Youth Brigade

by Greg PratoOne of the lesser-known bands to come out of the early-80s West Coast punk rock explosion, Youth Brigade was formed by a trio of brothers (Shawn, Mark, and Adam Stern) at the end of summer 1980 in Los Angeles. Originally supplemented with other members, the group went back to a trio in early 1982, the same year they founded their own independent record label, BYO (Better Youth Organization). Later that year, the group issued their very first release, the three-track EP Someone Got Their Head Kicked In, before recording their full-length debut, Sound and Fury. Their debut hit a snag, however — shortly after its initial release, the group halted further pressings when they realized they werent entirely satisfied with how it came out, resulting in the release of a reworked version in June 1983. Another three-song EP, What Price?, hit the racks in the spring of 1984, resulting in Youth Brigades first tour of Europe. But despite being able to obtain success entirely on their own terms, Adam Stern decided to leave the band in 1985 in order to return to art school. Adams final show was scheduled in June of the same year at Fenders Ballroom in Long Beach, CA, which was recorded and issued as the Sink with Kalifornija album, and Shawn and Mark opted to carry on without Adam. Eventually Adam returned to Youth Brigade, as the trio toured both North America and Europe. In 1991, the group took a break as its members concentrated on other projects (Mark and Adam with the swing revival band Royal Crown Revue, and Shawn with the pop-punk outfit Thats It!). Youth Brigade would pick up where they left off shortly thereafter, as they issued several albums throughout the remainder of the decade: 1994s Happy Hour, 1996s To Sell the Truth, and 1998s Out of Print. BYO Records also continued to operate strong through the years, releasing albums from bands like Pinhead Circus, the Unseen, the Business, and many more; the label also began a well-received series of split releases (Leatherface and Hot Water Music being the first), which Youth Brigade took part in on a 1999 split with San Franciscos Swingin Utters.