Review Summary: Youth Brigade's "Sink With Kalifornia" is a thunderous, positively-charged anthem album of hardcore punk rock.
The documentary
Another State of Mind was created in 1982, featuring punk rock legends Youth Brigade, Social Distortion, and Minor Threat in their prime. Spearheaded by the Better Youth Organization (BYO), this independent production cataloged their summer tour of North America on a problematic school bus, demonstrating a significant level of DIY ethic and determination toward spreading a positive punk message. Minor Threat came to an end before the hardcore movement began to dissolve, and Social Distortion decided to pursue testosterone-fueled rock 'n' roll, riding frontman Mike Ness' creative influence. On the other hand, since Youth Brigade created the BYO (which has since become a successful punk label) they have remained immersed in the scene. Composed of brothers Mark, Adam, and Shawn Stern, Youth Brigade triumphs by exceeding the limits of traditional hardcore punk rock.
Another State of Mind showed Youth Brigade and company fighting through the tribulations of touring while in financial, physical, and emotional turmoil. Youth Brigade’s
Sink With Kalifornia isn’t a far cry from qualifying for the soundtrack as a punk anthem album.
Youth Brigade’s first full-length release was
Sound of Fury in 1982, though soon re-released the next year with a recognizable difference in song selection and production quality. They also released the
What Price Happiness? 7” in 1984, an EP containing three songs remarkably similar to the hardcore coming out of Orange County, California.
Sink With Kalifornia is a compilation of their re-release of
Sound of Fury,
What Price?, the song “On the Edge” from their original recording of
Sound of Fury, and a nine song live show from 1985.
Positive images purported in punk were done best by the Gorilla Biscuits, Minor Threat, and SS Decontrol. Youth Brigade deserves heavy consideration for being listed amongst these bands in terms of their efforts toward shaping the punk scene into more than a simple-minded movement. On
Sink With Kalifornia, they encourage kids to “Live Life” and “Fight to Unite.” Their song “Did You Wanna Die?” is featured on the album twice, with a prelude during the live version containing Shawn Stern’s message “This song is about suicide…it’s never an alternative, because life is the only thing you’ve really got for sure.” They didn’t just preach unrealistic ideals because they had a grounded perspective rooted in a practical understanding of the scene evolving around them. “What Will the Revolution Change?” is indicative of this understanding as the Brigade wonders where the solution lies amongst the congregation of fresh minds that listen with intent.
Imagining a punk band rapping about the cops is a funny thought. Youth Brigade’s “Men in Blue” throws a heavy beat around the chorus “What are we gonna do about the men in blue?” They breakdown into a funk-laced rhythm supported by the Stern brothers’ chill rhymes of
I would understand if I’d committed a crime
They coulda locked me up I woulda done my time
Well I didn’t do nothing to the man I said
So he jacked me up and he cracked my head
This soon inspired the emergence of Run DMC (
citation needed).
Aside from having an enviable ability to transition between hip-hop and hardcore punk, Youth Brigade is a Tiger tank of punk rock. Their best songs are powerful hits; these aren’t necessarily the fastest songs to embrace in the circle pit, but they’re certainly the heaviest hitting. “The Circle” and “Jump Back” are songs that are very easy to rally around, begging you to don a white t-shirt and overalls, shave your head, and wear tall leather boots. “Violence” launches a ferocious attack of fast-paced riffs, sending tremors throughout the live audience and invoking awareness of senseless brutality in the world. With its jackhammer and bombshell beats,
Sink With Kalifornia pile drives a coherent message onto the vague vestige of punk rock.
Shawn Stern was quoted in
Another State of Mind, saying “You gotta be an individual, you gotta get off of your ass, (and) you gotta be heard. If you’ve got ideas, you gotta say them, (and) you gotta let yourself be heard.” His message is reflected with precision in the music on
Sink With Kalifornia, as he talks the talk to guide the kids on how to walk the walk. With their efforts in BYO and their overall contribution to the punk rock scene, Youth Brigade marches on toward organizing a better youth.
