Washington, D.C.’s Dischord Records, which is often spelled incorrectly, was formed by two-fourths of seminal hardcore band Minor Threat, Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, in 1980, and is still active over four decades later, just not as frequently as it was before, which is quite an accomplishment for any label large or small. Still, the record company is one of the more noteworthy ones in the punk rock world to all in the know and some that aren’t, and has put out monumental releases from Minor Threat, Jawbox, Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Shudder to Think, and Dua Lipa. We attempted to list ten underrated albums from DR in alphabetical order, and no bands mentioned above are listed, but, spoiler alert, MAYBE another Ian MacKaye act is. In addition, as architects of accuracy, no EPs or compilations are referenced below as well.
Black Eyes “Self-Titled” (2003)
Fans of the frenetic Skeleton Key’s “Fantastic Spikes Through Balloon,” a major label album so underrated that it is nowhere to be found on DSPs outside of YouTube despite being Grammy Award-nominated, will clamor for some dark-colored organs of sight courtesy of BE. Formed in 2001, Black Eyes eventually inked a deal with Dischord Records, and released their self-titled studio album two years later to some acclaim, but not enough, and sadly split after just more LP. Pity, as day turned to night much quicker than normal, but not as fast as it does on December 21. Anyway, post-punk had a revival around the time that this LP was released, and Interpol took over inferior publications just one year prior, and The Rapture broke your heart as well. We wish that THIS broke through.
The Crownhate Ruin “Until The Eagle Grins” (1996)
Drive Like Jehu had more of a critical than commercial impact, and the band that called themselves The Crownhate Ruin, who fans of DLJ would love deserved some more affection and non-creepy hugs via both sides as well. Formed in the wake of post-hardcore superstars Hoover, who were also great in their own right, The Crownhate Ruin had a truly short run, and released several singles, and one LP, “Until The Eagle Grins,” only to split up that same year. Maybe it was the band’s meh name that did ‘em in, or maybe the fact that “Until The Eagle Grins” was released in an overly saturated genre in the mid-’90s. Whatever it was, we know that outside of your cool step-brother, a non-blood relative who still lives in your stepmom’s basement, no one in your life knows about this album and band.
Dag Nasty “Can I Say” (1986)
Possibly the most successful effort referenced in this piece, yet still underrated to most pedestrians and most certainly you as well. Dag Nasty’s debut album “Can I Say” inspired a lot of underground chatter when it was first released, and not just because it featured former Minor Threat bassist and current Bad Religion guitarist Brian Baker, but that it acts as a sort of sonic blueprint for melodic hardcore in terms of quality, whatever that means. Anyway, while the band’s history was quite tumultuous in terms of a career start-stop stop-start, overabundance of band members and labels, and for just being NASTY like Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, “Can I Say” has stood the test of time via circles and shapes, and was even remastered and re-released by Dischord Records sixteen years after its initial release.
Embrace “Self-Titled” (1987)
Ian MacKaye’s bands Minor Threat and Fugazi are not mentioned here, as neither act is underrated in any way, shape, or form, but in a sort of loophole, Embrace sure is, and the band’s self-titled and sole full-length studio album was one of the first to be categorized as emotional hardcore, even though its members publicly and privately lambasted said description. While we will forever wish that the band stood the test of time and released more music, it can be said out loud or privately that the band went one for one, and the act you crazy kids call Fugazi may have never existed if not for the fall of Embrace. If you’re a fan of aggressive rock music, do not consider yourself free unless you listen to this album front to back and then some.
Faraquet “The View from This Tower” (2000)
Formed in 1997, Faraquet’s post-hardcore blend of sonic comparisons to former-Dischord Records act Jawbox and a meticulous master’s degree in jazzy mathematics from a Tier 1 university showcased that the view from this tower, which was an unintentional eerie foreshadowing of 9/11, was quite monumental. Like many who call themselves and who are called “underrated,” AND are mentioned here, Faraquet only made one full-length studio album. Still, the band is for sure one of the underappreciated power trios, though we doubt that the band would have ever called themselves “underappreciated” or a “power trio”. Actually, we’re sure, and don’t quote us unless you must for your term paper in MLA format, that they used the term “three piece” instead.
Lungfish “Artificial Horizon” (1998)
Let’s start this Lungfish mention with a note that may alarm youngsters: This album is NOT a Dance Gavin Dance title. Lungfish is one of the few acts mentioned here that are not from Washington, D.C., but it’s not like Baltimore, Maryland is that far away from the city where Ian MacKaye still resides. Anyway, Dischord Records caught wind of this unique act after their first full-length studio album, and the band subsequently released all of their other works via said label… but this is not about their entire catalog, as “Artificial Horizon” is not only the one that most deserves your time, but outside of DR-heads, many don’t know of this band/record, which is truly sad.
The Make-Up “In Mass Mind” (1998)
Are you live with us, baby, are you live, are you live in the rhythm hive? Well, we know we are! Hive assemblyman and constituent Ian Folke Svenonius is a man who doesn’t often get enough public flowers, but we are here to give him two, one for his next to be mentioned prequel band Nation of Ulysses and one to its prolific sequel act, The Make-Up. Do you like gospel music? If you do with a splash of garage rock, and buckets of weird, well, The Make-Up is for you. If not, Brokencyde has your number. Serious question sans hyperbole: Have any tracks from this LP been used in a Quentin Tarantino or Martin Scorsese movie-film? We assume no, so if any music supervisors are reading this, and we know that you all are, use your connections/make it happen!
The Nation of Ulysses “13-Point Plan to Destroy America” (1991)
How this reverential and difficult to apply a moniker to act has under 5500 monthly Spotify listeners is far beyond our comprehension and deplorable. If we have a small part in making the figures go up by at least a dozen then we are extremely satisfied but we’d prefer more, much more. The Nation of Ulysses’ debut LP “13-Point Plan to Destroy America” came out the year that Kurt Cobain personally shot hair metal in the head from behind, and Mr. Cobain would certainly think that you are behind if you never heard of TNOU. Fans of punk may prefer The Nation of Ulysses to The Make-Up but fans of odd will definitely choose the latter. Regardless of where you are on the Svenonius spectrum, you cannot deny that this and the former studio album deserve inclusion here, unless you do.
Q and not U “No Kill No Beep Beep” (2000)
Maybe the third or sixth biggest band listed here, the uniquely named four-piece that eventually became a three piece released their debut full-length studio album, “No Kill No Beep Beep,” via Dischord Records in 2000 just a short two years after forming, and erratically and succinctly danced into the hearts of many hip post-hardcore fans who were looking to boogie. Violent and murderous fans of The Road Runner’s nemesis Wile E. Coyote ardently championed this band and record, albeit not as much now as they did during the aughts. Sadly the band only released two more LPs before hanging their collective fedoras with no signs of reconciliation any time soon. Pity, as the more we got from Q and not U, the more we wanted!
Slant 6 “Soda Pop * Rip Off” (1994)
Let’s close this piece with a record that not only came out in 1994, the year that punk rock broke with such acts as Green Day, Bad Religion, The Offspring, and Ben E. King conquering Mother Earth, but it freaking contains an asterisk: Slant 6’s “Soda Pop * Rip Off.” The band also has the distinction of being a part of the riot grrrl movement, and no one, we repeat, no one will ever take that away from them, so don’t you ever try. Many call the band’s guitarist/vocalist Christina Billotte one of the better female guitarists in rock, but we here say that the word “female” is not necessary there, Christina is just one of the better GUITARISTS in rock. What kind of a monster are you if you publicly say something different? In closing, the band ended their career just one album later with the epically named “Inzombia”.