Here's some songs to add a little sincerity to your Thursday afternoon (possibly in preparation for the absolute ridiculousness of the Devo/Dan Deacon concert later tonight). Back in 1988, the only people going to Fugazi shows were those who heard that dude from Minor Threat was in it. A similar problem that has afflicted Ian MacKaye at his recent concert with The Evens, except that Fugazi reached heights that would have been unfathomable to him as a 19 year old struggling to find a club to perform in with arguably the greatest hardcore band ever.

The potential was always there, and leave it to Robert Peel to detect it in December of 1988, in between the releases of the Fugazi and Margin Walker EP's, which would go on to be compiled in the now-classic 13 Songs.

These Peel Sessions are arguably as radio friendly as the band ever sounded, with cleaner production and more streamlined guitar tracks than the more famous versions of these songs. In addition to the post-hardcore standard "Waiting Room" and a much more apocalyptic version of Glue Man, the Peel Sessions feature "Merchandise," one of the better songs off Fugazi's first LP Repeater, and the excellent "Break In," which would be a Repeater bonus track on later reissues.

This kind of unironic, going all-in indie rock is in short supply nowadays, but with a handful of bands such as current Prefix-favorite Titus Andronicus and the Pissed Jeans reviving indie's more tradtional elbow grease. Of course, there's still plenty of Dan Deacons and Art Bruts to go around, which may not be a bad thing either.

[Aquarium Drunkard via Paper Thin Walls]