State of the Union sleeve
Record

State of the Union

Various Artists1989

At a glance

Artist
Various Artists
Released
April 1989
Label
Dischord Records
Catalogue number
Dischord 32
Format
12″ Vinyl
Country
US
Tracks
16, 47:37

In the issue

DC Hardcore
Go deeper · 1979-1986

A 1989 compilation capturing how far DC punk had spread by the decade's end, from Shudder to Think's art-punk to Nation of Ulysses' agitprop rock. It documented a scene remade by Revolution Summer, one that had shed hardcore orthodoxy in favor of emotional openness and musical risk-taking, proving the DC underground was still generating new ideas years after Minor Threat's breakup.

Where to start with DC Hardcore

Listen

Spotify

Find a copy

The original 12″ vinyl: Dischord Records Dischord 32, 1989.

DiscogsBandcamp

Track list

  1. A1Ameri-dub3:19
  2. A2Anger Means2:41
  3. A3Name in Mind4:11
  4. A4No You Cannot Go1:44
  5. A5Off target3:16
  6. A6Dirty Wings3:24
  7. A7Worlds at War2:35
  8. A8Swann Street3:37
  9. B1Stones of a Wall3:54
  10. B2Burning in the Undertow2:07
  11. B3In Defense of Humans2:39
  12. B4Responsibility1:26
  13. B5Pilate1:37
  14. B6Blood Stone Burn4:14
  15. B7Candle3:41
  16. B8Let It Ring3:10

The label

Dischord Records
Washington, D.C. · founded 1980 · Ian MacKaye, Jeff Nelson · DC Hardcore

Founded with roughly $600 in Teen Idles earnings, Dischord released the scene's foundational records, starting with the hand-assembled Minor Disturbance EP and continuing through Minor Threat, Flex Your Head, and Fugazi's catalog. Its DIY methods, cheap ticket and record prices, and refusal to sign with major labels set the ethical template that DC hardcore and its later offshoots operated by.

If you like this

Notes: the original release and its track list come from MusicBrainz. Everything else on this page is from the issue above.