''Margin Walker'' is the second EP by the American

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has be ...

band

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their sty ...

. It was originally released in June 1989 on vinyl and again in the same year on the compilation release '' 13 Songs'' along with the debut EP ''

''. The 12" vinyl went out of print, but was remastered and reissued by Dischord Records in October 2009.

Background

''Margin Walker'' was recorded at Southern Studios in London, where Fugazi had finished their first European tour. It was produced by John Loder who was the engineer for several underground artists, including

anarcho-punk Anarcho-punk (also known as anarchist punk or peace punk) is ideological subgenre of punk rock that promotes anarchism. Some use the term broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, which may figure in crust punk, hardcor ...

band

Crass Crass were an English art collective and punk rock band formed in Epping, Essex in 1977, who promoted anarchism as a political ideology, a lifestylism, way of life, and a resistance movement. Crass popularised the anarcho-punk movement of the ...

which greatly influenced Fugazi. Originally intended to be their first studio album, ''Margin Walker'' was released as an EP due to what the members perceived as sub-par performances caused by the exhausting tour.

Reception

According to ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'', the EP "illustrates just how far Fugazi’s four have traveled from their hardcore beginnings. ..in MacKaye’s melodic guitar work, the tight, fluid rhythm section, the incisive lyrics and the sharply arranged vocal exchanges." "Continuing to develop the stylings he began with

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 (musician), Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Br ...

," it continues, "MacKaye manages to make the expletives in the vigorously monotonal, part spoken “Promises” sound somewhat eloquent." Andy Kellman of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

called it an "equally excellent follow-up to the Fugazi EP". ''Margin Walker'' was also voted the 2nd best EP of the year in the 1989 Pazz & Jop poll, behind Lucinda Williams' ''

Passionate Kisses "Passionate Kisses" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 1989 as the fourth single from her third album, ''Lucinda Williams'' (1988). The song was famously covered by Mary Chapin Car ...

''. In a 2014 retrospective piece on ''13 Songs'', ''

Washington City Paper The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focu ...

'''s Brandon Gentry writes that " ile ''Margin Walker'' sounds more polished than ''Fugazi'', it doesn’t lack in intensity or intelligence. The title track’s stunray guitar and elastic bass lines are the ideal backdrop for MacKaye’s and Picciotto’s traded lyrical barbs. “And the Same” combines slashing chords and shouted invective into a scathing diatribe against racism and retrograde thinking. “Promises” is an insightful meditation on trust, betrayal, and the acceptance of disappointment."

Covers

"Margin Walker" was covered live by Wild Flag. "Provisional" was covered by The Dirty Nil as a b-side to their "No Weaknesses" single.

Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams lef ...

covered the track "Promises" live.

Track listing

Credits

* Ian MacKaye – vocals & guitar * Guy Picciotto – vocals * Joe Lally – bass * Brendan Canty – drums

References

Fugazi EPs 1989 EPs Dischord Records EPs Albums produced by John Loder (sound engineer) {{1980s-punk-album-stub