Wrapping up with IAN MACKAYE and GUY PICCIOTTO

Wrapping up with IAN MACKAYE and GUY PICCIOTTO

Author: Ian James Wright February 12, 2022 Duration: 2:18:34

Ian MacKaye with some working titles https://i.imgur.com/kDaV4Xi.jpg

"Survival" by Prince Far I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNlMvVR93i0

My Korg DT-1 tuner https://i.imgur.com/hjEFR0k.jpg

Guy Picciotto's "guitanjo" https://i.imgur.com/jemecjC.jpg

A few addenda from Guy:

  1. "I’m pretty sure the working title 'Na Na Na' was the song Target. The 'na na na' would have been the opening note sequence that Ian and Joe played and I seem to recall when we were writing it / rehearsing there was some singing along of 'na na na na na na .. na na na na na' which made us all laugh."
  2. "The demo for INSTRUMENT and REND IT from Inner Ear that I mentioned was also significant in terms of writing the song INSTRUMENT. When we tracked it originally the guitars played thick chords all through the song with no dynamics – it was basically just a wall of guitars the whole way through. I think we even played it live that way for a while – where it was a more grungy noise thing. While doing the demo we struggled mixing it and couldn’t get it to work – it was just too monolithic and muddy. At some point I just started playing the mute buttons on the mixing desk to drop the guitars out during the verses so the bass part could be revealed and that was the key to making that song work and from there we totally re-arranged it to allow all that air back into the song that wasn’t there before. I feel like that was a significant stage for us in terms of changing the way we thought about our music and our mixes in terms of carving space.'
  3. "I need to confirm this with Ian but after listening I’m pretty sure the computer in COMBINATION LOCK is saying 'Wait a minute…. I forgot my combination'. Because of the janky algorithm it sounds like 'Wait a min-oot …. I forgot my combination'. That seems to match my memory of it but if Ian has a different take I’ll let you know."

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There's a certain kind of music fan who doesn't just love a band but needs to dive into every corner of their work, dissecting each track with a mix of scholarly curiosity and pure fandom. The Alphabetical Fugazi is built for that listener. Host Ian James Wright, joined by a rotating cast of guests, has undertaken a wonderfully peculiar project: exploring the entire recorded output of the iconic post-hardcore band Fugazi, but he's doing it alphabetically by song title. This means a conversation might jump from a deep cut to a more famous track based solely on the whims of the alphabet, creating unexpected connections and fresh perspectives on a catalog many thought they knew inside out. You'll hear detailed breakdowns of the music's construction, the intensity of its performances, and the weight of its lyrics, all filtered through the personal experiences and insights of Wright and his guests. It's a structured yet freewheeling deep dive that celebrates obsessive detail. This podcast approaches a legendary band's work not as a historical timeline, but as a shuffled playlist where every episode is a surprise, guaranteeing that even the most dedicated Fugazi enthusiast will hear something new. The journey runs from "23 Beats Off" all the way to "Walken's Syndrome," and every discussion in between is a testament to the enduring power and complexity of the music itself.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Alphabetical Fugazi
Podcast Episodes
Albini Sessions with Vish Khanna [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46:08
Albini Sessions https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/album/albini-sessions-benefit-for-letters-charity Kreative Kontrol http://vishkhanna.com/ Shellac's "Watch Song" by The Messthetics, James Brandon Lewis, Land of Talk, & Vish K…
thanks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:48
The Alphabetical Fugazi Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/683484258762720 This Is Not a Fugazi Appreciation Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/Fugazi.appreciation.group Visualizing the History of Fugazi b…
"Walken's Syndrome" with Joe Gross [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:11
"Walken's Syndrome" by Fugazi https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/track/walkens-syndrome Annie Hall: Christopher Walken scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp3NWzLzaek In On the Kill Taker (33 1/3 series) by Joe Gross https://…
"Waiting Room" with Chris Richards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:49
"Waiting Room" by Fugazi https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/track/waiting-room "Waiting Room (Demo)" by Fugazi https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/track/waiting-room-demo 1991 interview with Ian MacKaye (And When There's Darkness) http…
"Version" with Joe DeGeorge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:05
"Version" by Fugazi https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/track/version Tape Op interview https://tapeop.com/tutorials/12/fugazi/ Diskant interview http://www.diskant.net/features/fugazi-guy-picciotto/ Pitchfork interview https://…
[Untitled] with Amy Domingues [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:40
[Untitled] by Fugazi https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/track/intro Amy's handwritten notes for The Argument session https://i.imgur.com/jnTu2Zp.jpg Opening scene from The Shining https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjLip2FZLuA Gar…
"Two Beats Off" with Benjy and Stephen Rickard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:10
"Two Beats Off" by Fugazi https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/track/two-beats-off Benjy's Smiths/Morrissey tribute band https://www.facebook.com/LouderThanMoz The Frequence https://www.facebook.com/thefrequence Benjy's Instagram…
"Turnover" with Jason Begay [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:06
"Turnover" by Fugazi https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/track/turnover Chapel Hill, NC USA 5/1/1989: only known recording of "N.S.A." https://www.dischord.com/fugazi_live_series/chapel-hill-nc-usa-50189 Thom Gibbs interview w/G…
"Turn Off Your Guns" with Chris Bonner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:31
"Turn Off Your Guns" by Fugazi https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/track/turn-off-your-guns-demo Fugazi show that Chris' band opened https://www.dischord.com/fugazi_live_series/leeds-england-42999 Blindboy Podcast episode on per…
"The Word" with Leon Pierce [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:04
"The Word" by Fugazi (First Demo) https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/track/the-word-demo "The Word" by Fugazi (Margin Walker sessions) https://dischord.bandcamp.com/track/the-word Last performance of "The Word"? Paris, 11-22-88…