Bored Youth “November 1981” EP

(Alona’s Dream) I’m a Midwest booster and a loyal Touch ‘n’ Go advocate, and I would never say I was disappointed by any of the Detroit early 80s punk/hardcore, but I think it would not be unfair to say that there’s a notable gap between the highest points in Detroit rock n roll history and said bands, and between what the records demand on the collector’s market and how much I value them (“Jan’s Room” sounds awesome, but…”). That said, listening to this teen Motown hardcore band’s magically manic output makes a good argument for putting iggy lower on the bill than Bored Youth, and for paying $405 for their 45. Combining pub-friendly Oi catchiness with h/c speed and and gruff vocals, Bored Youth don’t sound exactly like anyone, yet are so clearly a product of that amazing moment in American regional punk history. Not inept in any way, yet clearly not pro or slick or perfect in any execution (or recording technique), this is teenage mess magic that sounds incredibly seductive and abrasive and intriguing (the lyrics are decipherable enough to lasso you in…who else would declare, ”I’m just a little kid!”). This was supposed to come out on Touch n Go in 1982, and was available years later as a German import (bootleg?) but I think this is the first American release, maybe the first official release ever of this material. A version of the band, likely more bored and certainly less youthful, is testing the waters in Chicago, and listening to this greatness, I’d say we owe them some attention – they earned it!