Howard Wuelfing has tirelessly worked to create an enduring career as a music journalist, earning features for iconic titles such as Creem and Village Voice. The upcoming release of Descenes and Discords; An Anthology captures key documents and interviews chronicling the now legendary D.C. Punk and Hardcore communities. Celebrating the advent of DIY ethos that ultimately became a blueprint for future groups seeking to create their own, enduring subcultures, Wuelfing was happy to know people still embrace the subculture and take inspiration.
“Writing for Creem was a great experience and I had originally aspired to be like Lester Bangs. I wanted to release this book to make it readily available to people still wanting access. Looking back, when I got to D.C. after college, I was told to reach out to Richard Harrington and Mark Jenkins. I was writing for Unicorn Times, I forgot if I even got paid,” laughed Wuelfing.
Wuelfing immediately noted Unicorn Times had a small scope of coverage, and local music was not documented. He was able to chronicle his beloved Punk groups, but was restricted to bands only on major labels. D.C. was not yet home to local, trailblazing artists but Wuelfing stated he could feel the energy beginning. While visiting his family in New York, he noted D.C. shared similar energy but lacked a cohesive, local music community. The gritty streets and tenacity of the local NY bands offered Wuelfing further inspiration to leverage the written word to capture the burgeoning Punk community that he believed could begin in D.C.
“While visiting my family I would run around to every underground club and record store. I just immersed myself in everything, I think it was about 1976. I came across fanzines like Who Put The Bomp? that was published by Greg Shaw. It featured awesome garage rock and psych groups. New York Rocker was all about local, unsigned bands and it was very exciting to see. It was bands writing about other bands and it was community-oriented. I figured, why can’t this happen in D.C.,” stated Wuelfing.
Wuelfing took his newfound inspiration back to D.C., looking to harness the growing local energy and capture it all on paper.
“My wife could do typesetting on the sly at her job, I had been an arts editor in college and I had a light box at home for photo layout work. It had to work! Mark at Unicorn Times would sneak out some equipment. The point was not to make money but to support and encourage anyone creating and playing original music in D.C.,” stated Wuelfing.
With unwavering determination, Wuelfing was able to launch Descenes and capture the irreverent and raucous wave of local Punk. The publication slowly grew as local artists began using it as a vehicle for communication to build their community.
“At first, nobody cared about D.C. Everything was focused on New York, LA, Boston, and of course, the U.K. However, when we kept at it we noted that when people see they are being seen, they would simply be encouraged to keep doing it. Slowly, one weird intense band would inspire more intense bands to pop up, and that’s inspiring because they previously thought nobody cared,” recalled Wuelfing.
Another vehicle for driving the burgeoning D.C. punk community forward was Yesterday and Today Records. Opened by Skip Groff in ‘77, aspiring artists finally had a central location to meet and exchange ideas, as well as having a retail outlet to eventually stock their independently released records. Wuelfing quickly noted how instrumental the shop became in supporting the local community.
“I knew the place was something special because it embraced people instead of turning them away. I was working there starting in ‘77 and then full-time in ‘81. Bands that were just beginning would come in and ask if we would play their demo. It was energizing,” said Wuelfing.
He added, “I remember Ian MacKaye of Teen Idles and Henry Garfield from when S.O.A. was just starting out, asking if I would play their recordings. It was exciting to see because these bands were making music on their terms. With attitudes of ‘nothing will stop me’ and a lot of dedication, I wanted to keep encouraging that with the ‘zines,” said Wuelfing.
Asked what ‘watershed moment’ propelled the D.C. punk community forward, Wuelfing cites when bands attempted to play The Atlantis and its evolution to the beloved 9:30 Club. He adamantly believes unity and self-awareness of the community as the hallmarks that enabled the D.C. subculture to sustain itself.
“The ideological underpinnings were very clear. Bands supported each other and there was no division with the older Punks. I believed they were welcoming. I could see how the new bands had more of a political edge and would engage with issues beyond their immediate surroundings, outside the context of their environments instead of simply channeling teen angst.”
He added, “The importance of The Atlantis came into play when the local bands were not old enough to play the venue and they felt it was not just their problem, but everyone’s issue. It certainly sparked important dialogue.”
The bands adamantly stated they were present at The Atlantis to play and watch other bands, and not consume alcohol. Wuelfing recalled that D.C. had strict liquor laws that could threaten local clubs, so this caused a schism with the younger bands attempting to book shows.
“The bands stated they would simply put an ‘X’ on their hands to let the club know they were not there to drink. I can’t say if that was the original inspiration for straight edge, maybe Ian could clarify. I know the idea worked and allowed the new bands to attend and play, which was very important. The club ultimately morphed to 9:30, and that was very important because the owners treated the bands and supporters with respect, enabling consistent shows,” said Wuelfing.
The promises of freedom, creativity, and unity were slowly coming to fruition within the local punk community. Wuelfing stated the community’s ability to rebound from band’s dissolving was impressive and the emerging groups became more impacting, with stronger local support to propel them forward.
“I always say it was a unique feature for the community to dissolve and then build itself up again with new bands. You would see bands like The Faith sprout up and Minor Threat, following the breakup of Teen Idles. When Ian came to the record shop with a copy of In My Eyes, it was thrilling! It sounded so fresh and innovative and just left everything in the dust! It was so powerful. Watching Bad Brains was just seeing another level of performance,” reflected Wuelfing.
It is debatable if the D.C. community was learning from early Punk’s shortcomings of substance abuse and violence, but the subculture remained vibrant, with unwavering dedication to DIY ethos that unlocked a newfound longevity.
“The beginning of Dischord Records in 1980 proved that if you had the drive and vision you could release your own music. They utilized other local resources, like the record shop to bring their releases to a wider audience. I remember meeting and seeing Black Flag head out to their next gig and it really impressed me how a band starting out could simply travel far and play multiple gigs without being so reliant on money,” recalled Wuelfing.
Wuelfing and his DIY ‘zines remained an integral resource for D.C. bands to communicate and continue growing. He evolved Descenes to Discords, which further captured the subculture while expanding coverage nationally.
“We had scene reports coming in from all over. People were feeling less isolated because they were learning about other like-minded people that were coming together from Punk and Hardcore. Community and culture were our strong messages. I felt the freedom and convictions of self-expression absolutely worked, and it was evident within D.C. You had a local label that was willing to support bands by releasing their music through every DIY means necessary. We didn’t have to leave our community to create this culture, we all worked to make it happen and keep it going,” stated Wuelfing.
As D.C. continued its evolution, Wuelfing found himself at a crossroads. Working to balance his convictions with his newfound role as a father, he stated he had to seek more steady employment opportunities outside of the record shop.
“I was becoming a single parent and even though it was exciting, there was a clear sense of urgency and understanding that I simply couldn’t work at the record store and focus on publishing. I had to be there for my son,” said Wuelfing.
Transitioning from the uncompromising DIY ethos of Punk to the record industry was initially challenging, but Wuelfing was able to prove he was adept at balancing his convictions with the business-first mindset of the ‘80s record industry.
“Oh, there were some cliches within the industry, for sure. I began at Jem Records, which distributed titles from Independent American Records. That went belly up in ‘88 and then I spent time in New York for a company that sold vintage guitars overseas. We also created videos for the karaoke trade. That was actually fun and there was the proverbial booze and drugs. I laughed, thinking how long that could possibly last,” said Wuelfing.
Wuelfing eventually transitioned to Columbia Records, engaging in public relations work for a decade before being let go in 2002. Growing tired of industry uncertainty, Wuelfing once again embraced his DIY ethos and began his own, independent PR firm, Howlin’ Wuelf Media.
“My wife was not upset when I was let go. That place sucked, I was always upset. I’d see how talented artists were being treated and with starting my own organization, I wanted to do the opposite of everything I had seen. Politics would run afoul and people would get yelled at. It was painful to see. Embracing my punk ethos again enabled me to start something I believed in, something designed to help people,” said Wuelfing.
The anthology of Descenes and Discords captures a very unique time and place for independent punk and hardcore, highlighting unwavering dedication to building a sustainable, positive subculture. Focusing on creating exciting, new music with a foundation of support and unity, Wuelfing documented a punk community that still earns notable accolades, while serving as an inspiring foundation for today’s artists.
“It wasn’t always restricted to a singular sound, but how you approached your goals and what you did to achieve them. The diversity was there and it was thrilling to see all the groups start and evolve. The efforts worked because everyone came together to create a local, unique community,” concluded Wuelfing.
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