Early DC Punks Youth Brigade Remembered with Demo Collection

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Oct 15, 2015

Dischord Records has been clearing the vaults over the last few years for a series of supremely choice, raw and ragged demo releases. Following semi-recent early-days offerings from Fugazi, S.O.A. and Rites of Spring, the label are now putting the spotlight on DC whipper-snappers Youth Brigade. A 7-inch titled Complete First Demo drops November 23.

A press release explains that Youth Brigade were one of DC hardcore's earliest supergroups and were formed by the scene-galvanizing Teen Idles' vocalist Nathan Strejcek and the Untouchables' Danny Ingram shortly after both of those projects called it quits. Following a few lineup shifts, Youth Brigade coagulated with the addition of bassist Bert Queiroz and guitarist Tom Clinton.

Complete First Demo comprises the band's debut recording session, which was tracked with Don Zientara and Skip Groff at Inner Ear Studios. The record's "I Object" had previously been issued on the 20 Years of Dischord, while "Last Word" came out on the landmark Flex Your Head comp from 1982. The remaining six songs are previously unreleased commercially.

Youth Brigade had also delivered the Possible 7-inch through Dischord in 1981. It featured a re-recorded version of the demo's "Full Speed Ahead."

To clear things up, this is not the Canadian-bred, later California-based Youth Brigade that maintained a long career in the punk scene. DC's Youth Brigade would break up in the early '80s.

Complete First Demo:

1. I Object
2. Full Speed Ahead
3. Last Word
4. Moral Majority
5. Bouncer
6. Waste of Time
7. Snow Job                                                     
8. Youth Brigade
 

Latest Coverage