Dag Nasty

Dag Nasty was a punk and hardcore band formed in 1985 by Brian Baker (guitar) of Minor Threat, Colin Sears (drums) and Roger Marbury (bass), both of Bloody Mannequin Orchestra, and Shawn Brown (vocals). Their style of less aggressive, melodic hardcore was influential to emotional hardcore (a.k.a. emo) as well as being an influence on post-hardcore. Shawn Brown was the first vocalist, with whom the band recorded (until recently) previously-unreleased versions of most of the material that later made up their first release, "Can I Say," with former roadie and new singer Dave Smalley of DYS. Just over a year later, the band had a new album titled Wig Out at Denko's, a new bassist named Doug "Fig Nuts" Carrion (then of The Descendents, later of The Kottonmouth Kings and the Humble Gods) and a new vocalist, Peter Cortner (formerly of Protem and Lunchbox, currently of The Gerunds).

1988 saw the release of their album Field Day on Giant Records (a sister label to Homestead Records). It was an ambitious album, often generating sharply polarised appraisals from fans: many hated it and many loved it. Field Day attempted to blend pop melodies with hardcore and metal riffs even further than previously attempted on Wig Out. The result was a schizophrenic haze of Californian guitar god excess and self absorbed, whine-rock vocal stylings. The band split up shortly after this.

In 1992, Dag Nasty reformed with Dave Smalley on vocals and released the album Four on the Floor. In 1991, Selfless Records had released 85-86, a collection of early, pre-Can I Say recordings.

In 2002 the band got back together, again with Dave Smalley on the mic, returning the band to an overdone hardcore sound. The result of this reunion was the album Minority of One. To this day they still release the occasional record, though Dag Nasty remains more of a side project for its members than a full-time active band. Peter Cortner, who has not been involved with the band directly for years, completed his education as a lawyer, practiced law and recently became a schoolteacher. While strictly as a personal hobby now, Peter has continued to make music under the names GPFA and, more recently, in a collaboration with Philadelphia area musicians entitled The Gerunds. The other members of the band have remained involved in music.

Brian Baker joined Bad Religion after Brett Gurewitz left to work at Epitaph and continued to play in the band when Brett rejoined.

Discography

Can I Say LP (Dischord Records, 1986)
Wig Out at Denko's LP (Dischord Records, 1987)
All Ages Show 7" (Giant Records, 1987)
Field Day LP (Giant Records, 1988)
Trouble Is 12" (Giant Records, 1988)
Can I Say/Wig Out at Denko's CD (Dischord Records, 1991)
85-86 LP/7" Box Set/CD (Selfless Records, 1991)
Four on the Floor LP/CD (Epitaph Records, 1992)
Minority of One LP/CD (Revelation Records, 2002)

Can I Say and Wig Out at Denko's were remastered and separately re-released by Dischord in 2002.

External links

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