Youth Brigade is an American hardcore punk band formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1980 by the brothers Mark, Adam, and Shawn Stern. The band subsequently founded BYO. Many later punk bands cite Youth Brigade as an influence, including The Nation of Ulysses and The Briefs.
Brothers Shawn (center) and Mark Stern (right) have been the two consistent members of Youth Brigade since the band's formation.
Hardcore punk is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk scenes in San Francisco and Southern California which arose as a reaction against the still predominant hippie cultural climate of the time. It was also inspired by Washington, D.C., and New York punk rock and early proto-punk. Hardcore punk generally disavows commercialism, the established music industry and "anything similar to the characteristics of mainstream rock" and often addresses social and political topics with "confrontational, politically charged lyrics".
Minor Threat performing in 1981
Bad Brains at 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C., 1983
Audience members moshing to Toxic Holocaust
Negative Approach in T-shirts at a 2013 show
