Bad Brains - Building Babylon at the Bayou (Black Friday 2025)

Live At The Bayou showcases some of the earliest live performances from Bad Brains, even pre-dating the band’s 1982 self-titled debut. A snapshot of the band’s burgeoning beginnings, these recordings from 1980 and 1981 recorded at The Bayou in Washington DC, were captured between the band being unofficially “banned in DC” and relocating to NYC. This is the first of two non-jazz releases by newly formed Time Traveler Recordings. Transferred from the original tapes and mastered by legendary producer Don Zientara, famous for his work with Minor Threat and Fugazi, amongst others. Unearthed from the archives, Live At The Bayou captures the explosive energy of Bad Brains in their earliest, rawest form—live at The Bayou in Washington, D.C., before the release of their landmark debut. A crucial document of the birth of hardcore punk, blending incendiary speed with spiritual fire and unmatched technical prowess, this previously unreleased set showcases the band's revolutionary fusion of hardcore punk, reggae, and jazz-influenced musicianship at its most primal and unfiltered. Recorded in 1979, this performance is a rare snapshot of Bad Brains just as they were redefining American punk. First releases on Time Traveler Recordings, focusing on previously unreleased material and rare finds. Released in partnership with the band. First new Bad Brains archival release in over 15 years. 180g vinyl pressed at Optimal Media. Packaged in gatefold jacket. Features their unique take on Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ and Wire’s ‘1-2-XU’, as well as early, high-velocity versions of Bad Brains classics like ‘Pay To Cum’, ‘The Big Takeover’ and ‘Banned in D.C.’