Flex Your Head was first released in January 1982 and was the first full-length album released by Dischord Records. The compilation features 32 songs by 11 DC area bands and went a long way towards “putting DC on the map” as one of the era’s great punk scenes. This album has remained in print, first on LP and later on CD, and has remained a perennial must-have for each new generation of kids looking to re-trace the roots and ethos of DIY punk.

One of the unique features of the album over the years has been its revolving front cover image. The first pressing featured a generic stock cover with a classical music theme chosen from the pressing plant’s catalog. Over the years there have been 4 different covers, the “violin”, the “wheat field”, the “DC Flag” and the “blurry man”.

This new edition, which has been re-cut and includes a free MP3 download coupon, features the DC Flag stars and bars (on a red field), an image so associated with DC punk that many mistake it for a made-up symbol for straight edge. This cover image was also used (on a black field) for an edition of the album briefly pressed in conjunction with Alternative Tentacles in the 80s.

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