Youth Brigade

Youth Brigade can refer to two different punk music groups.

(1) The first was a punk music trio formed by brothers Mark Stern, Adam Stern, and Shawn Stern, in Hollywood, California in 1980. The band has broken up and subsequently re-formed a number of times. They have been together again for several years as of 2006, and playing shows throughout California. Youth Brigade have only released a few records, but were influential as the founders of the Better Youth Organization, an independent record label and concert booking firm.

Youth Brigade's first and most influential album was Sound and Fury including tracks We`ll Sink With California and What Will The Revolution Change?, the latter being an introspective critique about the punk movement itself. Two very different versions of this album exist, with the rare first edition containing many different songs from the second edition (the above songs are from the second edition which is now know as Sink With Kalifornija on the CD version). The first edition is now available on CD and is entitled "Out Of Print".


(2) Youth Brigade was also another, unrelated punk band from Washington D.C., who released a 7" EP on Dischord Records in 1981. This band subsequently, during their short life, called themselves DC Youth Brigade. Youth Brigade DC also has 3 tracks featured on the 1982 Dischord compilation Flex Your Head. An unreleased song entitled "I Object" is also featured on the 20 Years of Dischord compliation set. Although only around for a short period of time the DC Youth Brigade played shows with the legendary Minor Threat. Their style is also now considered a classic example of American hardcore punk.