Rites of Spring
| Rites of Spring | |
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Rites of Spring members Guy Picciotto (left) and Mike Fellows (right) performing
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Genres | Post-hardcore, emo |
| Years active | 1984–1986 |
| Labels | Dischord |
| Associated acts | |
| Past members |
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Rites of Spring was an American post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C., in the mid-1980s, known for their energetic live performances. Along with Embrace, and Beefeater, they were one of the mainstay acts of the 1985 Revolution Summer movement which took place within the Washington, D.C. hardcore punk scene. Musically, 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 often considered the first emo band, but Rites of Spring itself rejected any association between themselves and emo genres.
The band only performed around 15 shows in the DC area. Vocalist/guitarist Guy Picciotto and drummer Brendan Canty went on to play in Fugazi with producer and former Minor Threat singer Ian MacKaye in the late 1980s, while bassist Mike Fellows formed Miighty Flashlight and has had a solo career.
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.". Though rooted in the loud-and-fast style of hardcore punk, Rites of Spring is claimed after the fact as being the founders of the emotional hardcore genre, or what is now commonly and retrospectively called emo-core, a precursor of screamo and emo. Jenny Toomey notes that, "Rites of Spring existed well before the term did and they hated it."
They were influenced by The Faith (Eddie Janney's previous band) and their 1983 EP Subject to Change with their introspective lyrics and angry, melody-tinged songwriting.
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