VIA PRESS RELEASE | On August 19, 2025, Descenes and Discords: An Anthology will be released, offering a powerful time capsule of the birth and early evolution of punk music through the pages of two influential fanzines: Descenes and Discords. These publications, originally printed and distributed in Washington, DC during the late 1970s and early 1980s, captured the raw energy, irreverent spirit, and revolutionary ethos of the underground music scene—the first locally, the second nationally.
Published by writer and musician Howard Wuelfing, Descenes was a hyperlocal chronicle of DC’s burgeoning punk, hardcore, and new wave communities. It featured scene reports, interviews, and passionate live and record reviews of now-legendary acts like Bad Brains, Slickee Boys, and Half Japanese, and dozens of others that never gained national recognition. As vital local music scenes sprang up around the country, Discords picked up the baton with a wider lens—covering bands like Black Flag, Pylon, Circle Jerks, Mission of Burma, and many more, all with the same DIY authenticity and zero-corporate gloss.
Descenes and Discords: An Anthology presents full facsimiles of every issue of both zines, preserving the original cut-and-paste layouts, typewritten rants, and Xeroxed charm that defined a generation of independent media. The anthology is enriched with new commentary by Howard Wuelfing, reflecting on the zines’ creation and impact.
It also includes a transcribed conversation between Wuelfing and Ian MacKaye—the iconic frontman of Minor Threat and Fugazi—where they discuss the fanzine era’s role in shaping punk’s identity and legacy. A Foreword by esteemed DC cultural critic, and contributor to both ‘zines, Mark Jenkins sets the historical stage for readers.
“Now more than ever, people are looking back at how music scenes formed without algorithms, managers, or marketing budgets,” says Howard Wuelfing. “Descenes and Discords were created in that spirit—to connect, to amplify voices, to celebrate what was happening right in front of us. Revisiting these zines is a reminder of what’s possible when people care more about passion than polish.”
Descenes and Discords: An Anthology is not just for punk nostalgists—it’s a visceral reminder of a time when community came first and music was a lifeline. Whether you were there, wished you were, or are discovering this era for the first time, this anthology is essential reading.
