Fuel (hardcore band)
Encyclopedia
Fuel was a Bay Area
post-hardcore
musical act that created both personal and political songs, something that was unique during the "first wave" of emo
in the 1990s
. Fuel had a sound akin to early-Hot Water Music
and especially Fugazi with twin guitars and dueling rough post-hardcore
vocals. In fact, it is noted that Fuel was often jokingly referred to as "Fuelgazi." Fuel's style has been compared to the D.C.
sound of many Dischord
bands.
Fuel featured Mike Kirsch
(of early Pinhead Gunpowder
and a number of other notable punk rock bands) on guitar/vocals, Jim Allison on guitar/vocals, Aaron Arroyo on bass, and Jeff Stofan (also of Monsula
and the White Trash Debutantes
at one time) on drums.
In 2008, Alternative Press
named Fuel as a group of significant interest in its profile of "23 Bands who Shaped Punk." Jason Black of Hot Water Music
and The Draft
contributed a testimony for the article citing musical influence.
“Monuments to Excess” in 1990, first on Cargo Records then repressed
by Ebullition Records
. Monuments to Excess is notable in that it was produced by Kevin Army. Army is an engineer
that has worked with many influential punk bands (e.g., Operation Ivy
, Green Day
, The Mr. T Experience
, etc.). In addition, Fuel put out an EP
"Take Effect" on Lookout Records, also in 1990.
Track Listing:
Track Listing:
A CD
release of the entire 18-song "Fuel discography" (the EP , the LP and a few songs from splits
and compilations
) was released under the same name as the band's LP, Monuments to Excess, by Rough Trade Records
, then by (the now defunct) Allied Recordings
, and has since been repressed and made currently available by the label, Broken Rekids.
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
musical act that created both personal and political songs, something that was unique during the "first wave" of emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
in the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
. Fuel had a sound akin to early-Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music is a punk rock band from Gainesville, Florida. The members of the band are Chuck Ragan, Chris Wollard, Jason Black, and George Rebelo. HWM first formed in 1993...
and especially Fugazi with twin guitars and dueling rough post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
vocals. In fact, it is noted that Fuel was often jokingly referred to as "Fuelgazi." Fuel's style has been compared to the D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
sound of many Dischord
Dischord Records
Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
bands.
Fuel featured Mike Kirsch
Mike Kirsch
Mike Kirsch has been active in the San Francisco Bay Area hardcore and punk community since the mid-1980s.-Band history:*The Skinflutes *Fuel *Fifteen...
(of early Pinhead Gunpowder
Pinhead Gunpowder
Pinhead Gunpowder is an American punk rock band formed East Bay, California, in 1990. The band has consisted of Aaron Cometbus , Bill Schneider , Billie Joe Armstrong and Jason White for the majority of its existence...
and a number of other notable punk rock bands) on guitar/vocals, Jim Allison on guitar/vocals, Aaron Arroyo on bass, and Jeff Stofan (also of Monsula
Monsula
Monsula was an American punk rock band from the San Francisco Bay Area, California.The band was conceived in 1988 by Peter Zetterburg and Paul Lee in an art class at Benicia High School. With many member changes over the years, they performed regularly at Berkeley's Gilman Street Project and the...
and the White Trash Debutantes
White Trash Debutantes
The White Trash Debutantes are an American rock band from San Francisco, California, active since 1989.-Origins:The band deals with issues of gender equality and transcendence....
at one time) on drums.
In 2008, Alternative Press
Alternative Press (music magazine)
Alternative Press is an American music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, who is the current president....
named Fuel as a group of significant interest in its profile of "23 Bands who Shaped Punk." Jason Black of Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music is a punk rock band from Gainesville, Florida. The members of the band are Chuck Ragan, Chris Wollard, Jason Black, and George Rebelo. HWM first formed in 1993...
and The Draft
The Draft (band)
The Draft are a band featuring Hot Water Music members Jason Black, George Rebelo and Chris Wollard. The band also features guitarist Todd Rockhill of Black Cougar Shock Unit, Discount and a host of other Gainesville, Florida based acts....
contributed a testimony for the article citing musical influence.
Discography
Fuel released one LPLP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
“Monuments to Excess” in 1990, first on Cargo Records then repressed
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
by Ebullition Records
Ebullition Records
Ebullition Records is an independent record label and distro based out of Goleta, California. It published HeartattaCk, a zine focusing on independent punk and hardcore from around the world, informed by an anti-consumerist and D.I.Y. ideology....
. Monuments to Excess is notable in that it was produced by Kevin Army. Army is an engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
that has worked with many influential punk bands (e.g., Operation Ivy
Operation Ivy
Operation Ivy was the eighth series of American nuclear tests, coming after Tumbler-Snapper and before Upshot-Knothole. Its purpose was to help upgrade the U.S. arsenal of nuclear weapons in response to the Soviet nuclear weapons program...
, Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, The Mr. T Experience
The Mr. T Experience
The Mr. T Experience is an American punk rock band formed in 1985 in Berkeley, California and currently recording for Lookout! Records. They have released ten full-length albums along with numerous EPs and singles and have toured internationally...
, etc.). In addition, Fuel put out an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
"Take Effect" on Lookout Records, also in 1990.
Take Effect EP
- Year: 1990
- Label: Lookout Records
Track Listing:
- Take Effect
- Instrumental (Untitled)
- Incomplete
- Fule Hymn (Activate)
Monuments to Excess LP
- Year: 1990
- Label: Rough Trade / 6th InternationalRough Trade RecordsRough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
, Cargo Records, Ebullition RecordsEbullition RecordsEbullition Records is an independent record label and distro based out of Goleta, California. It published HeartattaCk, a zine focusing on independent punk and hardcore from around the world, informed by an anti-consumerist and D.I.Y. ideology.... - Reviews:
- Allmusic [ link]
- Punknews.orgPunknews.orgPunknews.org is a website founded by Aubin Paul which launched in 1999. The website publishes music news and album reviews relating to punk rock, hardcore punk, ska, indie rock and heavy metal...
link - The A.V. ClubThe A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
-- link
Track Listing:
- Disengaged
- 2:52 (Instrumental)
- Some Gods
- Remains to Be Seen
- Cue to You
- The Name Is
- Why Can't You See
- Actualized
- Habit
- Not Up for Sale
A CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
release of the entire 18-song "Fuel discography" (the EP , the LP and a few songs from splits
Split album
A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
and compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
) was released under the same name as the band's LP, Monuments to Excess, by Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
, then by (the now defunct) Allied Recordings
John Yates (artist)
John Yates is an English graphic designer, and from 1990 to 1999 was the owner of Allied Recordings . Yates is most well known for the numerous album covers he has done for bands such as Alkaline Trio, Melvins, Antischism, The Promise Ring, Dead Kennedys, Jawbreaker, Crass, and NoMeansNo, among...
, and has since been repressed and made currently available by the label, Broken Rekids.
External links
- The Band Formerly Known As Fuel - Somewhat "official" website created by one of Fuel's former members, Jim Allison.