In the early 1980s, Washington, DC, boasted one of the world's most vital and distinguished hardcore punk communities. Home to Minor Threat, Dischord Records and an ascetic straight-edge lifestyle that disdained booze, sex, and drugs, the city was heralded for its loud, fast music and righteous, left-leaning politics. Hailing from the unhip suburb of Ashton, Maryland, No Trend presented a sneering alternative to that sanctimonious ethos. Cynical, surreal, and eager to call attention to the hypocrisy of both Middle American norms and supposedly free-thinking subcultures, the band mercilessly baited its audience, dressed in atrociously kitschy clothing, and antagonized fans and foes with grinding dirges and contemptuous, tragicomic lyrics. Despite much local hostility, the group managed to make a name for itself nationally, touring often and gigging with the likes of the Dead Kennedys, Sonic Youth, T.S.O.L., Hüsker Dü, The Flaming Lips, Butthole Surfers, Soundgarden, and countless others.