Dag Nasty

In the mid-'80s, the thrill and fury of hardcore punk became stagnant as the bands that dominated the scene either matured musically (i.e., the Replacements, Hüsker Dü, 7 Seconds) or broke up completely. After the disbanding of seminal straightedge pioneers Minor Threat, bassist-cum-guitarist Bs later, Dag with Shawn is primarily Dag Nasty's quintessential Can I Say album fronted by original vocalist Shawn Brown shortly before he passed the torch to the renowned Dave Smalley. Although Brown's vocals lack the urgency of Smalley's, and the production value is barely distinguishable from Can I Say, these early recordings are a piece of history from an iconic band that helped define the post-hardcore movement. With many standard tracks like "Circles" and "Under Your Influence," Dag with Shawn acts as more of a retrospective than an unreleased offering from this crucial group.