Taking a harmonious trip down indie rock memory lane

Various Artists

20 years of Dischord

Dischord Records

… Various Artists

20 years of Dischord

Dischord Records

When Dischord was conceived in 1980, it was a couple of kids with $600 and a big idea. With a couple of helping hands and a four-track recorder, Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson spearheaded an independent record label that would put out some of the most innovative, influential and exciting music of the late 20th century: The Teen Idles, Minor Threat, Scream, Gray Matter, Rites of Spring, Dag Nasty, Shudder to Think, Fugazi, Lungfish, Jawbox, Slant 6, Smart Went Crazy, The Make Up, Faraquet and Q and not U, to name a few.

From punk rock to art rock to indie rock to math rock and back to punk, Dischord bands have yielded more influence on rock music than Britney has on the fantasies of eighth grade boys.

Minor Threat, despite their short-lived existence, was easily one of the most definitive American punk bands. Rites of Spring, an explosive, energetic and emotional band that existed for only two years, can be cited as the roots of what we call “emo” today. And one doesn’t need to ponder the weight of Fugazi’s long-lived career, as pretty much every reputable band today will either drop their name as an influence or give the band deity-ish props.

On 20 Years, you’ll find definitive tracks from 50 Dischord bands, as well as an extra disc containing unreleased material from a handful of those bands. The thick booklet that accompanies the box set is comprised of band bios, a legion of photographs, a foreword by Henry Rollins and a complete list of every single Dischord release to date. It reads like a history book and a photo album at the same time.

The fascinating thing about Dischord is they’ve managed to achieve huge amounts of success without MTV and without mainstream radio waves, becoming business anomaly by rejecting American business practices and embracing diversity and community.

Despite the huge amount of credit the label has earned, 20 Years of Dischord isn’t about self-glorification or nostalgia. MacKaye would surely attest to this. Rather, it’s a time capsule, a memoir of for those who were there, and an encyclopedic musical resource for anyone who loves music. Get it.