WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Since the early '80s, Washington, D.C., has produced its monumental punk movement with bands like Minor Threat, Fugazi and Bad Brains. And it continues to foster today's underground.

Whether walking through the streets of Mount Pleasant or inside the club 15 Minutes, one is sure to hear sweat-soaked unconformity. Washington, D.C. is a place where a sense of community and hardcore go together like a senator and scandal.

"It's a good environment because it's one of the most supportive towns in terms of audience. Everybody is willing to give new bands a break," said singer Chris Thomson of Dischord Record's Circus Lupus.

Unlike most music communities, bands usually start by putting out their own records, gaining popularity through a grass-roots system as well as learning to work within the industry.

"It's a good exercise for people to do so they understand what's involved with releasing a record," said Ian MacKaye of Fugazi and co-owner of Dischord Records. "They can understand what's involved as opposed to stepping right in and being on a label."

Most of the prominent labels in D.C. like Dischord, Teenbeat, Slumberland and Simple Machine tend to record friends involved in the music scene. It's an informal system void of the city's characteristic bureaucracy.

"It became sort of the point where we no longer could put out every punk band in Washington. So we just said we'll continue documenting our friends," MacKaye said. "It just so happened that in the beginning our friends were the D.C. punk scene."

This anti-business scene has created a celebrated arena for new acts ranging from the hardcore dissonance of The Nation of Ulysses and Holy Rollers to the "dorky punk" of Sexual Milkshake.

Bands worth checking out that have new releases in stores or on the way include Teenbeat's Eggs, Circus Lupus and Slumberland's Velocity Girl.

Eggs, out of Arlington, Va., is releasing its LP, Bruiser in April. Andrew Beaujon, Egg's singer and guitarist, describes the album as pretty. He admits that his band is somewhat of a D.C. pop pariah.

"We never really had a good show in D.C. . . . No one usually stands in front of us, they kind of sit and talk loudly," Beaujon said. "Which I think is pretty cool actually."

A band that does have a strong following among Washingtonians is Circus Lupus. To be released in April, Super Genius expunges a chaotic noise, Thomson said. The group will be touring for two weeks with Louisville, Ky. natives Crain.

Drifting away from the city toward Montgomery County, one finds Velocity Girl grinding out distorted pop tunes. Having recently released a split seven-inch single with Simple Machine's Tsunami on Sub Pop records ("Warm"/"Cell"), the band has found themselves in pretty loud company.

"We're about to start recording a full-length CD and hopefully get on a bigger label," said Archie Moore of Velocity Girl. "Last week we played with My Bloody Valentine, hopefully we'll do more shows like that."

Most local bands play at 15 Minutes or the 9:30 Club or perform hall gigs. One can find out about shows through the City Paper or The Washington Post weekend section. Positive Force organizes most hall shows -- to get information about the group, just call its answering machine for time, date and place.

All concerts handled by Positive Force are benefits. Shows in D.C. are usually a three- to four-act bill. Fugazi, Haymaker and Mr. Candy-Eater recently performed for the Washington Free Clinic.