question things for ourselves. As kids in the Nineties, we were into bands like Fugazi and Public Enemy – bands that were very politically wrapped up in a bunch of stuff. It seemed like there was a sense of trying to find the truth, or at least speaking out.”
  111. "Cloud Nothings: TAS In Session | WFUV". wfuv.org.
  112. "Arcade Fire interview – See Arcade Fire live in London – Time Out Music". Time Out London.
  113. Tom Murphy (September 18, 2013). "Dismemberment Plan's Travis Morrison on the similarities of making music to programming". Westword. Retrieved May 12, 2020. I didn't care for hardcore. I didn't like the politics of it or some of the messages I heard. But Fugazi came along [...] By the time I got to college, I I [sic] started listening to Fugazi and stuff like that, and then I kind of let down my guard, and my friends started playing me records I was super impressed with.
  114. Andrew Hannah (January 20, 2014). "Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra – Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 16, 2020. Once we reached 2009’s Kollaps Tradixionales TSMZ didn’t just share an ethical and ideological outlook with heroes of Menuck such as Black Flag and Fugazi, they sounded like a punk rock band, [...]
  115. Hodgkinson, Will (February 4, 2005). "'We're chain-smoking vegans...' The Kills reveal all" – via www.theguardian.com.
  116. Fiona McKinlay (September 17, 2009). ""I like talking to people": Brand New's Jesse Lacey chats to DiS". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved May 17, 2020. I think for a lot of this record we were listening to stuff that we listened to when we were younger. We were listening to Superchunk, Archers Of Loaf, Polvo, Modest Mouse, and even a lot of hardcore bands that we listened to when we were younger, like Fugazi.
  117. "Notes From The Underground – Converge Takeover: Jacob Bannon Says Thanks". NME. October 15, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2020. Here are some bands that changed my life when I was young: [...] Fugazi, Embrace, Rites Of Spring, [...]
  118. Ryan J. Downey (September 2007). "History". Alternative Press. www.crashandbang.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2020. I came in at a juncture where the context was set for metal to make a more significant crossover into the scene, even though there were still significant constraints about what a straight edge kid could listen to. In a perhaps unorthodox fashion, I continued to listen to (and more importantly, enjoy) music outside the fold: Fugazi, Godflesh, Drive like Jehu, [...]
  119. Lizzoutline. "THE HOLD STEADY". Outline. Retrieved May 18, 2020. [...] in my early teens I got into punk like The Buzzcocks, and also The Violent Femmes, which then developed into liking bands like Black Flag and Fugazi.
  120. Jedd Beaudoin (November 19, 2019). "These Are the Artists That Raised Me: An Interview with Indie Pop's Ben Lee". Popmatters. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  121. Mark Huddle (March 16, 2010). "Interview: Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers". Verbicide. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  122. Jul. "Explosions in the Sky Interview". Indiepoprock. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  123. Paul Connolly (February 26, 2005). "Scared to party?". The Times. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  124. Daoud Tyler-Ameen (December 1, 2011). "Full Disclosure: Fugazi's Best Live Moments, Remembered". NPR. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  125. "LISTEN! the 1975 new single 'People' great slice of millennial punk rock noise and the live version is even better". Louder Than War. August 24, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2020. It harks back to Matt Healy’s youthful love of Fugazi and Converge and other hardcore bands
  126. Daoud Tyler-Ameen (December 1, 2011). "Full Disclosure: Fugazi's Best Live Moments, Remembered". NPR. Retrieved May 22, 2020. I saw one of Fugazi's first shows in a church basement on 16th Street NW in 1987, when I was 17. I remember being totally blown away, and looking around at other people in the audience and seeing this amazed, captivated look on their faces. For the next few years, while I still lived in D.C., I went to see Fugazi almost every time they played. I tried to learn how to be in a band from watching them, but their music and energy were so far beyond anything I could ever imagine being capable of imitating.
  127. "Hayley shares early Paramore influences playlist". Paramore Music. April 26, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  128. Alastair McKay (May 24, 2013). "Bon Iver: "Man, you can take yourself too seriously…"". Uncut. Retrieved May 11, 2020. When he started developing his own tastes, he was attracted to the energy of Primus and Fugazi. “I was a bit starstruck when I saw Ian MacKaye [of Minor Threat and Fugazi] at catering yesterday,” he reveals. “I was like ‘Oh shit, that guy’s my fucking hero.’”
  129. Gordon, Jeremy. "Lorde's Fugazi, Mars Volta, and PJ Harvey-Influenced High School Band Recordings Surface". Pitchfork.
  130. Bashe, P. R., & George-Warren, H., The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Third ed.). New York, Fireside, 2005, p. 358
gollark: No, it's because I'm everyone's alt and I have an IQ of 205 octillion.
gollark: None are safe, broadly speaking.
gollark: Compute the main and variance then multiply and add until you get back to the definition of IQ.
gollark: You'd just rerun the statistics™.
gollark: You wouldn't rework the tests.

References
  • Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. New York: Akashic Books. ISBN 1-888451-44-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981–1991. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 0-316-78753-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Brace, Eric (1 August 1993). "PUNK LIVES! Washington's Fugazi Claims It's Just a Band. So Why Do So Many Kids Think It's God?". The Washington Post. Washington DC. p. G1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Baker, Mark (1983). Nam. Berkley. ISBN 0-425-06000-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Freidman, Glen E. (1994). Fuck You Heroes: Glen E. Friedman Photographs, 1976-1991. New York: Burning Flags Press. ISBN 978-0964191600.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Freidman, Glen E. (2007). Keep Your Eyes Open: Fugazi. New York: Burning Flags Press. ISBN 0-9641916-8-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.