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Rites of Spring
Background information
Origin	Washington, D.C., United States
Genre(s)	Alternative rock Post-hardcore Emo
Years active	1984–1986
Label(s)	Dischord Records
Associated acts	Happy Go Licky One Last Wish Fugazi
Former members
Guy Picciotto Eddie Janney Michael Fellows Brendan Canty

Rites of Spring was an emo band from Washington, D.C. in the mid-1980s known for their energetic, cathartic live performances.

Though the band disapproved of the term, they are credited^{[1] [2]} with being one of the first, and arguably the definitive "emo" band.

Contents 1 Band history 1.1 Post-breakup 2 Discography 2.1 Albums 2.2 EPs 3 References

Rites of Spring formed in March, 1984^[3] and was comprised of guitarist/lyricist/singer Guy Picciotto, guitarist Eddie Janney, bassist Mike Fellows, and drummer Brendan Canty.

Though rooted in the loud and fast style of hardcore punk, Rites of Spring branched out from that genre, with unusual musical structures and lyrics that reflected personal issues more than the typical hardcore subjects of government and society. They didn't play live often, but their passionate performances became nearly legendary, and inspired a strong local following

Rites of Spring was the band’s eponymous debut album from 1985. Its twelve songs were recorded at Inner Ear Studios in February of 1985, produced by Ian MacKaye of Fugazi and Minor Threat, and released on vinyl in June of that year as Dischord Records #16. The album was re-released on CD and cassette in 1987, with an additional track from the same session, "Other Way Around", as well as the four songs from the Rites' follow-up EP, All Through a Life, Dischord #22. The CD and cassette originally retained the number "16" while the 1991 repress, as well as the 2001 remastered version of the same seventeen songs, were numbered "16CD" and given the new title End on End.

The band broke up in January, 1986.

Picciotto, Janney, and Canty formed One Last Wish with Embrace alumnus, guitarist Michael Hampton (not to be confused with Michael Hampton, lead guitarist for Funkadelic).

The Rites of Spring personnel reuinted for a quasi-reincarnation called Happy Go Licky, releasing an LP/CD of various live concert recordings though never producing any studio work. The music was much more experimental than Rites of Spring, heavily improvised and featuring tape loop effects.

Picciotto and Canty eventually teamed up with bassist Joe Lally and former Minor Threat, Skewbald, Egg Hunt, and Embrace singer Ian MacKaye (co-owner of the band’s label, Dischord Records) in Fugazi. Mike Fellows went on to do session work for the Drag City label and form Miighty Flashlight.

• Rites of Spring (1985)
• End on End (1991)

• All Through a Life (1987)

1. ^ Azerrad, Michael. Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991. Little Brown and Company, 2001. ISBN 0-316-78753-1
2. ^ http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gz6htr29kl4x~T1
3. ^ http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gz6htr29kl4x~T1