Intro
01 Oct 2021marks the release of the highly-anticipated two-volume benefit comp Silence is a Dangerous Sound – A Tribute to Fugazi. The Fugazi-sanctioned collection is released by Scottish DIY label Ripcord Records on double CD or digital download, and 100% of the proceeds will go to Tribe Animal Sanctuary Scotland.
Fugazi arguably ranks up there as one of the most influential “punk” bands of all time. They've definitely left their mark and influence on countless acts across multiple genres. With that in mind, four TGEFM staffers and a guest contributor, all big Fugazi fans, listened to the tribute and have engaged in a track-by-track commentary. This is the first of three parts to be published today, covering the first 16 tracks on the comp.
Disk 1
Track 01: Authority Zero “Bad Mouth”
Jeff Sorley – Not a bad cover overall, but I think that maybe Authority Zero played this one a little too close to the source material. Aside from a few drum flourishes and some slight changes in the vocal delivery, it just sounds a lot like a cover with better production.
Gregnaha – Totally agreed. I also think the production value doesn't serve the song very well. The vocal mix is so up front and clean that it's almost disorienting.
Jeff – That's a good observation. I guess that's part of the baggage when covering a classic track that was made likely on smaller a budget over 30 years ago: with modern recording tech and maybe a bit more money (not saying Authority Zero are rich, but they're a moderately successful band with longevity and a great fanbase), you're going to invariably make a cleaner sounding track than the original. Maybe it doesn't help that Jason DeVore has nice, clear voice in the first place? (laughter)
Julie River – I have to agree that Authority Zero plays it a little close to the original on this one, which makes me wonder why it's the first track on disc one. It doesn't really start the album of with a bang when the first song doesn't really represent what this tribute is trying to do. I guess maybe someone just wanted it to be first because the original is so good to begin with, but it's not the best first impression for the album as a whole. But it's still a solid recreation of the original from a band that doesn't normally sound like Fugazi all that much to begin with.
Greg – I feel like it's not the budget or the recording quality, but more like, there's something very clinical about Authority Zero's approach. Something I think about with a band like Fugazi is how when they were recording to tape with a limited budget, they pretty much had to be tight all the time and it really comes through in the recording. Nothing is technically wrong with the Authority Zero track but I feel like it lacks that communication between band members. It's hard thing to describe.
Jeff – Interesting point. Depending on when this was recorded, it may have been very early on with their new guitarist (or, conversely, very late in the game with the old one… or even in between).
Jim Gordon – Great song off of Thirteen Songs. A lot to live up to here. I like the pretty faithful adaptation. They took the approach of playing the song as if it was an Authority Zero song. Solid choice to start with this as song one, it doesn't challenge the listener, but still whets the appetite for what's to come.
Track 02: The Darling Fire “Reclamation”
Greg – This is a song that should never have been sung by Ian and this cover does it a lot more justice. The way she approaches the chorus is fantastic. In general this strikes a good balance between being faithful to the source material while making it their own. There's a new guitar line before the second chorus, and the distortion on the bass punches through really nicely. This is a bass line I've always loved and you can draw a straight line from that melody to most of Eric Judy's work in early Modest Mouse. The outro works really well too. One of my favorite covers on the album.
Jeff – Oh shit! That first sentence is a hot take! I think Jolie's vocals definitely drop “what if…” vibe imagining if Picciotto had done the original vocals instead. But, then again, this version wouldn't feel so much different if that had been the case.
I dig the more distorted sound on this one, especially with that gravelly, distorted bass line throughout. I've often said that a distorted bass can be tricky to pull of well, and few bands can. Thankfully The Darling Fire does so in spades.
Julie – I personally love having a femme voice singing the line “We want control of our bodies.”
And yeah, I can see why you wouldn't want MacKaye singing on the original. Musically the song just has more of Picciotto's personal stamp on it and that kinda makes it feel like it should be his song through and through.
Greg – Oh yeah I should clarify that I actually quite like Ian's approach (although a Guy version would be very cool), but more that a song about reclaiming bodies is maybe not the best song for a dude to be singing. I know that live they sometimes had women come up to sing Suggestion. I wonder if that ever happened for Reclamation.
Jeff – Good question.
Jim – I like the faithful adaptation, but they also took it down a level and upped the feedback and sludge. Poignant for a female lead singer to recant, “We want control of our bodies.” I haven't heard of the band, which is a side benefit of being on a comp. If you do it right, people will check out the rest of your work.
Track 03: Dowsing “KYEO
Gregnaha – This is okay. I like the vocal approach and there's some nice additional guitar work here and there but this is so close to the source material that I'm left wanting more.
Jeff – Yeah, it's pretty close to the original. Just one second off on the run-time, too. I think the major difference is that Dowsing adds a less constrained vocal performance that builds (or maybe, loses control) the closer we get to the end. All in all, a punkier version of the original.
Julie – I saw it more as a modernization of the original. It sounds like what Fugazi would sound like if they were writing these songs now. Especially in the vocals. And I love that light touch of distortion kn the guitar intro.
Gregnaha – Coming back to this one after having commented on everything else, I think I can refine my comment by saying that I wish they took this a little further. A little more punky or unhinged I think.
Track 04: Belvedere “Styrofoam”
Jim – Upped the tempo. Threw in double bass drums. They made this one their own. I don't know the band, but they do a good job of walking the line between covering the song and retaining their sound. Tough shoes to fill. I applaud the effort.
Jeff – I'm going to admit: I'm a big fan of Stereotyperider, and I think they did an excellent version of this on Suburban Home Records' first Under The Influence release in 2004. It's high bar to pass for me and, Belvedere… comes close. It's a fun song, so it is hard to get wrong. Belvedere bring a lot of their technical ability to the track, but don't really mess with the formula too much.
Greg – Agreed. I wish they went further with this but I do really like how they approach the opening guitar line.
Jeff – The percussion flourishes are really nice but, if I'm being honest, Belvedere is a such a great melodic punk band that they could have ramped up the tempo on this song and still kept it recognizable.
Julie – Yeah, it's got a little more pop than the original and it injects a little bit more fun into an already great song.
Track 05: The Last Gang “Blueprint”
Greg – This song looms so large in Fugazi lore that you really have to bring a lot to the table. I really like this cover. Perfect balance between source material and originality. The vocal work is fantastic. I don't love how they change the chord progression in the final chorus but I really appreciate the intent. A+ on this cover.
Julie – I admit to a little bias, being a huge fan of The Last Gang and Brenna Red, but I think this is easily one of the best songs on the album, if not the best song. It's a really creative take on the original that changes a lot but isn't disrespectful to the original. Brenna Red's vocals are just outstanding. I love this song.
Jeff – It's a nice cover, to be sure. But I'm not as sold on it as you both seem to be. It's really just better production and a faster tempo. This can be a good thing, and it's a fun cover. But aside from that they don't do anything more to really make it their own.
Sorry, Julie!!! (laughter)
Julie – Meh, I'm just a sucker for Fat Wreck bands that aren't NOFX.
The more I listen to this, the more I stand by my original statement. It's catchier, bouncier, slicker, poppier, and just overall more fun than the original.
Greg – Jeff it's okay to have bad taste. (laughter) JUST KIDDING!
Coming back to this one after having thought a lot about the rest of the comp, I do think I like it more. It stands out among the bands that stick pretty close to the original but has a really strong unique identity. HOWEVER, I do want to go listen to this band's original work. I've never heard of them before and I want to see how they approach their own material.
Jeff – Funny thing: Today I repeated the whole process of listening to this again. Just like the first time, I had to drive 1.5hr (each way) to my ENT specialist and, like the first time, I listened to the tribute all of the way through. As such, i've come around on this song (and a few others). SO I take back what I wrote before.
Side note: I'm also realizing that a lot off these covers work better playing off of each other, rather than listening to them one by one.
Jim – I don't like the up-tempo approach. This song needs anger and power, not a poppy, bright gloss. I don't know The Last Gang, but it sounds like they are playing the song their way. It doesn't come across as genuine. Better when the “nevermind” section comes in because it conveys the anger!
Jeff – Shit, Julie. I guess I'm not the bad guy anymore! (laughter)
Track 06: Shai Hulud “Great Cop”
Tyler Barrett – There aren't a lot of Fugazi songs I'd call ragers, but this is one, and I'm glad it fell into the hands of a band who can do it justice. Metalcore mainstays Shai Hulud (made up of whoever is currently comprising their rotating cast of contributors) bring it up a notch on a song that was already at 11. It's heavier and more riffy but somehow just as melodic, if not more so. The result is that perfect balance you want in a cover of drawing from the source in a way that feels sincere but still creates something fresh.
Greg – The tempo changes on this are wild. Amazing cover.
Julie – Yeah, Shai Hulud really makes this into a Shai Hulud song, plain and simple, while still keeping the bones of the original. I also love the tempo changes. They really bring the song into the 21st century.
Jeff – I got nothing really to add other than that I agree with what everyone else says. (laughter)
Track 07: Crazy Arm “Epic Problem”
Greg – A lot of cool vocal work on this. There's some interesting guitar work in the first half but most of the song stays pretty true to the original. It loses some energy leading up to the “I've got an epic problem” which is a shame because the payoff in the original is one of the best moments in Fugazi's discography.
Julie – I admit, I've never heard of Crazy Arm, but “Epic Problem” is easily my favorite Fugazi song to begin with so I was ready to scrutinize this one a lot more. And really, I found it to be an excellent cover. The biggest difference from the original is the vocals, but boy do they make all the difference in the world. It's mostly gang vocals through the song and they really play with the melody of the original in interesting ways.
Track 08: Batteries “Target”
Greg – There's a moment in this where the synthesizers make this track extremely weird, but the rest of the song is mostly just a cover, and I wish there was more of that weirdness.
Julie – Vocal harmonies, hand claps, and synthesizers are not things Fugazi is known for, but they surprisingly add new life to this Fugazi cover.
Jeff – Yeah, it's pretty straightforward, which doesn't mean it's bad. It's a good cover and I enjoy it. But but I also agree that if Batteries were going to throw some defo non-Fugazi elements in there, I would've liked if they dialed all of that up to 11. I really think they could've pulled it off.
Jim – I like the groovy intro, these guys are cut from the same ilk as Fugazi, they get the dubstep vibe. I'm feeling them bring the edge and groove like Fugazi.
Track 09: Teenage Halloween “Reprovisional”
Greg – This is my least favorite Fugazi song. Some of the orchestration that Teenage Halloween is doing on it is interesting – I like approaching this as more of a pop-punk / almost twee track, but it still doesn't feel very exciting to me.
Julie – Can I start out by saying that Teenage Halloween is my favorite band name on this compilation so far? I really like how they transformed this song into more of an indie pop tune, giving it some great melodies that the original never had.
Jeff – I agree with Greg on ranking this song low in the pantheon of Fugazi tracks. With that in mind, I really like what Teenage Halloween do with this. It's surprisingly fun. There's a freshness in this version that I think picks it up quite a bit.
Jim – Teenage Halloween expresses themselves in the context of the song. I can appreciate that. I don't love it, but it provides some respite from some of the truly faithful covers on the comp. It challenges because it is bringing something new to the song.
Track 10: La Dispute “Strangelight”
Tyler – At a track list's glance, this would appear to be one of the comp's most anticipated covers. Arguably the eeriest, most avant-garde of Fugazi songs handled by a highly-regarded genre-bending post-hardcore act with a flair for the dramatic? Can't lose. And you don't necessarily, but it's not a home run either. There aren't a lot of risks taken and ultimately what we get is a good song covered by a capable band and that's about it.
Greg – Yeah, this is pretty much what I would have assumed would have happened if you said, “La Dispute plays Strangelight.” Totally competent but nothing terribly interesting.
Julie – La Dispute doesn't really do much of anything to this song. Yes it's played well but it doesn't give me much reason to want to listen to it again instead of the original.
Jim – Sounds like La Dispute covering Strangelight. A bit more garage-y, low fi. Jordan Dreyer's vocal style perfectly evokes Guy Piccioto's delivery, but a bit more monotone. Faithful rendition, what you would expect from a known artist on a cover comp.
Track 11: Tsunami Bomb – “Walken's Syndrome”
Greg – Mostly just a straight ahead cover but I really like the organ towards the end – really fantastic addition.
Julie – Someone said on the last track that it was pretty much what you'd expect when you heard “La Dispute covers Strangelight.” This song is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from “Tsunami Bomb covers Walken's Syndrome.” It's definitely competent and Kate Jacobi does some interesting things with the vocals, but other than that this is a pretty straightforward cover.
Jeff – I Think I can agree with all of that, but it still sounds really good and, once again, the femme vocals add a lot to the mix. I think of all of the mostly straightforward covers in the mix, this one comes across as one of the best.
Jim – Nothing earth shattering here. Sounds like TS is playing the song in their style. Don't know the fugazi song that well
Track 12: Taking Meds “Burning”
Greg – I appreciate that there seems to be a conscious effort to match the original production. Mostly just a straight ahead cover but it has a nice noisy pay off at the end that's kind of fun.
Julie – The changes here are subtle. It's a little more bass heavy, the vocals are a little more to the front, and there's some cool reverb at the end. But it makes more of a difference than you might expect.
Jim – Faithful beginning, sounds almost exactly like the original. Addition of feedback and noise, add an edge that the original didn't have. Good crescendo ending.
Track 13: USA Nails “Caustic Acrostic”
Julie – I'm going to assume this band's name is a Blood Brothers reference, which is awesome. I appreciate the attempt to put a different spin on the original, but it's a bit of a failed experiment that devolves into a muddled mess. Noise rock is one thing, but this is creating noise by overcrowding the song, which is just frustrating to listen to.
Jeff – Yeah, I'm not sure. The noise and intro would've worked if that was the extent of it. Otherwise the noise gets more and more grating each time they throw it back in. For the more, uhhh, traditional parts of the cover it isn't bad. Although when you cut that excess out it really plays off as a straight-forward cover.
Greg – Definitely a Blood Brothers reference. I wish they took the idea further. That feels like a theme for my comments across this comp, but there's a fair number of musical ideas on a lot of these songs that feel like they were interesting to start with but need to be turned up to 10 to really hit.
But the ending part is really cool and huge. Again reminds me of some of the Three One G stuff on those tribute comps.
Jim – I like the feedback and heavier delivery. The original was a bit glossy (Fugazi glossy??) I'll give them credit, they made the song their own and took it in an interesting direction.
Track 14: Haggard Cat “Life and Limb”
Julie – This is a much better example of making the song your own. It's a little strange to turn one of Fugazi's quietest songs into a rager, but it strangely works.
Greg – This cover totally works where it probably shouldn't. I'm missing some of the grooviness of the bass line in the original but I still really like this cover.
Jeff – How come I get the feeling that this is how Lady Gaga would cover this song? That's not a bad thing, but it IS definitely something else than the original. Greg, I see what you mean about missing the grooviness of the bass line, but I think think switching the emphasis from the bass to that fuzzy electric guitar is part of what brings this one out into it's own. I'm not entirely sure how much I actually like the cover song itself, but I love what Haggard Cat did with it.
Jim – Yes!!! Metal! Every comp needs a metal version of one of the songs. Haggard Cat was a perfect choice for this purpose. I love this version! I gotta listen to more Haggard Cat!! Earache is one of the few labels that hasn't pulled out of the eMusic program. Note to self, DL Haggard Cat.
Track 15: Direct Hit! “Burning Too”
Julie – Again, I have a little bias here. Direct Hit! are undoubtedly my favorite band on this comp. But I did wonder how a pop-punk hardcore band would fare covering the kings of post-hardcore. But they did a great job. It's a very weird cover that goes even harder than the original, but Direct Hit! knows how to be weird and make it work. And they really take advantage of having more than just men in the band now by contrasting masc and femme vocals. Really a great cover.
Greg – This cover is great. Totally just leans into maximum energy and it works so well.
Jim – Direct Hit lurks around the Chicago area quite a bit. I've seen them a few times and I dig it. This version, although not super special, is all DH. That's what they do. I can appreciate staying true to your sound.
Track 16: Pet Symmetry – “Public Witness Program”
Julie – This already started out as one of Fugazi's few really catchy songs. I don't know what to say about this cover. It feels like the tempo is faster but it clocks in at the exact same length as the original so I guess the increased tempo is in my head. It doesn't change much but it somehow feels more energetic.
Tyler – Yeah, I agree—I think the modern production (especially on the drums) helps deliver that added energy to some extent. But other than that I'm also a bit stumped on this one because it's a very faithful cover (is that Guy P. singing for Pet Symmetry?) and yet I find myself liking it more than many of the others that don't radically depart from the original.
Jeff – Holy shit, you're right. Same length… Wow. I agree with Julie in that it seems faster, even though, I guess, it really isn't. I think that reinforces what Tyler said: the modern production gives it more body and “oomph” and that, maybe, it helps to build some urgency. It's funny because I like it, too but… yeah. Pretty much the same thing with fuller sound.
Greg – Totally same here. My other comments seem to veer towards, “If it's too close to the original than I don't like it,” but this is just a good cover. Definitely has a lot to do with the band just being tighter than some others on this comp.
Jim – So bummed I missed Pet Symmetry at Riot Fest. They are taking a page from Direct Hit!, play the song in your style. Every comp needs faithful reproductions done in the band's style. Nothing about this version really grabs me.
And that's the end of part 1 of our track-by-track coverage. Check out part 2, and part 3.