Lyle Preslar

Before joining Minor Threat, Preslar was the vocalist for D.C. punk band The Extorts, who later became State of Alert after he quit and was replaced by Henry Rollins.^[1] Despite not performing on any State of Alert recordings, Preslar received co-writing credit for the songs "Draw Blank" from the No Policy EP and "I Hate the Kids" from the Dischord Records compilation Flex Your Head.

Preslar was a member of Minor Threat during their entire 1980-83 lifespan. His guitar playing has been praised by Minor Threat bandmate Ian Mackaye, who stated "Lyle Preslar, the guitar player, I mean he's one of the most unsung guitar players. He's playing full, six-string-position barre chords at that speed—that's just insane. His accuracy and his rhythms are so incredible."^[2][3] During Minor Threat’s 1981 hiatus when Preslar started school at Northwestern University, he was briefly involved with a nascent version of Big Black in 1981, but soon departed due to personality clashes with Steve Albini.^[4]

After Minor Threat dissolved, Preslar played guitar in the first incarnation of Glenn Danzig’s post-Misfits Samhain in 1983, and also with The Meatmen from 1983 to 88.^[5][6]

After retiring from performing, Preslar ran Caroline Records, signing Ben Folds, the Chemical Brothers, and Fatboy Slim. He was later a marketing executive for Elektra Records and Sire Records.^[6][7] In 2007, he graduated from Rutgers School of Law–Newark.^[7] He is admitted to practice law in the state of New York.

Preslar is married to Sandy Alouete, an executive at VH1, and they have a child named Romy.^[7]

Preslar also won the Grammy Law Initiative Writing Prize in 2007 with an article about the RIAA vs. XM Satellite Radio.^[7]

• The Extorts
• Minor Threat
• Samhain
• The Meatmen