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{{Short description|American hardcore punk band}}
:''This article is about the band '''Youth Brigade''' from Los Angeles, California. For the Washington, DC band which originally had the same name, see [[DC Youth Brigade]]
{{for|the band from Washington, D.C.|Youth Brigade (Washington, D.C., band)}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Youth Brigade
| image = Youth Brigade 2011-12-17 09.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Brothers Shawn (center) and Mark Stern (right) have been the two consistent members of Youth Brigade since the band's formation.
| image_size =
| landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank -->
| background = group_or_band
| alias = The Brigade
| origin = [[Hollywood, Los Angeles]], California, United States
| genre = [[Hardcore punk]]<ref name="tsttrevpn">{{cite web |last1=Staff |title=Youth Brigade - ''To Sell the Truth'' Review |url=https://www.punknews.org/review/8902/youth-brigade-to-sell-the-truth |website=Punknews.org |access-date=May 9, 2023 |date=December 22, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Larkin80"/><ref name="amgbio">{{cite web |last1=Prato |first1=Greg |title=Youth Brigade - Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/youth-brigade-mn0000592978/biography |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=May 9, 2023}}</ref>
| years_active = {{start date|1980}}–{{end date|1987}}, 1991–present
| label = [[BYO Records|BYO]]
| website = {{URL|myspace.com/youthbrigadebyo}}
| current_members = Shawn Stern<br />Mark Stern<br />Adam Stern<br />John Carey
| past_members = Greg Louis Gutierrez<br />Bob Gnarly<br />[[Jonny Wickersham]]<br />Joey Garibaldi<br />Mike Carter
}}


'''Youth Brigade''' is an American [[hardcore punk]] band formed in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles]], in 1980 by brothers Mark, Adam, and Shawn Stern. The band then founded [[BYO Records|BYO]] (Better Youth Organization).<ref name="Larkin80">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2003|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-969-9|page=511}}</ref> Many later punk bands cite Youth Brigade as an influence, including [[The Nation of Ulysses]]<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/|title=AllMusic &#124; Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref> and [[The Briefs]].<ref name="auto"/>
{{Infobox musical artist | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| Name = Youth Brigade
| Img =
| Img_capt =
| Img_size = <!-- Only for images smaller than 220 pixels -->
| Landscape =
| Background = group_or_band
| Birth_name =
| Alias =
| Born =
| Died =
| Origin = [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]], [[California]], [[USA]]
| Instrument =
| Genre = [[Punk rock|Punk]]
| Occupation =
| Years_active = 1980–Present
| Label = [[BYO Records]]
| Associated_acts =
| URL =
| Current_members =
[[Adam Stern (punk)|Adam Stern]]<br />
[[Mark Stern (musician)|Mark Stern]]<br />
[[Shawn Stern]]


Youth Brigade have released five studio albums including [[The Dividing Line (Youth Brigade album)|one released as The Brigade]]. Four of their five albums feature the band’s original lineup, Mark, Adam, and Shawn Stern. Bassist Bob Gnarly replaced Adam for the recording of 1985’s ''[[The Dividing Line (Youth Brigade album)|The Dividing Line]]'', released as The Brigade. Adam returned in 1991 when the band reunited) and contributed to the band's 1992 EP ''Come Again'' and their next two albums ''[[Happy Hour (Youth Brigade album)|Happy Hour]]'' and ''[[To Sell the Truth]]'' before leaving again in 2007. Youth Brigade continue to tour, although other than six tracks on the 1999 album ''[[BYO Split Series Volume II]]'', they have not released a full-length studio album since ''To Sell the Truth'' in 1996.
| Notable_instruments =
}}


==History==
===Formation (1979–1981)===
The Stern family, consisting of older brothers Shawn (guitar and vocals) and Mark (drums) and younger brother Adam (who later played bass), moved from [[Toronto]] to [[Los Angeles]] in 1970, because their father worked in the film industry.<ref name="Blush">{{cite book| first1 = Steven| last1 = Blush| author-link1 = Steven Blush| first2 = George| last2 = Petros| author-link2 = George Petros| title = American Hardcore (Second Edition): A Tribal History| date = Oct 19, 2010| page = 88 | publisher = [[Feral House]]| isbn = 9781932595895| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PFJjCwAAQBAJ&q=seconds+magazine+blush&pg=PA405| access-date = Aug 10, 2017}}</ref> As teenagers, Shawn and Mark were surfers who skipped school to smoke marijuana and attend rock concerts. At 16 and 17, they played in their first band, called Mess, which played [[Led Zeppelin]] and [[Jimi Hendrix]] covers at parties. A year later in 1978, they discovered [[punk rock]] and formed a quirky [[prog rock]]/[[new wave music|new wave]] band called The Extremes, releasing a four-song EP on which Shawn sang with a fake [[English accent]].<ref name="Blush" />


In the fall of 1979, following a visit by touring British [[Oi!]] band [[Sham 69]], the oldest two Stern brothers moved into a large house in Hollywood, near [[Hollywood High School]] and christening it "Skinhead Manor." The large punk house became a meeting place which drew participants from as far away as [[Huntington Beach, California|Huntington Beach]] in [[Orange County, California|Orange County]] and [[Oxnard, California|Oxnard]], which is west of [[Thousand Oaks, California]].<ref name=FlipBYO>{{cite news | title = The Better Youth Organization | work = [[Flipside (fanzine)|Flipside]] | issue = 32 | date = Summer 1982 | pages = 9 }}</ref> The house was a nexus for creative energy around a small recording studio onsite. Bands including [[Circle Jerks]] used Skinhead Manor as a practice space and residents planned to the launch a [[pirate radio]] station.<ref name=FlipBYO />
'''Youth Brigade''' is a [[punk music]] [[trio (music)|trio]] formed by [[sibling|brothers]] [[Mark Stern (musician)|Mark Stern]], [[Adam Stern (punk)|Adam Stern]], and [[Shawn Stern]], in [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]], [[California]] in 1980. All three of them were graduates of [[Beverly Hills High School]] in [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]], California.


Skinhead Manor was also a place where people interested in forming punk bands could meet, and where the Sterns briefly created a swing band called the Swinging Skins Brigade, the precursor to Youth Brigade.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Eager |first=Wendy |last2=Goph |last3=Donny |date=1984 |title=Youth Brigade |url=https://archive.org/details/GUILLOTINENumber8JacksonHeightsNY/page/n19/mode/1up?view=theater |journal=Guillotine |issue=8 |quote=It started as a swing band and was called Swinging Skins (SS) Brigade. We put an ad in the paper and all these horn players showed up. |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> The Manor spawned No Crisis and other bands.<ref name=FlipBYO /> The use of drugs and alcohol were also prevalent in the house with homemade wine made onsite, a [[Coca-Cola|Coke]] machine stocked with beer instead of soda, and drugs like [[methamphetamine]] used by some visitors.<ref name=FlipBYO />
Youth Brigade was formed at the end of summer 1980 in [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]], [[California]], amid the explosion of the punk scene in Southern California. The basic philosophy of the band is that "youth" is an attitude, not an age and that every generation has the responsibility to change what they feel is wrong in the world. It is with these ideals in mind that the band was started, and that eldest brothers Shawn and Mark formed the [[BYO Records|Better Youth Organization]] in 1982.


Youth Brigade recalled in a 1982 interview:
Youth Brigade first year of existence was as a 6 piece but played their first gig as a 3 piece on New Year's Eve 1981 at Godzilla's nightclub. They were part of the big BYO extravaganza "Youth Movement '82" at the Hollywood Palladium, where 3500 people showed up for an all LA bill in early February. Then they recorded 3 tracks for the first BYO record release "Someone Got Their Head Kicked In", and took off in their big yellow school bus on their first North American tour during summer of '82.


<blockquote>The manor kind of fell apart because we got too many a_ that didn't give a s_... there wasn't any money to support the ideas. That's the most important thing—you need capital... we split, the landlady wanted us out, too. Then the place was mysteriously burned down.<ref name=FlipBYO /></blockquote>
After about 30 shows and several breakdowns they returned home to record their debut LP "Sound & Fury" with the infamous producer, [[Thom Wilson]]. ([[D.O.A. (band)|D.O.A.]], [[TSOL]], and later [[The Offspring]], [[Bouncing Souls]]). A premature version of the LP was rushed together before the tour but pressing was stopped at 800 copies, as the band was not satisfied with the quality of the material or production. An all-new version was recorded and released in June 1983, followed by a 50 date tour of North America during the summer.


Godzilla's a club in a former [[bowling alley]] in the [[Sun Valley, Los Angeles|Sun Valley]] section of Los Angeles,<ref>{{cite news | author = Helen | title = Flipside's List of Dead Cubs (Millions of Dead Clubs!) | work = [[Flipside (fanzine)|Flipside]] | issue = 37 | date = February 1983 | pages = 42 | url = https://archive.org/details/Flipside371983/mode/2up}}</ref> became the new hub of activity for the Stern brothers and the venue grew into a mecca for punk rockers from around Southern California.<ref name=FlipBYO /> With everyone working at the club, soon a small nest egg of working capital was accumulated, and Better Youth Organization (BYO) was launched in 1982 as an umbrella for the promotion of punk rock shows and the production of music.<ref name=FlipBYO /> Shawn and Mark Stern also formed their own label, [[BYO Records|Better Youth Organization]], as part of the project.<ref name=BYO>{{cite web|title=Youth Brigade|url=http://www.byorecords.com/index.php?page=one_band&aid=17|work=BYO Records|publisher=BYO Records|access-date=11 November 2013}}</ref>
After having secured a licensing deal for "Sound & Fury" in England, plans were made to tour Europe in the fall of 1984. They released a 3 song EP "What Price?" in spring 1984 and then played around 50 dates throughout Holland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Yugoslavia, Poland, and England and were one of the first independent American bands to tour the "underground" of Europe and eastern countries. After this tour, younger brother & bassist Adam decided to return to art school and finish his degree. The band recorded his last show in June 1985 at Fenders Ballroom in [[Long Beach, California]] and these tracks have been released on Italian and French releases as well as the "Sink With Kalifornija" CD collection. Brothers' Shawn and Mark continued on as “The Brigade” for about 2 years after the departure of Adam.


Youth Brigade's first year of existence was as a six-piece but they played their first gig as a trio on New Year's Eve 1981 at Godzilla's nightclub. They were part of the big BYO extravaganza "Youth Movement '82" at the [[Hollywood Palladium]], where 3500 people showed up for an all Los Angeles bill in early February.<ref name=BYO />
Meeting in a bar in [[Hamburg]], Mark and Adam expressed the desire to reform Youth Brigade for a tour and Shawn agreed. When they returned home in January 1992, they started working on new material and did a show at the Whisky A Go-Go in [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]], late April.


===''Sound & Fury'' (1982–1983)===
They recorded 6 songs in July at Westbeach Studios for their "Come Again" EP. In the middle of September that yeah Youth Brigade once again packed their bags to tour Europe. The tour covered Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Czechoslovakia & Poland.
In the summer of 1982, after recording three tracks for the first BYO record release ''Someone Got Their Head Kicked In'', Youth Brigade set out in a big yellow school bus on an ambitious 30-city North American tour with fellow hardcore band [[Social Distortion]]. The 1984 [[film]], ''[[Another State of Mind (film)|Another State of Mind]]'' chronicled the event.<ref name=NYT>{{cite web|title=Another State of Mind|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112093032/https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/157755/Another-State-of-Mind/overview|archivedate=2007-11-12|url-status=dead|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Mark Deming|date=2007|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/157755/Another-State-of-Mind/overview}}</ref>


After about 30 shows and several breakdowns they returned home to record their debut LP ''[[Sound & Fury (1982 album)|Sound & Fury]]'' with record producer [[Thom Wilson]]. A premature version of the LP had rushed together before the tour but pressing was stopped at 800 copies, as the band was not satisfied with the quality of the material or production.<ref name="Larkin80"/> After returning home, Youth Brigade decided to record ''[[Sound & Fury (1983 album)|a second version under the same title]]'' which kept four tracks from the original version with the rest being newly recorded.<ref name="Larkin80"/> That was followed by a 50-date tour of North America during the summer.
Ten years after their debut, the band recorded "Happy Hour" at Westbeach Studios and released it March 1994. Soon after they added former [[The Cadillac Tramps]], [[U.S. Bombs]], and current [[Social Distortion]] guitarist [[Jonny Wickersham|Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham]] and recorded the next full length "To Sell the Truth" in April 1996. Produced by Steve Kravac ([[Less Than Jake]], [[MXPX]]) and mixed by long time friend [[Thom Wilson]] (Offspring, Bouncing Souls).


===Final years of original era (1984–1987)===
In 1998 the band went back in the studio to record a 30-second song for the [[Fat Wreck Chords]] compilation, [[Short Music For Short People]]. The song was recorded in a friend's living room, and brought back all of the raw edged energy that had been missing in previous recordings. The raw sound went over so well, that the band decided to abandon the high production sounds and get back to basics. In mid 1999, they went in to record 6 new tracks for Volume 2 of the BYO Records Split series. The flip side of the album was recorded by Nothern Californian punks [[Swingin Utters]]. The album received rave reviews, stating that this was Youth Brigade's best recordings ever.
After having secured a licensing deal for ''Sound & Fury'' in [[England]], plans were made to tour Europe in the fall of 1984. Youth Brigade released the three-song EP ''What Price?'' in spring 1984 and then played around 50 dates throughout the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Yugoslavia, Poland, and Britain as one of the first independent American bands to tour the underground of both Western Europe and [[Eastern Bloc]] countries.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} After the tour, younger brother and band bassist Adam decided to return to art school and finish his degree.<ref name="Larkin80"/> The band recorded the last show with Adam in June 1985 at Fenders Ballroom in [[Long Beach, California]] and the tracks were released on Italian and French releases as well as in the ''Sink With Kalifornija'' CD collection.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}


Shawn and Mark continued on as "The Brigade" for about two years after Adam left, giving their first interview with the new moniker in April 1986.<ref name=Flip49>{{cite news | author = Hudley Flipside | author2 = Al Kowalewski | others= et al. | title = The Brigade | work = [[Flipside (fanzine)|Flipside]] | issue = 49 | date = Summer 1986 | pages = 20–22}}</ref>
Youth Brigade's rather confusing discography consists of several 7-inch EPs and two [[album]]s having the same name, ''Sound and Fury'' (1983). Tracks on the first version of that LP include "Boys in the Brigade", "Alienated" and "Violence". The [[Compact disc|CD]]-Plus reissue is titled ''Out of Print''. The second version includes "We'll Sink with California" and "What Will the Revolution Change?", the latter being an introspective critique about the punk movement itself. It is now known as "Sink With Kalifornija" on the CD reissue.


===Royal Crown Revue (1989–1991)===
The 1984 [[film]], ''[[Another State of Mind]]'', chronicles the band's 30-city tour with [[Social Distortion]] and [[Minor Threat]] in a big school bus.
In 1989 Mark and Adam with younger brother Jamie Stern, founded the swing band [[Royal Crown Revue]] along with three other musicians.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Yanow |first=Scott |url=http://archive.org/details/swing00yano |title=Swing |date=2000 |publisher=San Francisco : Miller Freeman Books; Berkeley, CA : Distributed to the Book trade in the U.S. and Canada by Publishers Group West; Milwaukee, WI : Distributed to the music trade in the U.S. and Canada by Hal Leonard Pub. |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-87930-600-7}}</ref> Those three Stern brothers left the band in 1991, shortly before the Youth Brigade reunion. Royal Crown Revue continued with new members replacing the departing Stern brothers.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

===Reunion (1991–present)===
In 1991, Mark and Adam met in a bar in [[Hamburg|Hamburg, Germany]] and expressed a desire to reform Youth Brigade for a tour, to which Shawn agreed. When they returned home in January 1992, they began working on new material and performed a show at the [[Whisky a Go Go]] in Hollywood.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} The band recorded six songs in July at Westbeach Studios for their ''Come Again'' EP. In the middle of September, Youth Brigade again packed their bags to tour Europe. The tour covered Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Czechoslovakia, and Poland.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

More than ten years after their debut, the band recorded ''Happy Hour'' at Westbeach Studios releasing it in March 1994. Soon afterwards they added former Cadillac Tramps, [[U.S. Bombs]], and current [[Social Distortion]] guitarist [[Jonny Wickersham|Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham]] and recorded the next full length album, ''To Sell the Truth'' in April 1996.

Produced by [[Steve Kravac]] ([[Less Than Jake]], [[MXPX]]) and mixed by longtime friend [[Thom Wilson]] (Offspring, Bouncing Souls). In 1996, the band contributed to the [[AIDS]] benefit album ''[[Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin]]'' produced by the [[Red Hot Organization]] along with [[Cuca (band)|Cuca]], a [[Music of Mexico|Mexican]] band.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} In 1998 the band recorded a 30-second song for the [[Fat Wreck Chords]] compilation, [[Short Music For Short People]]. The song was recorded in a friend's living room.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} In mid-1999, they recorded six new tracks for Volume 2 of the BYO Records Split series. The flip side of the album was recorded by Northern Californian punks [[Swingin Utters]]. In October 2013, Brian Hanover (Hanover Saints, Union Hearts) replaced Mike Carter on guitar.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

==Members==
{| class="toccolours" border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="float: center; width: 650px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2;"
|+ <big>'''Youth Brigade Incarnations'''</big>
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1980–1981)
|
* Shawn Stern – [[Singing|vocals]], [[guitar]]
* Greg Louis Gutierrez – guitar, vocals
* Adam Stern – [[Bass guitar|bass]]
* Mark Stern – [[Drum kit|drums]]
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1981–1985)<br>(Classic lineup)
|
* Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
* Adam Stern – bass
* Mark Stern – drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1985–1987)<br>(as The Brigade)
|
* Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
* Bob Gnarly – bass
* Mark Stern – drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1987–1991)
|
Band on hiatus
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1991–1994)
|
* Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
* Adam Stern – bass
* Mark Stern – drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1994–2000)
|
* Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
* [[Jonny Wickersham|Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham]] – guitar
* Adam Stern – bass
* Mark Stern – drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (2000–2007)
|
* Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
* Adam Stern – bass
* Mark Stern – drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (2007–2009)
|
* Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
* Joey "Balls" Garibaldi – bass
* John Carey – guitar, vocals
* Mark Stern – drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (2009–2013)
|
* Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
* Mike Carter – bass, vocals
* Mike Hale – guitar
* Mark Stern – drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (2013–present)
|
* Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
* John Carey – guitar, vocals
* Adam Stern – bass
* Mark Stern – drums
|-
|}

=== Timeline ===
{{#tag:timeline|ImageSize=width:940 height:auto barincrement:25
PlotArea = left:110 bottom:80 top:05 right:10
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = yyyy
Period = from:1980 till:{{#time:Y}}
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4
ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1980
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1980

Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album
id:compilation value:gray(0.7) legend:Compilation_album
id:bars value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData =
at:1982 color:studio layer:back
at:1983 color:studio layer:back
at:1986 color:studio layer:back
at:1994 color:compilation layer:back
at:1994 color:studio layer:back
at:1996 color:studio layer:back
at:1998 color:compilation layer:back
at:2002 color:compilation layer:back

BarData =
bar:Shawn text:"Shawn Stern"
bar:Greg text:"Greg Louis Gutierrez"
bar:Jonny text:"Jonny Wickersham"
bar:John text:"John Carey"
bar:MikeH text:"Mike Hale"
bar:Adam text:"Adam Stern"
bar:Bob text:"Bob Gnarly"
bar:Joey text:"Joey Garibaldi"
bar:MikeC text:"Mike Carter"
bar:Mark text:"Mark Stern"

PlotData =
width:11
bar:Shawn from:1980 till:1987 color: vocals
bar:Shawn from:1980 till:1987 color: guitar width: 3
bar:Shawn from:1991 till:end color: vocals
bar:Shawn from:1991 till:end color: guitar width: 3
bar:Adam from:1980 till:1985 color: bass
bar:Adam from:1991 till:2007 color: bass
bar:Adam from:2013 till:end color: bass
bar:Mark from:1980 till:1987 color: drums
bar:Mark from:1991 till:end color: drums
bar:Greg from:1980 till:1981 color: vocals
bar:Greg from:1980 till:1981 color: guitar width: 3
bar:Bob from:1985 till:1987 color: bass
bar:Jonny from:1994 till:2000 color: guitar
bar:Joey from:2007 till:2009 color: bass
bar:John from:2007 till:2009 color: vocals
bar:John from:2007 till:2009 color: guitar width: 3
bar:John from:2013 till:end color: vocals
bar:John from:2013 till:end color: guitar width: 3
bar:MikeC from:2009 till:2013 color: bass
bar:MikeC from:2009 till:2013 color: vocals width: 3
bar:MikeH from:2009 till:2013 color: guitar}}

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
*''[[Sound & Fury (1982 Youth Brigade album)|Sound & Fury]]'' (1982)
*''[[Sound & Fury (1983 Youth Brigade album)|Sound & Fury]]'' (1983)
*''[[The Dividing Line (Youth Brigade album)|The Dividing Line]]'' (1986) (as The Brigade)
*''[[Happy Hour (Youth Brigade album)|Happy Hour]]'' (1994)
*''[[To Sell the Truth]]'' (1996)

===EPs and singles===
*''What Price Happiness?'' (1984)
*''Come Together'' (1986) (as The Brigade)
*''Come Again (EP)|Come Again'' (1992)
*''All Style No Substance'' (1994)

===Split releases===

* ''Epitaph'' / ''[[Sound & Fury (1983 Youth Brigade album)|Care]]'' {{small|(by [[Vicious Circle (band)|Vicious Circle]] / Youth Brigade)}} (April 1986)&nbsp;– Reactor Records {{small|(REACTOR 009)}}<ref name="McFarlane">{{cite book | last1 = McFarlane | first1 = Ian | author-link1 = Ian McFarlane | title = [[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]] | chapter = Encyclopedia entry for 'Vicious Circle' | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040406110736/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=761 | chapter-url = http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=761 | year = 1999 | publisher = [[Allen & Unwin]] | location = [[St Leonards, New South Wales|St Leonards, NSW]] | archive-date = 6 April 2004 | isbn = 1-86508-072-1 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
*''Youth Brigade/Screw 32'' (1995)
*''[[BYO Split Series Volume II]]'' (1999)

===Compilation albums===
*''[[Sink With Kalifornija]]'' (1994)
*''Out of Print'' (1998)
*''A Best of Youth Brigade'' (2002)

===Compilation appearances===
*''Someone Got Their Head Kicked In!'' (1982)
*''Something To Believe In'' (1984)
*''Someone's Gonna Get Their Head To Believe In Something'' (1994)
*''[[Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin]]'' (1996)
*''How To Start A Fight'' (1996)
*''The World Still Won't Listen - A Tribute To The Smiths'' (1996)
*''Sample This!'' (1997)
*''Dropping Food on Their Heads Is Not Enough: Benefit for RAWA'' (2002)
*''Sample This, Too'' (2002)
*''Voices in the Wilderness: A Benefit Compilation'' (2005)
*''[[Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records]]'' (2009)

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Youth Brigade}}
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=581485904267910222 Youth Brigade music video for "I Hate My Life" on BlankTV.com]
*[http://www.byorecords.com/index.php?page=one_band&aid=17 Full Youth Brigade biography]
*[http://www.byorecords.com/index.php?page=one_band&aid=17 Full Youth Brigade biography]
*[http://www.byorecords.com/index.php?page=home BYO Records Homepage]
*[http://www.byorecords.com/index.php?page=home BYO Records Homepage]
*[http://www.punk-hxc.com/youth-brigade.htm Youth Brigade Spanish]
*[http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=139&csid2=946&fid1=42686 December 2009 Interview]
*[http://www.thepunksite.com/interviews.php?page=youthbrigade June 2009 Youth Brigade Interview]
*[http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/usa/youthbrigade_main.html KILL FROM THE HEART Youth Brigade – History, Discography, Info]
*[https://archive.org/details/GUILLOTINENumber8JacksonHeightsNY/page/n19/mode/2up/ 1984 Interview by Guillotine; Jackson Heights, NY] Ragged Edge Collection @ Archive.org


{{Youth Brigade}}
[[Category:Punk rock groups]]
[[Category:Los Angeles musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1980]]


{{Authority control}}
[[de:Youth Brigade]]

[[fr:Youth Brigade]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Youth Brigade (band)}}
[[Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1980]]
[[Category:Hardcore punk groups from California]]
[[Category:BYO Records artists]]
[[Category:Sibling musical trios]]
[[Category:Jewish punk rock groups]]

Latest revision as of 07:14, 10 December 2024

For the band from Washington, D.C., see Youth Brigade (Washington, D.C., band).
Youth Brigade
Brothers Shawn (center) and Mark Stern (right) have been the two consistent members of Youth Brigade since the band's formation.
Background information
Also known asThe Brigade
OriginHollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
GenresHardcore punk[1][2][3]
Years active1980 (1980)–1987 (1987), 1991–present
LabelsBYO
MembersShawn Stern
Mark Stern
Adam Stern
John Carey
Past membersGreg Louis Gutierrez
Bob Gnarly
Jonny Wickersham
Joey Garibaldi
Mike Carter
Websitemyspace.com/youthbrigadebyo

Youth Brigade is an American hardcore punk band formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, in 1980 by brothers Mark, Adam, and Shawn Stern. The band then founded BYO (Better Youth Organization).[2] Many later punk bands cite Youth Brigade as an influence, including The Nation of Ulysses[4] and The Briefs.[4]

Youth Brigade have released five studio albums including one released as The Brigade. Four of their five albums feature the band’s original lineup, Mark, Adam, and Shawn Stern. Bassist Bob Gnarly replaced Adam for the recording of 1985’s The Dividing Line, released as The Brigade. Adam returned in 1991 when the band reunited) and contributed to the band's 1992 EP Come Again and their next two albums Happy Hour and To Sell the Truth before leaving again in 2007. Youth Brigade continue to tour, although other than six tracks on the 1999 album BYO Split Series Volume II, they have not released a full-length studio album since To Sell the Truth in 1996.

History

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Formation (1979–1981)

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The Stern family, consisting of older brothers Shawn (guitar and vocals) and Mark (drums) and younger brother Adam (who later played bass), moved from Toronto to Los Angeles in 1970, because their father worked in the film industry.[5] As teenagers, Shawn and Mark were surfers who skipped school to smoke marijuana and attend rock concerts. At 16 and 17, they played in their first band, called Mess, which played Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix covers at parties. A year later in 1978, they discovered punk rock and formed a quirky prog rock/new wave band called The Extremes, releasing a four-song EP on which Shawn sang with a fake English accent.[5]

In the fall of 1979, following a visit by touring British Oi! band Sham 69, the oldest two Stern brothers moved into a large house in Hollywood, near Hollywood High School and christening it "Skinhead Manor." The large punk house became a meeting place which drew participants from as far away as Huntington Beach in Orange County and Oxnard, which is west of Thousand Oaks, California.[6] The house was a nexus for creative energy around a small recording studio onsite. Bands including Circle Jerks used Skinhead Manor as a practice space and residents planned to the launch a pirate radio station.[6]

Skinhead Manor was also a place where people interested in forming punk bands could meet, and where the Sterns briefly created a swing band called the Swinging Skins Brigade, the precursor to Youth Brigade.[7] The Manor spawned No Crisis and other bands.[6] The use of drugs and alcohol were also prevalent in the house with homemade wine made onsite, a Coke machine stocked with beer instead of soda, and drugs like methamphetamine used by some visitors.[6]

Youth Brigade recalled in a 1982 interview:

The manor kind of fell apart because we got too many a_ that didn't give a s_... there wasn't any money to support the ideas. That's the most important thing—you need capital... we split, the landlady wanted us out, too. Then the place was mysteriously burned down.[6]

Godzilla's a club in a former bowling alley in the Sun Valley section of Los Angeles,[8] became the new hub of activity for the Stern brothers and the venue grew into a mecca for punk rockers from around Southern California.[6] With everyone working at the club, soon a small nest egg of working capital was accumulated, and Better Youth Organization (BYO) was launched in 1982 as an umbrella for the promotion of punk rock shows and the production of music.[6] Shawn and Mark Stern also formed their own label, Better Youth Organization, as part of the project.[9]

Youth Brigade's first year of existence was as a six-piece but they played their first gig as a trio on New Year's Eve 1981 at Godzilla's nightclub. They were part of the big BYO extravaganza "Youth Movement '82" at the Hollywood Palladium, where 3500 people showed up for an all Los Angeles bill in early February.[9]

Sound & Fury (1982–1983)

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In the summer of 1982, after recording three tracks for the first BYO record release Someone Got Their Head Kicked In, Youth Brigade set out in a big yellow school bus on an ambitious 30-city North American tour with fellow hardcore band Social Distortion. The 1984 film, Another State of Mind chronicled the event.[10]

After about 30 shows and several breakdowns they returned home to record their debut LP Sound & Fury with record producer Thom Wilson. A premature version of the LP had rushed together before the tour but pressing was stopped at 800 copies, as the band was not satisfied with the quality of the material or production.[2] After returning home, Youth Brigade decided to record a second version under the same title which kept four tracks from the original version with the rest being newly recorded.[2] That was followed by a 50-date tour of North America during the summer.

Final years of original era (1984–1987)

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After having secured a licensing deal for Sound & Fury in England, plans were made to tour Europe in the fall of 1984. Youth Brigade released the three-song EP What Price? in spring 1984 and then played around 50 dates throughout the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Yugoslavia, Poland, and Britain as one of the first independent American bands to tour the underground of both Western Europe and Eastern Bloc countries.[citation needed] After the tour, younger brother and band bassist Adam decided to return to art school and finish his degree.[2] The band recorded the last show with Adam in June 1985 at Fenders Ballroom in Long Beach, California and the tracks were released on Italian and French releases as well as in the Sink With Kalifornija CD collection.[citation needed]

Shawn and Mark continued on as "The Brigade" for about two years after Adam left, giving their first interview with the new moniker in April 1986.[11]

Royal Crown Revue (1989–1991)

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In 1989 Mark and Adam with younger brother Jamie Stern, founded the swing band Royal Crown Revue along with three other musicians.[12] Those three Stern brothers left the band in 1991, shortly before the Youth Brigade reunion. Royal Crown Revue continued with new members replacing the departing Stern brothers.[citation needed]

Reunion (1991–present)

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In 1991, Mark and Adam met in a bar in Hamburg, Germany and expressed a desire to reform Youth Brigade for a tour, to which Shawn agreed. When they returned home in January 1992, they began working on new material and performed a show at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood.[citation needed] The band recorded six songs in July at Westbeach Studios for their Come Again EP. In the middle of September, Youth Brigade again packed their bags to tour Europe. The tour covered Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Czechoslovakia, and Poland.[citation needed]

More than ten years after their debut, the band recorded Happy Hour at Westbeach Studios releasing it in March 1994. Soon afterwards they added former Cadillac Tramps, U.S. Bombs, and current Social Distortion guitarist Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham and recorded the next full length album, To Sell the Truth in April 1996.

Produced by Steve Kravac (Less Than Jake, MXPX) and mixed by longtime friend Thom Wilson (Offspring, Bouncing Souls). In 1996, the band contributed to the AIDS benefit album Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin produced by the Red Hot Organization along with Cuca, a Mexican band.[citation needed] In 1998 the band recorded a 30-second song for the Fat Wreck Chords compilation, Short Music For Short People. The song was recorded in a friend's living room.[citation needed] In mid-1999, they recorded six new tracks for Volume 2 of the BYO Records Split series. The flip side of the album was recorded by Northern Californian punks Swingin Utters. In October 2013, Brian Hanover (Hanover Saints, Union Hearts) replaced Mike Carter on guitar.[citation needed]

Members

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Youth Brigade Incarnations
(1980–1981)
  • Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
  • Greg Louis Gutierrez – guitar, vocals
  • Adam Stern – bass
  • Mark Stern – drums
(1981–1985)
(Classic lineup)
  • Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
  • Adam Stern – bass
  • Mark Stern – drums
(1985–1987)
(as The Brigade)
  • Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
  • Bob Gnarly – bass
  • Mark Stern – drums
(1987–1991)

Band on hiatus

(1991–1994)
  • Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
  • Adam Stern – bass
  • Mark Stern – drums
(1994–2000)
(2000–2007)
  • Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
  • Adam Stern – bass
  • Mark Stern – drums
(2007–2009)
  • Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
  • Joey "Balls" Garibaldi – bass
  • John Carey – guitar, vocals
  • Mark Stern – drums
(2009–2013)
  • Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
  • Mike Carter – bass, vocals
  • Mike Hale – guitar
  • Mark Stern – drums
(2013–present)
  • Shawn Stern – vocals, guitar
  • John Carey – guitar, vocals
  • Adam Stern – bass
  • Mark Stern – drums

Timeline

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Discography

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Studio albums

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EPs and singles

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  • What Price Happiness? (1984)
  • Come Together (1986) (as The Brigade)
  • Come Again (EP)|Come Again (1992)
  • All Style No Substance (1994)

Split releases

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Compilation albums

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Compilation appearances

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  • Someone Got Their Head Kicked In! (1982)
  • Something To Believe In (1984)
  • Someone's Gonna Get Their Head To Believe In Something (1994)
  • Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin (1996)
  • How To Start A Fight (1996)
  • The World Still Won't Listen - A Tribute To The Smiths (1996)
  • Sample This! (1997)
  • Dropping Food on Their Heads Is Not Enough: Benefit for RAWA (2002)
  • Sample This, Too (2002)
  • Voices in the Wilderness: A Benefit Compilation (2005)
  • Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records (2009)

References

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  1. ^ Staff (December 22, 2009). "Youth Brigade - To Sell the Truth Review". Punknews.org. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (2003). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 511. ISBN 1-85227-969-9.
  3. ^ Prato, Greg. "Youth Brigade - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "AllMusic | Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Blush, Steven; Petros, George (Oct 19, 2010). American Hardcore (Second Edition): A Tribal History. Feral House. p. 88. ISBN 9781932595895. Retrieved Aug 10, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "The Better Youth Organization". Flipside. No. 32. Summer 1982. p. 9.
  7. ^ Eager, Wendy; Goph; Donny (1984). "Youth Brigade". Guillotine (8) – via Internet Archive. It started as a swing band and was called Swinging Skins (SS) Brigade. We put an ad in the paper and all these horn players showed up.
  8. ^ Helen (February 1983). "Flipside's List of Dead Cubs (Millions of Dead Clubs!)". Flipside. No. 37. p. 42.
  9. ^ a b "Youth Brigade". BYO Records. BYO Records. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  10. ^ Mark Deming (2007). "Another State of Mind". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2007-11-12.
  11. ^ Hudley Flipside; Al Kowalewski (Summer 1986). "The Brigade". Flipside. No. 49. et al. pp. 20–22.
  12. ^ Yanow, Scott (2000). Swing. Internet Archive. San Francisco : Miller Freeman Books; Berkeley, CA : Distributed to the Book trade in the U.S. and Canada by Publishers Group West; Milwaukee, WI : Distributed to the music trade in the U.S. and Canada by Hal Leonard Pub. ISBN 978-0-87930-600-7.
  13. ^ McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Vicious Circle'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 6 April 2004.
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