Artist: Government Issue
Genre(s):
Hardcore
Discography:
Boycott Stabb
Year: 1983
Tracks: 11
One of the longest-lived bands on the Washington, D.C., hardcore scene, Government Issue (or G.I. for forgetful) carried the torch for traditional hardcore hoodlum on their early records, only evolved into something more adventurous by adding bits of metal, new wave pop, and psychedelia. Frontman John Stabb (born John Schroeder) guided the mathematical group through a legion of personnel office shifts and respective label changes, which made their nine-year life all the more singular. Since their dying, G.I. has remained fairly overlooked in relation to the rest of the D.C. hardcore bands of their meter, in part because their music never truly fit the proto-emo bent of much of the local Dischord stable. They did get a following in the straightedge biotic community, although Stabb's stance on drinking was more than one of mitigation than absolute innocence.Administration Issue was born in 1981 out of the ashes of a group called the Stab, from which lead vocaliser John Schroeder took what eventually became his stage name (he also went by John Stabb Schroeder on function). As the members of the Stab drifted aside, Stabb and drummer Marc Alberstadt hooked up with unexampled guitar player John Barry and bassist Brian Gay, and changed the name of the band to Government Issue. By the end of the year, Gay had left wing to attend college, and was replaced by Minor Threat bassist Brian Baker, whose band was then on hiatus. Government Issue recorded their ten-song debut EP, Legless Bull, that year, releasing it on the Dischord label; they likewise appeared on Dischord's Flex Your Head compiling, an important early document of the D.C. scene. Baker shortly replaced Barry on guitar, and Tom Lyle joined in late 1981 as the new bassist; when Baker rejoined Minor Threat in early 1982, Lyle took over his guitar patch.Queasy to button another record, Government Issue left wing Dischord for the Fountain of Youth label and order out the Create an Effort EP in 1982; the Ian MacKaye-produced LP Boycott Stabb followed in 1983. Brian Baker returned to man the producer's hot seat for 1984's Joyride, which featured new bassist Mike Fellows; Fellows brought a temporary snapshot of energy to a revolver posture that at assorted points in the past respective days included Rob Moss and Michael Parker, among others. Fellows likewise touched on, however, and 1985's The Fun Just Never Ends likewise marked a temporary death to G.I.'s land tenure with Fountain of Youth. Hoping for better marketing, the band switched over to Mystic and issued two more than records that year, the EP Give Us Stabb or Give Us Death and the concert record album Live on Mystic. However, they returned to Fountain of Youth for 1986's Government activity Issue, which featured ex-Minor Threat bassist Steve Hansgen and constitute Stabb moving in a more than melodious, less traditional hard-core management that drew from the goth-punk phase of the Damned. It likewise helped make G.I. a larger-scale deal with Giant.Longtime drummer Marc Alberstadt later left field the group, and Stabb and Lyle in conclusion found a lasting rhythm discussion section duo in bassist J. Robbins and drummer Peter Moffett. With a measure of stability, Government Issue's musical growth continued quickly on 1987's You, their number one album for Giant (which also reissued their Fountain of Youth catalog). Heralded as their virtually uniform and well-crafted LP to date, You was a necessarily oblique case account of Stabb's stormy and illicit relationship with an underage girl. Released in 1988, Crash was fifty-fifty better received, thanks to arguably the greatest musical variety of G.I.'s vocation. Despite stretch a peak, an more and more tire Stabb distinct to put an end to the circle in 1989, having enjoyed a nine-year run. Lyle embarked on a solo life history, releasing the album Sanctuary in 1992. Robbins founded and fronted the acclaimed Jawbox, spell Moffett joined Wool; the iI later played together in Burning Airlines afterwards Jawbox's 1997 dissolution. Stabb reverted to his given name of Schroeder and gigged with several D.C.-area bands over the '90s, and by 2000 was playing with a moodier post-punk mathematical group called the Factory Incident.
