Brian Baker (born February 25, 1965) is an American
punk rock musician. He is best known as one of the founding members of the
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
band
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitaris ...
, and as a guitarist in
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...
since 1994. In Minor Threat, he originally played bass guitar before switching to guitar in 1982 when
Steve Hansgen joined the band, and then moved back to bass after Hansgen's departure. He also founded
Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty is an American punk rockGreenwald, p. 14. " Ian Mackaye was such a huge Rites of Spring fan that he not only recorded what was to be the band's only album in 1985 and served as a roadie for them while on tour, but his own new band, ...
in 1985, was part of the original line-up of
Samhain
Samhain ( , , , ; gv, Sauin ) is a Gaelic festival on 1 NovemberÓ hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth Legend and Romance: An Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition''. Prentice Hall Press, 1991. p. 402. Quote: "The basic Irish division of the year ...
, and has had stints in
Doggy Style
Doggy style is a sex position in which a person bends over, crouches on all fours (usually on hands and knees), or lies on their abdomen, for sexual intercourse, other forms of sexual penetration or other sexual activity. Doggy style is a ...
,
The Meatmen
The Meatmen are an American punk band headed by Tesco Vee, originally existing from 1981 to 1988, before reforming in the mid-1990s, and again in the 2000s. They were known for their outrageous stage antics and offensive lyrics. They reformed ...
(with fellow Minor Threat member
Lyle Preslar
Lyle Preslar is an American musician best known for being the guitar player and songwriter for the hardcore punk band Minor Threat. Before that, he was the vocalist for The Extorts, who later became State of Alert after he quit. Despite not perfo ...
),
Government Issue
Government Issue was an American hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. active from 1980 to 1989. The band experienced many changes in membership during its nine-year existence, with singer John Stabb as the only consistent member in an ever- ...
, and
Junkyard (a
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
band).
In 1994 Baker was offered a spot as a touring musician with
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
but declined, opting instead to accept a position in Bad Religion as
Brett Gurewitz
Brett W. Gurewitz (born May 12, 1962), nicknamed Mr. Brett, is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and a number of sister labels. He has produced albums f ...
's replacement. He also experimented with a more pop direction influenced by
U2, with a band called 400. Baker briefly toured with
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (often shortened to just Me First or the Gimmes) are a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in San Francisco in 1995. The band's lineup consists of Spike Slawson, Fat Mike, Joey Cape, and Dave Raun. C ...
in 2005 and appeared on Canadian punk band Penelope's second album (''Face au silence du monde''). He has been a frequent guest guitarist on many songs and albums by artists as varied as Blood Bats, Tesco Vee, Ric Ocasek, Teenage Time Killers, Mind Over Four, Dangerous Toys, Pollen Art, Unwritten Law, Travis Cut, Lickity Split, Hot Water Music, Down By Law, Bash & Pop, Middle Aged Brigade, Careless, and many others.
In 2019 and 2020 the band Foxhall Stacks, composed of Bill Barbot (
Jawbox
Jawbox is an American alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in 1989 by J. Robbins (vocals/guitar), Kim Coletta (bass), and Adam Wade (drums). After the trio released the album '' Grippe'' in 1991, Bill Barbot (guitar/vocals) joi ...
), Peter Moffett of
Burning Airlines
Burning Airlines was an American rock band from Washington, D.C. J. Robbins and Bill Barbot of Jawbox formed the band with Peter Moffett (formerly of Government Issue) in 1997. The band released two full-length albums, a self-titled 7", and ...
,
Jim Spellman
Jim Spellman (born 1968) is an American journalist and musician. Formerly with CNN, Spellman joined CGTN America in 2013. Before that, he also played guitar in the High Back Chairs and Julie Ocean and drums in Velocity Girl
Velocity Girl ...
(
High Back Chairs
The High Back Chairs was a band from Washington, DC. Initially consisting of guitarist/vocalist Peter Hayes, guitarist Jim Spellman, bassist/vocalist Charles Steck, and drummer/vocalist Jeff Nelson, the group released its music on the Washington ...
,
Velocity Girl
Velocity Girl was an American indie rock band formed in 1989 in College Park, Maryland, and active in the Washington, D.C., area. The band released three albums before splitting up in 1996.
History
The band started as the duo of Kelly Rile ...
), and Brian Baker, released an LP and two EPS.
In 2020, the band Fake Names, composed of Baker, Swedish vocalist
Dennis Lyxzén
Sven Olov Dennis Lyxzén (born June 19, 1972) is a Swedish singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for influential Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, as well as the bands INVSN and Fake Names. He is also a former member of bands ...
(
Refused
Refused (also known as the Refused) is a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå and formed in 1991. Refused is composed of vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandström, and bassist Magnus Flagge. G ...
, International noise conspiracy, INVSN), guitarist Michael Hampton (S.O.A., Embrace, One Last Wish) and bassist Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside), released its first album (self-titled).
Discography
File:Minor-threat-malcolm-riviera.jpg, Baker (center) performing with Minor Threat live at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. in 1981
File:Badr1995.jpg, Baker (left) performing with Bad Religion live in the Netherlands in 1995
File:Baker1995.jpg, Baker performing with Bad Religion live in the Netherlands in 1995
Bad Religion
* ''
The Gray Race
''The Gray Race'' is the ninth full-length album of the punk rock band Bad Religion, which was released in 1996. It was the follow-up to the band's highly successful 1994 album '' Stranger Than Fiction''.
This was the band's first album not re ...
'' (1996)
* ''
Tested
''Tested'' is a live album by punk rock band Bad Religion. It was recorded in the USA, Canada, Germany, Estonia, Denmark, Italy and Austria, in 1996, and released in 1997. It is Bad Religion's second live album. Instead of using crowd microphon ...
'' (1997)
* ''
No Substance
''No Substance'' is the tenth full-length album by the punk rock band Bad Religion. It was the band's third (or fourth, if the reissue of '' Recipe for Hate'' is counted) release on Atlantic Records, and their second studio album since guitari ...
'' (1998)
* ''
The New America
''The New America'' is the eleventh studio album by punk band Bad Religion. It was released in 2000 and is their last album (to date) on Atlantic Records.
''The New America'' is also Bad Religion's last album with Bobby Schayer on drums. Thou ...
'' (2000)
* ''
The Process of Belief
''The Process of Belief'' is the twelfth studio album by the American punk rock band Bad Religion. It was produced by its leaders Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz, and was released on January 22, 2002, through Epitaph Records. After touring in sup ...
'' (2002)
* ''
The Empire Strikes First
''The Empire Strikes First'' is the thirteenth studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on June 8, 2004. The album is heavily influenced by the then-current Iraq War (most notably in the songs "Atheist Peace", "Let Them Eat ...
'' (2004)
* ''
New Maps of Hell'' (2007)
* ''
The Dissent of Man
''The Dissent of Man'' is the fifteenth studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, which was released on September 28, 2010. It was their first album in three years, following the release of '' New Maps of Hell'' in 2007. The band co ...
'' (2010)
* ''
True North
True north (also called geodetic north or geographic north) is the direction along Earth's surface towards the geographic North Pole or True North Pole.
Geodetic north differs from ''magnetic'' north (the direction a compass points toward t ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Age of Unreason'' (2019)
Doggy Style
* ''The Last Laugh'' (1986)
Dag Nasty
* ''
Can I Say
''Can I Say'' is the debut album by the American melodic hardcore band Dag Nasty, originally released in 1986 on Dischord Records. It was remastered and re-released on CD with bonus songs in 2002. '' (1986)
* ''
Wig Out at Denko's
''Wig Out At Denkos'' is the second album, studio album by the American melodic hardcore band Dag Nasty, released in 1987 on Dischord Records.
It was remastered and re-released on CD with bonus tracks in 2002.
Track listing
Side one
#"The Godfa ...
'' (1987)
* ''All Ages Show 7"'' (1987)
* ''
Field Day'' (1988)
* ''Trouble Is 12"'' (1988)
* ''85-86'' (1991)
* ''
Four on the Floor
''Four on the Floor'' is a 1999 compilation album consisting of songs by bands on Panic Button Records. It features four tracks by four of the labels bands, Screeching Weasel, Moral Crux
A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is c ...
'' (1992)
* ''
Minority of One'' (2002)
* ''Dag with Shawn'' (2010)
* ''Cold Heart 7"'' (2016)
The Meatmen
* ''War of the Superbikes'' (1984)
Government Issue
* ''Make an Effort'' EP (1982)
Minor Threat
* ''
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitaris ...
'' EP (1981)
* ''
In My Eyes'' EP (1981)
* ''
Out of Step'' (1983)
* ''
Salad Days
"Salad days" is a Shakespearean idiom referring to a period of carefree innocence, idealism, and pleasure associated with youth. The modern use, chiefly in the United States, describes a heyday, when a person is/was at the peak of their abilitie ...
'' EP (1985)
Junkyard
* ''Junkyard'' (1989)
* ''Sixes, Sevens & Nines'' (1991)
* ''Shut Up – We're Trying to Practice!'' (2000)
* ''Tried and True'' (2003)
* ''Faded/The River 7"'' (2015)
* ''High Water'' (2017)
* ''Old Habits Die Hard'' (2019)
Foxhall Stacks
* ''The Coming Collapse'' (2019)
Beach Rats
* ''Wasted Time 7"'' (2018)
* ''Rat Beat'' (2022)
Fake Names
* ''Fake Names'' (2020)
* ''Fake Names EP'' (2021)
Further reading
*
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Brian
1965 births
Living people
American rock guitarists
American male guitarists
American rock bass guitarists
American male bass guitarists
Bad Religion members
Place of birth missing (living people)
American punk rock guitarists
Guitarists from Michigan
Minor Threat members
Dag Nasty members
The Meatmen members
20th-century American guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
Government Issue members