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Echelons is the debut album by Nebraska's For Against, first released in 1987 on Independent Project Records and reissued for the first time on CD in 2004 by Words On Music.

The album blends early Factory Records atmospherics with the aggressive jangle of early R.E.M., juxtaposed against the earnest and isolated voice of Jeffrey Runnings. These elements conjoin to set the definitive image of the depth, vastness, and loneliness of America's sparse heartland.

One of the definitive American post-punk albums, Echelons was celebrated with a Grammy nomination for its remarkable cover design by Bruce Licher (a shaft of wheat accompanied each record sleeve in its initial 1,000 copy letter press run). This re-release is remastered with a six-panel digipak design by Licher.

For Against is one of America's most enduring and endeared independent musical ensembles, founded in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1984. The trio built the bridge between post-punk and dream pop in the mid-1980s and proceeded to record eight albums, three singles, and one EP drawing together a loyal union of darkwave fans in Europe and dream pop enthusiasts in their native U.S.

1. words-on-music.com