back in 1993 i was in 10th grade and really just getting super into the 70s punk scene. i listened to the Clash, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Television, (ya know the obvious bands that were easy to find out about and get records by) but i was yet to discover the rabbit hole of awesome records that i was about to fall into.
then that year Rhino records released a series of comps called D.I.Y. that focused on a different aspect of the 1970s punk scene. the 1st ones in the series covered New York and London and i learned about some of the lesser known bands from those scenes (Suicide, the Mumps, 999, Wire) but the comps from that series that i REALLY loved were the ones that focused on the stuff i knew nothing about. Boston & L.A.’s punk scenes, American Power Pop, and UK New Wave. that’s how i discovered some of my favorite bands of all time like The Nerves, Mission of Burma, The Undertones, X, The Germs, The Real Kids, etc…
sadly those comps are out of print and you’ve gotta be willing to shell out some dollars on ebay to get them all (or get lucky and find them on the internet for a free download). a lot of the music from those comps are much easier to find now and most of the bands have had their discographies rereleased by other labels…but for me in 1993 this shit was like the Holy Grail of music.
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