End On End

Rites of Spring was an American post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C. in the mid-1980s, known for their energetic live performances. A part of the D.C. hardcore punk scene, Rites of Spring increased the frenetic violence and visceral passion of hardcore while simultaneously experimenting with its compositional rules. Lyrically, they also shifted hardcore into intensely personal realms and, in doing so, are generally considered the first emo band. The band only performed 15 concerts. Vocalist/guitarist Guy Picciotto and drummer Brendan Canty went on to play in the influential and successful post-hardcore band Fugazi in the late 1980s. Though rooted in the loud-and-fast style of hardcore punk, Rites of Spring is claimed after the fact for being the founders of the emotional hardcore genre. Allmusic's Matt Kantor described the band's music as being at times "fast and furious" while also being "at other times lush and evocative though always with a sense of drive and melody." The band is named after the symphonic ballet The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky. Rites of Spring was the band’s eponymous debut album from 1985. Its twelve songs were recorded at Inner Ear Studios in February 1985, produced by Ian MacKaye of Fugazi and Minor Threat, and released on vinyl in June of that year as Dischord Records