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Rites of Spring

Rites of Spring was a pioneering emocore band from Washington, D.C. Although they were only together from the spring of 1984 through the winter of 1986, they are often credited with helping to define the genre along with the bands Faith and Embrace.

Following Rites of Spring, singer and guitarist Guy Picciotto, guitarist Eddie Janney, and drummer Brendan Canty formed the band One Last Wish with Embrace alumnus Michael Hampton. However, the three joined former Rites bassist Michael Fellows for a quasi-reincarnation of Rites of Spring called Happy Go Licky, which did not survive long enough to make any studio recordings. Picciotto and Canty eventually teamed up with the former singer of Embrace, Ian MacKaye, owner of the band’s label Dischord Records, in Fugazi.

Rites of Spring was the band’s 1985 self-titled debut LP. The 12 songs were recorded at Inner Ear Studios in February of 1985, and released on vinyl in June 1985 as Dischord Records number 16. The album was 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 their follow-up EP, All Through a Life, Dischord number 22. The CD and cassette originally retained the number 16, however, the 1991 repress as well as the 2001 remastered version of the same 17 songs, were numbered 16CD, and given the new title End on End. It is still cataloged by Dischord as being the self-titled LP, though.

Track listing

  1. Spring - 2:32
  2. Deeper than Inside - 2:16
  3. For Want Of - 1:58
  4. Hain's Point - 1:53
  5. All There Is - 2:00
  6. Drink Deep - 2:23
  7. Other Way Around* - 3:11
  8. Theme (If I Started Crying) - 2:11
  9. By Design - 2:11
  10. Remainder - 2:31
  11. Persistent Vision - 2:37
  12. Nudes - 2:32
  13. End on End - 2:36
  14. All Through A Life** - 2:27
  15. Hidden Wheel** - 2:31
  16. In Silence/Words Away** - 3:00
  17. Patience** - 1:58

* Not included on the original release.

** Originally released as the out-of-press ''All Through a Life'' EP, Dischord number 22, recorded in January 1986, released in May 1987 with the same lineup

Recording details

There is also a ballet called The Rite of Spring.