They started in 1995 with Brad Logan, Jen Johnson, Timmy Chunks and Awol. Not much happened until Sarah Lee replaced Timmy Chunks on guitar and named the band in 1996. As for the rest of 1996, it was still a slow start, due to Brad and Awol being gone most of the year, touring with the bands they worked with. They played a few shows here and there.
Then, in 1997, they finally started playing more shows and recorded a few compilation tracks. At that point, they figured it would be cool to start working on some stuff that they would actually put out. Chris Lagerborg replaced Awol on drums and they released their first two 7"s, Failed Society on Hellcat Records and Won't Bleed Me on Pelado Records.
In 1998, Adam Zuckert took over drum duties and Erica Daking replaced Sarah Lee on guitar. The rest of that year they worked on what would become their first full length, F-Minus-F-Minus F-Minus, or simply known as their self-titled album.
Then Brad, Jen, Erica and another new drummer, John Guerra, spent the rest of 1999 and 2000 touring the U.S. and Europe.
With the end of 2000 approaching and Brad and Erica now living in New York, they once again brought Adam Zuckert's drum skills back on board to write and record the second record, Suburban Blight. Adam and Jen on the West Coast and Brad and Erica on the East Coast. With the release of Suburban Blight in 2001, they continued touring the States and Europe.
At the end of 2002, it was once again time for a new record. Josiah Steinbrick replaced Jen on Bass and they recorded Wake Up Screaming in Chicago with Steve Albini. The record came out in 2003, and the band spent much of the year touring the U.S. and Europe.
In 2004, Jen briefly joined the band again to do a tour of Japan with Erica, Joe and Adam. The last F-Minus show to date was October 2004, at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles. The line up consisted of Brad, Jen, Erica,A dam and Joe for a total of three guitars present that evening.
F-Minus were known for their dueling male and female vocals in songs that were sometimes as short as 12 seconds.
One of their noted primary influences is Nausea, where the vocal stylings no doubt descend from.
Throughout their career, they covered songs from several notable bands, to include Antidote, Black Randy, The Metro Squad, Negative Approach and Agnostic Front.
Albums and EP's
* Voice of Treason Cassette (Self Released, 1996)
* Failed Society 7" (Hellcat, 1997)
* Won't Bleed Me 7" (Pelado, 1997)
* Failed Society / Won't Bleed Me Cassette (Self Released, 1997)
* Self Titled LP/CD (Hellcat, 1999)
* Suburban Blight LP/CD (Hellcat, 2001)
* Split With Crack Rock Steady 7 - Baby Jesus Sliced Up In a Manger 10" (Knife or Death, 2001)
* Sweating Blood 7" (Bridge 9, 2003)
* Wake Up Screaming LP/CD (Hellcat, 2003)
* Won't Bleed Me / Failed Society CD (Alternative Tentacles, 2005)
Compilations
* Give Em' The Boot Volume 1 CD (Hellcat, 1997)
* Old Skars and Upstarts CD/LP (Alive, 1997)
* Give Em' The Boot Volume 2 CD (Hellcat, 1999)
* Vans Off The Wall Volume 3 CD (Vans, 2000)
* Tomorrow Seems So Hopeless CD (Eyeball, 2000)
* Give Em' The Boot Volume 3 CD (Hellcat, 2002)
* Against Police Justice CD (Non-Commercial, 2003)
* Punk O' Rama Volume 8 CD (Epitaph, 2003)
* Give Em' The Boot Volume 4 CD (Hellcat, 2004)
* Give Em' The Boot DVD (Hellcat, 2005)
Still
F-Minus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics "chaos, brutality, and pain" depict the horror of war and the violence that it brings. The imagery of "families slaughtered and children maimed" highlights the innocent victims who suffer as a result of conflict. The line "death for the sake of fame, or propaganda staged in vain" seems to suggest that some wars are fought purely for the purpose of gaining power or advancing a particular agenda, rather than for any noble cause. The singer urges the listener to "close your eyes but it won't go away," acknowledging the difficulty of facing the reality of war, but also emphasizing the importance of confronting it.
The second verse of the song continues the theme of war's brutality. The description of "hollow cheeks, empty eyes" evokes the suffering and deprivation experienced by those caught up in conflict. The lyrics also condemn the acts of "murder" and "torture," underscoring the inhumanity of war. The final lines of the song - "nothing to eat, no escape. when will this nightmare end?" - express a sense of hopelessness and despair, emphasizing the toll that war takes on the human spirit and the urgent need to find a way to stop it.
Line by Line Meaning
chaos, brutality, and pain
The situation is characterized by an environment of disorder, violence and suffering.
families slaughtered and children maimed
Innocent families are being killed and kids are being injured.
death for the sake of fame, or propaganda staged in vain
People are being killed just to gain notoriety or as a means of spreading misinformation.
close your eyes but it won't go away
Ignoring the situation won't make it disappear.
realize it's happening today
It's important to acknowledge that this is a current issue that needs to be addressed.
hollow cheeks, empty eyes
The victims are malnourished and traumatized.
murder, torture, we despise
We strongly condemn the acts of killing and inflicting pain on others.
nothing to eat. no escape
People are suffering from hunger and have no means of escaping the situation.
when will this nightmare end?
We are desperate for this situation to come to a close and for there to be resolution.
Contributed by Dominic A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.