The Untouchables were an American

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

band that arose from the Washington, D.C. hardcore punk scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The band existed from October 1979 until January 1981 and released four tracks. The Untouchables spawned a wide range of

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, musical talents. Alec MacKaye, younger brother of

Minor Threat Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C., by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guita ...

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...

member and

Dischord Records Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.–based independent record label specializing in punk rock. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release '' Minor Disturbance'' by their band the Teen Id ...

founder

Ian MacKaye Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.–based independent record label, and the frontman of hardcore pu ...

, went on to sing with The Faith,

Ignition Ignition may refer to: Science and technology * Firelighting, the human act of creating a fire for warmth, cooking and other uses * Combustion, an exothermic chemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidant * Fusion ignition, the point at which a ...

and

The Warmers The Warmers were an American post-hardcore band based in Washington, D.C., United States, active from 1994 to 1997. The band was a trio featuring former Faith vocalist Alec MacKaye (guitar and vocals), Juan Luis Carrera (bass and vocals), an ...

. Guitarist Edward Janney went on to play with The Faith,

Rites of Spring Rites of Spring was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in late 1983. Along with Embrace and Beefeater, they were one of the mainstay acts of the 1985 Revolution Summer movement Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark ( Soft Skul ...

One Last Wish One Last Wish was a short-lived post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C. It was formed in May 1986 by members of Rites of Spring and Embrace, and split up in January 1987. History Amidst the breakup of Rites of Spring in 1986, three of its fo ...

, Skewbald/Grand Union and Happy Go Licky. Bassist Bert Queiroz later played in Youth Brigade, Double-O, Second Wind, Meatmen, Rain and Manifesto. Drummer Richard Moore also played in the Meatmen, Double-O and Second Wind. Together Richard Moore and Bert Queiroz started their own independent record label, R&B Records. The Untouchables only released a demo tape which later appeared on

' ''

Flex Your Head ''Flex Your Head'' is a sampler album featuring early hardcore punk bands from the Washington, D.C., area.Curd, Zach"''Flex Your Head'': AllMusic Review by Zach Curd" ''AllMusic''. Retrieved April 20, 2016. It was originally released in January ...

'' compilation and ''

20 Years of Dischord ''20 Years of Dischord'' is a three-disc box set compiled by Washington-based record label Dischord Records to commemorate its 20th anniversary. Overview ''20 Years of Dischord'' is a concise but representative musical chronicle of the first ...

''. Their most famous song was "Nic Fit", which would be covered by

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

on their 1992 album ''

Dirty Dirt is any matter considered unclean, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains * Du ...

''. The song was also featured in the 2006 music documentary '' American Hardcore''.

Members

* Alec MacKaye - vocals * Eddie Janney - guitar * Bert Queiroz - bass *Rich Moore - drums

Discography

(the group's known four tracks were released on compilations) *''

'' - "Rat Patrol", "Nic Fit", "I Hate You" *''

'' - "

(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" is a rock song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. It was first recorded by the English band the Liverpool Five in early 1966 but remained unreleased before summer of that same year. In the meantime, the Ame ...

", "Nic Fit" *'' American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986'' - "Nic Fit"

References

External links

* Punk rock groups from Washington, D.C. Musical groups established in 1979 1979 establishments in Washington, D.C. {{US-punk-band-stub