From New Wave to the 'NOW', experience the thrill of NEW WAVE from it's beginnings in the late '70s to the modern bands so obviously influenced by it! So, if you grew up in the '80s and still enjoy discovering new sounds as well as rediscovering old favorites, then read on!
PUNK! POWER POP! SYNTH POP! NEW WAVE! POST-PUNK!
10. And just about every other f***ing song THE CLASH recorded!
Here are three ways to (re)discover THE CLASH:
SOUND SYSTEM Box Set
Stunning 12 disc boxset containing 11 CDs + DVD. All newly remastered by The Clash with award-winning engineer Tim Young! Three CDs featuring rare tracks, demos, non-album singles and B-sides. DVD including unseen Julian Temple footage, early Super 8 film shot by Don Letts, all the band's promo videos and previously unseen live footage. Owner's Manual booklet. Folder containing reprints of 'Armagideon Times 1 & 2 and Armagideon Times 3 (new edition of fanzine compiled and designed by Paul Simonon). Merchandise; dog tags, badges, stickers and a Future Is Unwritten note book designed by Harland Miller. An exclusive photo poster. Oh, and their first five albums spread over eight discs!
2013 eight CD box set containing digitally remastered editions of the first five albums from the British Punk quartet, often referred to as 'the only band that matters'. Each album comes in vinyl replica packaging. Contains the original UK version of the self-titled first album, Give 'Em Enough Rope, London Calling (on two CDs), Sandinista! (on three CDs) and Combat Rock. All CDs come housed in a box designed by the band.
2013 two CD set containing digitally remastered versions of 33 of the band's iconic tracks. The tracklisting is sequenced from the band's legendary Brixton Fairdeal show in 1982 and contains the best studio recordings of the full set, plus eight additional iconic tracks. It comes with the original setlist, handwritten by Joe Strummer which he would tape to the back of his Telecaster before each gig. "Every show was different. Joe would spend a lot of time composing the running order, considering dynamics, emotional impact and the key the songs were in. This record is based on Joe's setlist from The Casbah Club UK Tour, Brixton Fairdeal, 10th July 1982". -Mick, Paul and Topper.
"There is not a song in contemporary Rock music that is as perfect as Harry Nilsson's rendiiton of 'Without You.' The recording gets everything right, from the passionate vocal to the arrangement, production and orchestration. Emotionally, it is one of the single most powerful performances in recorded music. It just hits you square in the face and then weaves its way through your veins until it buries its roots smack dab in the middle of your heart and stays there for the rest of your life. It is not a recording that you forget - it is one that you carry with you no matter what emotion you are experiencing. It is a song that reminds us of the sorrow of loss and the joy of love. At some point in our lives, we've all experienced the pain that Harry sings about. And a listener connecting with the song on an emotional level brings every word to life... Harry isn't just singing about his own deteriorating relationship, he is breathing the soundtrack to our love lives. And that's why 'Without You' has become a classic.
Harry was known as one of the best songwriters of his generation, yet he didn't write his two biggest hits. 'Everybody's Talkin'' (from Midnight Cowboy) was written by Folk singer/songwriter Fred Neil and 'Without You' was penned by Pete Ham and Tom Evans from the British band Badfinger. By now, most people know the tale of Badfinger: promising band signs to The Beatles' Apple Records label, they score some pretty significant hits ('Come And Get It', 'No Matter What', 'Baby Blue' and 'Day After Day'), they leave Apple Records and sign with Warner Brothers, they get screwed over by their manager and the music biz in general, Pete Ham commits suicide in '75, Tom Evans commits suicide in '83... Not a happy story at all. But the band (which also included Joey Molland and the late Mike Gibbins) are still regarded as one of the best bands of their era. Icons. Legends. However,, their own recording of 'Without You' was never issued as a single. While their's may be the original version (Ham wrote the verses and Evans wrote the chorus), it doesn't quite reach the highs that Harry's version does. He heard the song's potential and transformed it into something truly spectacular. Pete and Tom may have written 'Without You' but Harry Nilsson reinvented it and now owns it.
Badfinger's original version appeared on their 1970 album No Dice. Harry was at a party in Laurel Canyon in '71 when he heard the record playing. He assumed it was a Beatles song he'd never heard before. While I wouldn't say it sounds like The Beatles, I will also say that I never attended a party in Laurel Canyon in the early '70s. And if the stories are true, there were probably a few different substances being passed around at this particular party. So, to be completely honest, I'm sure if I was high enough, I'd think a fucking Carole King album sounded like The Beatles!
So, Harry, who was working on his Nilsson Schmilsson album, went in and wanted to record a simple piano-based version of "Without You". A demo was made. Producer Richard Perry suggested a lot of musical embellishment (including rhythm section and orchestra) and had to fight Harry tooth and nail to get that version recorded. Supposedly, Harry lost interest in 'Without You' once Perry persuaded him to go big on the arrangement and production. Harry is rumored to have told the musicians that the song was 'awful'. Members of Badfinger were unaware of the cover version until they were pulled into the studio and listened to a playback of the song. I can only imagine how powerful that moment must have been: the original writers of the song hearing this majestic interpretation of their very own 'child'.
'Without You' by Harry Nilsson went to #1 on the U.S. charts. It remains his career-defining moment. The song itself has become a true classic. Practically every Easy Listening artist has taken a crack at it, but nothing comes close to Harry's version. In 1994, Mariah Carey did an amazing job of sucking the passion, emotion and life out of the song when she recorded it and released it a single. I'm not sure that it was entirely coincidental that our beloved Harry Nilsson died the day her version was released. Shame on you, Mariah.
(NOTE: When I saw the reunited Badfinger perform at the Roxy in 1979 for the Airwaves tour, they started the song out like the original Badfinger recording but then Tom Evans stepped up to the mic and said "Let's do it like Harry did it" (or something to that effect) as keyboardist Tony Kaye started playing the piano intro just like the Nilsson version. That was a 'chills up my spine' moment, indeed.)"
"Without question, Harry Nilsson’s Son of Schmilsson was the right album for the right time. When it was released in 1972, I was 17 and had my sights set on college. I was especially open to new ideas. Enter into my record collection this completely unhinged set of songs that perfectly summed up the artist’s newfound penchant for baiting the listener with a love song and, in the next heartbeat, pulling out the rug from under you and dialing up an in-your-face rocker preceded by a healthy belch.
Despite all that, this was a pretty typical Nilsson album. He hadn’t abandoned his gifts for melody or whimsy; he just dressed them in funkier clothes. For every lowbrow joke on the record—the aforementioned belch preceding the wild and wooly rock ‘n’ roll oldie, “At My Front Door”—there was a straight-ahead, old –fashioned, sweet little number like “The Lottery Song,” in which a couple flirts with winning the big prize amidst hopes of growing its value in Las Vegas. Well, sort of sweet, anyway. And there was “Turn On Your Radio,” a beautifully-arranged, pretty song about hope and being at peace with the one you love, even if that person is far away.
There were other, more sanguine numbers that threatened to eclipse the less dainty ones. “Remember (Christmas)” was one, a beautiful, wistful look back at a life lived to the fullest. There were a few, emotionally-invested rockers, too: the bluesy, horn-infused “Spaceman,” the equally bluesy, late-night jazz club vibe of “Ambush,” and “Take 54,” a take-the-chick-and-run song of the highest order. And—oh yeah, that was about it.
That leaves the jokes, and they were plentiful. Low and even lower still, but plentiful. And melodic, too, wonderful compositions that showed that Nilsson hadn’t abandoned the things that got him here, wherever that was. There was the faux country song “Joy,” delivered in a mock country crooner tone and actually—somewhat suspiciously, some might say—released as a country single by RCA. And let’s not forget the jokey-on-the-surface “I’d Rather Be Dead,” sung with gusto by Harry and a group of senior citizens. Believe me, even at 17, the sentiment was not lost on me. Who wants to wet their bed?
Of course, the song on everybody’s lips was the infamous “You’re Breaking My Heart,” which proudly flaunted the f-word and sent parents around the world running towards their kids’ stereos with a hammer. Such language!
That leaves this album’s centerpiece, the anthemic love song “The Most Beautiful World in the World,” a two-part number that eschewed the obvious frat boy jokes for a more sentimental approach. The song’s first section, adopting a catchy, pop construction colored with a faux island beat, finds Harry professing his love for the whole, entire world. The second section is an altogether loftier proposition. Here, Harry gets down to business, calling out the world’s various attributes (“Your mountains when you’re mad/Your rivers when you’re sad/And those deep blue seas/I love you for your snow/Your deserts down below/I love the way you wear your trees”) and declaring that he “just couldn’t stay here without you.”
But Harry’s not fooling anyone. The punch line is right around the corner. “So when you get older/And over your shoulder/You look back to see if it’s real/Tell her she’s beautiful/Roll the world over,” he sings, and, bingo, the payoff!: “And give her a kiss/And a feel,” as the orchestra and Hollywood blockbuster chorus swell behind him. A beautiful setup followed by a tiny, smutty joke. Really a song about a girl? Who knows. Pure Harry.
Surely, Son of Schmilsson was not the work of the man who made Pandemonium Shadow Show. Or Harry, even. This was the work of an artist bent on market self-destruction, a man who began making the recorded left turn his raison d’etre. But it’s the album that I always come back to because it synthesizes the various colors of the artist’s writing and performing gifts. The songs make you laugh, cry, laugh again, and shut the door and put a towel at the bottom to keep your parents from hearing the smutty jokes.
Son of Schmilsson is the most beautiful album in the world, to put it mildly, and an astounding 41 years after its initial release, it remains my favorite Nilsson platter. Plus it’s got Richie Snare, George Harrysong, Nicky Hopkins, Peter Frampton and Klaus Voorman making the songs come alive. Who could ask for anything more?"
Sony Music Entertainment releasesThe Clash'sSound System, the band’s remastered recorded works collected together for the first time, on September 10, 2013. Contained within classic boombox packaging designed by Paul Simonon, the box set contains the band’s five seminal studio albums (across eight CDs) remastered byThe Clash; an additional three discs featuring demos, non-album singles, rarities and B-sides; a DVD with previously unseen footage shot by both Julien Temple and Don Letts, original promo videos and live footage; an owner’s manual booklet; reprints of the band’s original ‘Armagideon Times’ fanzine as well as a brand-new edition curated and designed by Paul Simonon; and merchandise including dog tags, badges, stickers and an exclusive Clash poster.
Conceived and compiled by The Clash,Sound Systemis a significant and unique collection of the complete recorded works by the 20th century’s most influential British band. Greatly enhanced by the careful remastering which renders the original recordings more vital and crisp, all contained in Paul Simonon’s iconic design, with a selection of bonus material,Sound Systemis the most important and unique box set to ever be released by the band.
Prompted by demand for a complete collection,Sound Systemis a powerful reminder of The Clash’s enduring legacy. It’s hard to think of a band before or since that have exerted such universal influence. The 1970s punk movement gave birth to some important bands, but none were more important than The Clash. Here were a band who pushed and broke musical boundaries, while fusing musical experimentation with a socio-political conscience. From their eponymously-titled debut album in 1977, the band incorporated elements of reggae, rap, jazz, dance, rockabilly and ska in their music. Their passionate, political agenda continues to inspire new fans and musicians alike. Indeed, the issues The Clash tackled are as relevant today as they were in the late '70s/early '80s. Dubbed “the only band that matters” in their heyday, the same could be said almost 40 years later.
Sound Systembox set contents:
1. The Clash
2. Give 'Em Enough Rope (1 CD)
3. London Calling (double album, 2 CDs)
4. Sandinista! (triple album, 3 CDs)
5. Combat Rock (1 CD)
All newly remastered by The Clash with award-winning engineer Tim Young
• Three CDs featuring rare tracks, demos, non-album singles and B-sides (track listing follows)
• DVD including unseen Julien Temple footage, early Super 8 film shot by Don Letts, all the band’s promo videos and previously unseen live footage (details below)
• Owner’s Manual booklet
• Folder containing reprints of Armagideon Times 1 & 2 and Armagideon Times 3 (new edition of fanzine compiled and designed by Paul Simonon)
• Merchandise; dog tags, badges, stickers and a Future Is Unwritten note book designed by Harland Miller
• An exclusive photo poster
Sound System Extra CDs tracklist:
Disc One
1. White Riot (Single version)
2. 1977 (B-side)
3. Listen (Capital Radio EP) / Interviews (Capital Radio EP)
4. Capital Radio (Capital Radio EP)
5. London’s Burning (Live B-side Remote Control)
6. Complete Control (Single version)
7. City Of The Dead (B-side)
8. Clash City Rockers (Original single version)
9. Jail Guitar Doors (B-side)
10. White Man In Hammersmith Palais (A-side)
11. The Prisoner (B-side)
12. 1-2 Crush On You (B-side Tommy Gun)
13. Time Is Tight (Black Market Clash)
14. Pressure Drop (B-side English Civil War)
15. I Fought The Law (Cost Of Living EP)
16. Groovy Times (Cost Of Living EP)
17. Gates Of The West (Cost Of Living EP)
18. Capital Radio (Cost Of Living EP)
19. Armagideon Time
20. Bankrobber (A-side)
21. Rockers Galore On A UKTour (B-side)
Disc Two
1. Magnificent Dance (12”) 5:36 (available on Singles box set)
2. Midnight To Stevens (Outtake)
3. Radio One (B-side Hitsville UK)
4. Stop The World (B-side The Call Up)
5. The Cool Out (US 12” B-side of The Call Up)
6. This Is Radio Clash (A-side)
7. This Is Radio Clash (B-side 7” – different lyrics)
8. First Night Back In London(B-side Know Your Rights)
9. Rock The Casbah (Bob Clearmountain 12” mix) – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
10. Long Time Jerk (B-side Rock The Casbah)
11. The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too (Outtake) – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
12. Idle In Kangaroo Court (Outtake listed as Kill Time) – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
13. Ghetto Defendant (Extended version - unedited) – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
14. Cool Confusion (B-side Should I Stay Or Should I Go 7”)
15. Sean Flynn (Extended ‘Marcus Music’ version) – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
16. Straight To Hell (Extended unedited version from Clash On Broadway) – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Disc Three
Extracts from The Clash’s first ever recording session at BeaconsfieldFilmSchool 1976. Recorded by JulienTemple
1. I’m So Bored With The USA
2. London’s Burning – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
3. White Riot
4. 1977 – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Polydor Demos - The Clash’s second recording session November 1976
Produced by Guy Stevens
5. Janie Jones
6. Career Opportunities
7. London’s Burning – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
8. 1977 – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
9. White Riot – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Live at The Lyceum, London28th December 1978
10.City Of The Dead
11. Jail Guitar Doors – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
12. English Civil War
13. Stay Free – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
14. Cheapstakes – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
15. I Fought The Law
Bonus DVD
Julien TempleArchive - 6:20
White Riot Interview - 7:10
Promo and interviews with Tony Parsons
1977 1:87
White Riot 1:48
London’s Burning 2:05
SussexUniversity 1977
I’m So Bored With The USA 2:14 – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Hate & War 1:94 – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Career Opportunities 1:42 – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Remote Control 2:73 – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Don Letts Super 8 Medley 11:40
White Riot 1:52
Janie Jones 1:73
City of the Dead 2:04
ClashCity Rockers 2:15
White Man in Hammersmith Palais 2:53
1977 1:41
Clash On Broadway - 19:50
London Calling
This Is Radio Clash
The Magnificent Seven
Guns Of Brixton
Safe European Home
Promo Videos
Tommy Gun 3:00
London Calling 3:20
Bankrobber 4:00
Clampdown (Live) 5:00
Train In Vain (Live) 2:10
The Call Up 3:10
Rock The Casbah 3:20
Should I Stay Or Should I Go (Live at Shea Stadium) 2:50
Career Opportunities (Live at Shea Stadium) 3:00
The Clash –The Clash - Hits Back
Released simultaneously,The Clash - Hits Backfeatures 33 of the band’s iconic tracks across a 2-CD set or a 3-LP vinyl set. The tracklist is sequenced from the band’s legendary Brixton Fairdeal show in 1982.
The Clash – Hits Backcontains the best studio recordings of the full set, plus 8 additional iconic tracks. It comes with the original setlist, handwritten by Joe Strummer which he usually taped to the back of his Telecaster before each gig.
“Every show was different. Joe would spend a lot of time composing the running order, considering dynamics, emotional impact and the key the songs were in. This record is based on Joe’s setlist from The Casbah Club UK Tour, Brixton Fairdeal, 10th July 1982”.Mick, Paul & Topper.
First off, you don’t have to be a Punk fan to appreciate the passion, dedication, love and conviction that has kept BYO Records going for over 25 years. As one of the longest-running independent Punk labels, BYO (started by brothers Shawn, Mark and Adam Stern) has proven, over time, that Punk is thoughtful, quality music created by intelligent and talented musicians (and not by clueless lunkheads, as the press would lead you to beleive).
If you only know Punk from what you’ve heard on the radio, seen on MTV or read in the pages of your favorite ‘music’ magazine, then get real: everything you’ve learned is wrong and it’s time to set the record straight. Let Them Know: The Story Of Youth Brigade and BYO Records does just that.
While I’ve been a massive Punk fan since 1977 (by discovering The Jam and The Clash at the age of 14), I’ve always been on the outside looking in. I seldom dressed the part and hardly had any Punk friends to go to shows with, so I could only stand outside the gate and watch the Stern brothers create a world that I could only dream about. Plus, being extremely insecure, having glasses and being deathly afraid of getting caught (and beat up) in a mosh pit didn’t help, either!
Let Them Know: The Story Of Youth Brigade and BYO Records is perhaps the most important Punk artifact released this decade. While other labels would have chosen to release a label anthology, BYO have done nothing of the sort. Instead, they’ve put together this package that includes a 100+ page book, a documentary and a 31 track CD featuring plenty of exclusive tracks. There are two versions available: the 6 X 12 book/CD/DVD and the 12 X 12 book/double vinyl LP/CD/DVD. While the vinyl edition looks more impressive because of its size, both pressings tell the same story of the band and label through the Stern’s own words and the words of fellow Punk contemporaries and those who were influenced by them.
The book is stunning. Mostly written by the Stern brothers, it is far more in depth than the documentary and features tons of photos, flyer reproductions and (my favorite) a full color discography of the label. It is essential reading, but you may want to go through and look at all the cool pictures first because once you start reading, you’ll become so engrossed that only the written words will matter.
The DVD contains an exceptional documentary that begins with the formation of Youth Brigade (Shawn, Mark and Adam) and ends with Punk Rock Bowling over two decades later. In between, there are plenty of rare vintage video excerpts, modern day interviews with all the involved parties (including the always-interesting Ian MacKaye from Minor Threat/Fugazi) and so much more. Bonus features include interview segments cut from the final print (but these should be watched post-documentary in order to understand some of the subjects discussed).
The CD features 31 BYO classics… as interpreted by other BYO-related artists! So, instead of a normal label ‘best of’, you get to experience the history of the label in a whole new way. Includes cuts from NOFX, CH3, Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), 7 Seconds, Pennywise, Anti-Flag, Bouncing Souls, Off With Their Heads, The Cute Lepers, Filthy Thieving Bastards, Nothington and, of course, Youth Brigade.
All in all, this is one hell of a package that tells BYO’s story in honesty and humor. But it goes beyond just telling just their story: it also tells the story of one of the most vital music movements of the last 50 years.
An absolutely essential purchase that you MUST physically own because you can't download passion and convition... and Let Them Know has plenty of both!
Yes, chuckle silently to yourself, but you know it’s true. Before Punk, the music business had drifted further away from the importance of the music and had become a safe haven for pretentious musicians and arrogant record executives. Once Punk kicked down the doors, everything was different. No longer was it acceptable to play a 25 minute guitar solo when a younger band with fresh ideas could knock out an entire 12 track album that lasted that same amount of time. It was no longer necessary to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars recording an album when many bands were doing it for a tiny fraction of that cost. And you didn’t necessarily need to be an accomplished musician to get your message across: all you needed was passion and conviction.
One of the most obvious, and most important, changes that Punk brought to the table was the resurgence of the ‘indie’ label. Before Punk, independent labels were laughed at. Artists who released albums on indie labels were deemed ‘not good enough’ for a major label deal. In Punk’s wake, indie labels began popping up in every city, in every state, in every country, anxious to release albums from the up and coming Punk bands that were beginning to draw crowds. In just a little over a year, opinions about indie labels had changed so much that when The Clash signed with CBS instead of an indie label, their legions of fans considered it a total sell-out!
In California, labels like Alternative Tentacles, SST, Bomp, Slash, Dangerhouse and Posh Boy were all the rage with the Punk, Post-Punk and New Wave kids. But alongside these labels, BYO Records remains one of the most important and long-lasting. Set up by the band Youth Brigade to release their own music as well as music from the very healthy Punk scene, BYO has remained true to their original ideals and is still a vital, forward-thinking label.
For the first time, the label has finally decided to take a look back at their amazing 25+ year existence in style with the release of Let Them Know: The Story Of Youth Brigade And BYO Records. This beautiful package features a gorgeous book, a must-see documentary DVD (with bonus features) and a jaw-dropping 31 track CD that contains BYO bands covering cuts from other BYO bands! There’s also a double vinyl edition that comes in LP sized packaging and includes the book, CD and DVD! Can you say “Hell, yeah!”?
I was able to pull myself away from the box and spend a little time with Youth Brigade frontman and BYO boss Shawn Stern to discuss Punk, BYO and this essential release.
SPAZ: What kind of music were the Stern brothers listening to growing up?
SHAWN STERN: When we were young, we listened to AM radio in the late ‘60s, Motown a lot. In 1970, we were listening to the Folk/Rock our parents were playing: CSNY, Janis Joplin, Melanie, Bill Withers, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce. We then started finding our own stuff, mostly Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Johnny Winter, Rory Gallagher, Robin Trower, the hippy and Rock stuff.
SPAZ: Do you remember when Punk first made an impression on you?
SS: Summer of ’77: reading an article in the L.A. times Sunday Calendar about the Sex Pistols’ American tour and San Francisco show by Robert Hilburn and then hearing KMET play Elvis Costello’sMy Aim Is True record in full. I realized that this was something I needed to see, so a few months later, in early ’78, we went to check out The Dickies at the Whiskey. That show pretty much convinced me and my brother Mark that we needed to stop doing Rock covers and start writing our own music.
SPAZ: When you first formed Youth Brigade, did you feel that you had more in common, musically, with the West Coast, the East Coast or the British punks?
SS: Well, I think things were so new we didn’t really look at it as who we were more influenced by or would emulate or have in common. I mean we loved English Oi bands (like) Sham 69, Angelic Upstarts, Cockney Rejects and 4 Skins. We also loved the Clash and The Stranglers, The Buzzcocks, The Jam and The Lurkers. But we were heavily influenced by the Punk bands we had been friends with and going to see play the two years we had been doing our first band the Extremes. We used to go play with and go see X, The Bags, Deadbeats, Weirdos, Dickies and a lot of the early Punk bands. And then, as the scene grew, Circle Jerks, TSOL, Social Distortion and The Adolescents. And when we heard Minor Threat that was a revelation as well. We, of course, listened to The Ramones, Blondie, Television, Dead Boys and Devo and saw them all when they came around, too. So it was really a whole “host” as the president says!
SPAZ: In the early days of punk, the genre was always associated with violence, be it an aggressive mosh pit or a fight in the parking lot. Did you feel that the scene would often attract the wrong types of people (i.e. those that were more into the violence or fashion aspect and not the music or message)?
SS: Well, there’s not much you can do about what people do. You hope that, regardless of what attracts them to Punk rock, eventually they’ll hear the music, the ideas and it will get them to think. Of course, there are those that just wanna stomp heads and so we were all a little crazy in our young days, but we had a lot of things to be pissed about and fight against. Ronald Reagan became president of America when Punk was exploding in California and a lot of the problems we have now are rooted in his conservative, narrow minded policies.
SPAZ: When you started BYO Records, had the band already tried signing with other labels or was it always part of the plan to release your own music on your own terms?
SS: It was never a “plan”: we didn’t really plan much of anything, I like to say our lives are kind of like a ping pong ball, we just get bounced into things. We just did things out of necessity: wanted to do a show, put it on ourselves; need to release a record, do it ourselves.
SPAZ: Was there a particular label you modeled BYO after?
SS: Ha-ha, nope, we never paid attention to other labels before we started. We just thought it was important to put out a positive message because the mainstream media portrayed Punk Rock as violent and mindless and we knew that wasn’t true. We looked to work with bands that were like minded people.
SPAZ: How difficult was it to balance your own musical vision (Youth Brigade) and run a label?
SS: Pretty much impossible because, in the ‘80s, we didn’t really make much money to support us bringing in people to run the label when the band went on the road. So, when the band was out, the label would suffer and vice versa. It’s gotten better in the ‘90’s, but we still have that same problem.
SPAZ: Youth Brigade has had long periods of inactivity, but did the band ever actually call it quits?
SS: Yeah, when we came back from our first European tour in ’84, our brother Adam decided he was going to go to art school. He left the band, we had a couple of guys replace him, Bob Gnarly from Plain Wrap was the main guy and we became the Brigade for a little over a year. The Punk scene was dying (late ’87) and the Metal scene was taking over the Sunset Strip so we broke up and stopped actively signing bands to the label. BYO was still in existence, but we let Southern Studios in UK press and distribute for us.
SPAZ: During Youth Brigade’s first couple of years, were there any contemporary bands that inspired you? Are there any bands out there right now that inspire you?
SS: As I said before, Angelic Upstarts had a big influence as did Sham 69 and playing with The Adolescents, TSOL, Social Distortion, they all had an influence I think. Nowadays I really like the bands we’ve worked with on the label, Nothington, Filthy Thieving Bastards, Swingin Utters, Throw Rag, The Briefs, NOFX, Old Man Markely, Off With Their Heads, Dillinger 4.
SPAZ: In the late ‘80s and part of the ‘90s, Punk went back underground. Was this a tough period for BYO and Youth Brigade?
SS: Oh, I think during the late ‘80s, yes, but we got back together in ’92 and things exploded. The success in the late ’80’s of Nirvana, The Pixies and Jane’s Addiction helped Punk Rock get attention and Bad Religion and Fugazi definitely carried the torch in those years. Then in ’94, Green Day and The Offspring got pretty huge. That led to the success of NOFX, Rancid, Pennywise and so many more bands and we all did well because of that. So, in many ways, it was our most successful period.
SPAZ: In recent years, I’ve noticed that British Punk has really taken a back seat to the U.S. scene. Do you think that American Punk bands are better these days?
SS: I don’t think there has been as vibrant a Punk scene in the UK since the late ‘70’s/early ‘80s as what we’ve had here in Southern California over the past 30 years. There are always some great bands coming out of the UK, but clearly L.A. has had the biggest Punk scene in the world since the early ‘80s and so many great bands have come out of here.
SPAZ: Do you think that the real and honest modern Punk Rock bands (such as those on BYO) have been overlooked in favor of the cookie cutter Pop/Punk bands that arrived in Blink 182’s wake?
SS: Well, I don’t really believe that Blink 182 and their spawn that followed are Punk Rock in anything other than style. They can cop NOFX’s sound and make silly adolescent songs all they want, but I really don’t consider that Punk Rock. Most of those bands have sold lots of records, but how many of them are still around 10-15 years later, let alone 25-30 years!? Most of them appeal to little kids who are usually done with them after a year or two. In fact, if you ask some kid who was listening to these bands when they were 12-14 about the music, they’re usually embarrassed to admit they even listened to them.
SPAZ: What do you think of the current Punk crowds?
SS: Well, for us, I think it’s great that we’ve been seeing new generations of kids coming to our shows and listening to our music, the old and the new, for the last 15 years. I think that Punk Rock has something to say and the fact that we’ve been doing this for over 25 years, I believe, is a testament to how much it means to people. People that grew up with us in the ‘80s are bringing their kids, so I think we must be doing something right.
SPAZ: Apart from revitalizing the indie label scene, do you think Punk has changed the music industry over the last 30 years?
SS: Well sure, it’s shown kids that they don’t need a big corporate owned record company to put out music; they don’t need to be force fed the drivel that so many of these companies put out to the masses of sheep that eat it up. For me, Punk Rock is about thinking for yourself and questioning everything and I think that belief has now taken over a lot of the music industry as well as other places. And that’s a good thing!
SPAZ: When did the idea for Let Them Know come about?
SS: We wanted to do something for our 25 year anniversary and, at the same time, we realized that kids are getting their music from downloads more and more and a lot of them are not paying for the music. So, we thought “What can we do to celebrate our anniversary and make it something that really is momentous as well as something that you can’t just download?” So, we came up with the double colored vinyl, documentary DVD and a 100 page hardcover book.
SPAZ: Did the Let Them Know project grow much bigger than your initial idea?
SS: Oh yeah,, but it’s definitely turned out better than we could have imagined. It’s by far the biggest project we’ve ever done and probably the best.
SPAZ: Are you surprised that there is still so much interest in what you do?
SS: I’m pretty surprised that we’re still playing music cause I didn’t think when I was in my 20’s that I’d still be playing in my 30’s let alone my 40’s and approaching mid-life. We’re really lucky that people like what we do and continue to support us.
SPAZ: Are you proud of what you’ve accomplished over the years since Youth Brigade formed nearly three decades ago?
SS: Yeah, we’re pretty humbled by how people seem to like what we do over all these years. Like I said, we never had any “plan” we just made music and had something to say. I guess we’re doing something right.
SPAZ: What’s next for BYO and Youth Brigade?
SS: We hit the road for dates on the east coast with Off With Their Heads, a few of the shows with the Casualties, then we go across Canada w/OWTH and The Bouncing Souls. We will play the Riot Fest in Chicago next month as well as the Fest in Gainesville and Fun, Fun, Fun in Austin in November. We’ll be hitting other cities in between. Hope to be writing new songs as well and make a new record next year.
SPAZ: What do you currently have spinning on your personal CD and DVD players?
SS: All kinds of stuff from Off With Their Heads, Nothington and all the songs off our new comp to Radiohead, Fugazi, Robin Trower, Jimi Hendrix, Tricky and lots of different stuff.
10. And just about every other f***ing song 
