1980 - 2000 20 years of dischord

.:: Perhaps in the same way as The Force, the influence of Dischord Records should not be underestimated. The 22-year-old label has had so many significant names and bands on its roster it's sometimes easy to forget what a small operation the company actually is. Founded in 1980 by teenagers Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson in order to self-release material they recorded in their hardcore punk band the Teen Idles, the strong sense of community in the Washington Hardcore (harDCore) scene and those who follow it have kept the label going until today.

While I'm not going to repeat the entire history of Dischord here (you'll have to read the booklet like I did), it's important to understand the significance of the label's history. It still operates from a normal house, albeit slightly larger than the original 'Dischord House'. It is still run by a handful of people, most of whom have been there throughout most of its history. The people who run the label are close to the bands whose records they produce and distribute, who are almost exclusively from the DC area. They do not invest in large scale marketing campaigns, music videos or even many singles. Yet, thanks to strong ties with distributors such as Southern Records, their releases are available the world over.

20 Years of Dischord is an anniversary box set (the anniversary was actually in 2000, but it took them longer than expected to produce) documenting the work of the first 50 artists on the label. Comprised of three CDs and a 134 page colour booklet, it features a track by each artist plus 21 unreleased songs, six MPEG videos and other odds and ends.

The booklet is superb - clearly a lot of care and attention has been put into producing it. The front and rear covers show near-identical photos taken of Dischord founders Ian and Jeff in the Discord Office, one from 1983 and the other in 2001. There is a foreword by ape-man Henry Rollins, long-time friend of Ian MacKaye, followed by a two-page spread dedicated to each artist - a page of text and a photo.

The text is full of interesting facts and features a mini-history for each band, you can stare at the photos to give your eyes something to do as you listen to the music - and give your hands a workout by using them to turn the pages. They really have thought of everything.

Whether or not the music would be of interest to people who are not already fans of Dischord is arguable. The tracks are mostly in order of release, and the earlier songs may not be easy to stomach for those who are used to overproduced dirge like Blink 182. But I suppose even then you could say it proves how amazing it is that people who were once so musically inept could set up such a successful label.

Personally I enjoy listening to the raw, untamed energy of the early artists, before moving on to the greater musical diversity of later bands, often featuring the same members as the previous groups.

The only things that are not of superb quality in this collection are the live video clips, but then they were NEVER of a high audio/visual quality. Just remember they were taken in the days before Digital Video Cameras.

If you see this box-set lying idly in a shop, buy it. If you don't like it, give it to someone who does. They'll be your friend for ever.

download: 1980 - 2000 20 years of dischord (cd1)
download: 1980 - 2000 20 years of dischord (cd2)
download: 1980 - 2000 20 years of dischord (cd3) perviously unreleased material

||| i think this is indeed, one of the best albums i've ever posted |||

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