The good folks at BYO Records were kind enough to send me their new retrospective CD and DVD release, “Let Them Know – The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records”. In several words, totally flippin’ rad. Back eons ago in the hard-scrabble Los Angeles Punk rock scene there was a handful of bands, no organization and nothing even close to the internet to get the word out about the minds music and attitude of the American youth. They desperately needed something.

To fill that void, the Brothers Stern formed the Better Youth Organization as a way to form something positive out of the haphazard scene at the time. It was half built on ideals as a means to makes something positive out of the boredom of youth and half built with bored youth that needed something more positive. Through dedication and the true spirit of DIY, BYO and Youth Brigade carried the torch to bring the punk scene out of its fledgling state of loose knit neighborhood punk gangs and into a force to be reckoned with.

The DVD features rare footage of early shows and interviews with, “Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Minor Threat, founder of Dischord Records), Fat Mike (NOFX, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, founder of Fat Wreck Chords), Steve Soto (Adolescents, Manic Hispanic), Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), Gary Tovar (founder of Goldenvoice Promotions), Brendan Mullen (founder of The Masque Club, author of “Lexicon Devil: The Fast Times and Short Life of Darby Crash and The Germs “), members of The Bouncing Souls, Swingin’ Utters, 7 Seconds, and many others involved in the So Cal Punk Scene.”

Aside from that you get sweet “lost” footage of The Extreme and The Brigade. Both of which are unusual incarnations of Youth Brigade in both New Wave and Euro-Electro Dance format. It truly is priceless.

If that weren’t enough, the CD contains 31 tracks (I’m sure they would have included more if they could) of various BYO affiliated bands performing covers of various BYO affiliated songs. Again, this is priceless stuff.

If you get one punk rock DVD + Comp set this season, make it Let Them Know. You’ll be glad that you did.

–Jerry Actually

I love listening to comps. I hate reviewing comps. There are just too many aspects going on at once. Do I pass judgement on the music as a whole or the individual artists or the generation as a whole? It’s hard to say. This comp Brought to you by BYO and Artcor Fanzine is “Greetings From The Welfare State” and no their not talking about Arkansas. This is the Best of British Punk going on now. Sure they may have a tiny little island, but they get the evil dreary weather that fuels their angst and misery. I should know I’m in Portland, OR (misery central) Whatever, If you’re looking to cross some international waters to pick up on some stuff the kids down the street arn’t into yet, go grab this comp and find some culture in the punks from the UK. Highlights for me include Goober Patrol, Newton Grunts and Four Letter Word. Later I’m Out…

–Jerry Actually