Mid week and the rest of this weeks posts are going to be in a punk rock vein. First up are Minor Threat. The band that can be credited with starting the Straight Edge Movement. For those unfamiliar with the movement, it basically states no drugs, no booze. The identifying mark is usually a black X on the hand. Existing for a mere three years, Minor Threat started up in 80 and by 83 were done. Led by Ian MacKaye, along with fellow DC Punkers the Bad Brains, Minor Threat helped shaped the East Coast Punk scene. The band cut 3 EPs and 1 full length album while together. Each release was issued on MacKaye's own Dischord Records. Thankfully a 'Complete Discography' was released. The album features the EPs and the LP together on one disc. Perfect album for those interested in the roots of American Punk Rock.
I realized the other day that this was actually missing from my collection for some reason or another. Minor Threat along with other punk bands like the Bad Brains and Black Flag laid the foundation of what American Punk was in the early 80's. Most of the bands toured in a van, got banned from venues and exploded by the time Hair Metal was in. Much like Henry Rollins, MacKaye is a smart man. Rollins often tells stories about the trouble they got into in the early days. It's always nice to see smart people in music. And while I'm not really behind the whole straight edge this, it was great to see a band with such a hardcore DIY attitude when it came to there art. Really sad when you can't say that about many of today's bands.
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