The Messthetics is an American instrumental rock group formed in 2016 by bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty, both of Fugazi, along with guitarist Anthony Pirog. The trio began their musical journey when Joe Lally returned to Washington, D.C., after living in Rome and reconnected with Brendan Canty. The bandâs music blends tightly wound grooves with open improvisation, drawing inspiration from punk minimalism, dub, free jazz, and experimental rock. Signed by Dischord Records after a first show that impressed the label's founder and former Fugazi member Ian MacKaye, The Messthetics released their debut self-titled album, The Messthetics, in March 2018. The album introduced a mix of original compositions and reinterpretations of songs by The Minutemen. In September 2019, they released the follow-up, Anthropocosmic Nest. In 2024, the band partenered with jazz saxophonist James Brandon Lewis on The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, a jazz-rock collaboration released through Impulse! Records. The collaboration continued with Deface the Currency, released in February 2026.
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