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X (US band)
Encyclopedia
X is an American punk rock
band, formed in Los Angeles, California
in 1977. Established among the first wave of American punk, the original members are vocalist Exene Cervenka
, vocalist/bassist John Doe
, guitarist Billy Zoom
, and drummer DJ Bonebrake
. They released seven studio albums from 1980 to 1993. After a period of inactivity during the mid to late 1990s, they reunited in the early 2000s, and currently tour.
X achieved limited mainstream success, but are considered one of the most revered punk rock bands and, by some critics, one of the best rock bands. One critic also suggests that X are one of the all-time greatest live rock performers. X received an Official Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles in acknowledgment of their contributions to Los Angeles music and culture. They were also influential on various genres of music, including punk rock and folk rock
.
In 2003, X's first two studio albums, Los Angeles and Wild Gift
, were ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as being among the 500 greatest albums of all time
. Los Angeles was ranked 91st on Pitchfork
's Top 100 Albums of the 1980s.
X's first record deal was with independent label Dangerhouse, for which the band produced two singles, "Adult Books" (1978) and "Los Angeles" ("We're Desperate" was the b-side to "Adult Books"). The Dangerhouse session version of "Los Angeles" was also featured in a Dangerhouse compilation in 1979 called "Yes L.A.
" (a play on the now-famous No Wave
compilation No New York
), a picture disc that featured other early-punk-era LA bands like the Weirdos and Black Randy.
, signed the band to issue its first LP. The result was their first LP release, Los Angeles (1980) (produced by The Doors
' keyboard player, Ray Manzarek
). It was a minor hit and was well received by the underground press and mainstream media. Much of X's early material had a rockabilly
edge. Doe and Cervenka co-wrote most of the group's songs, and their slightly off-kilter harmony vocals
remain perhaps the group's most distinctive element. Their lyrics tended to be straight-out poetry
; comparisons to Charles Bukowski
and Raymond Chandler
were made from the start.
Their follow-up effort, 1981's Wild Gift
, broadened the band's profile when it was named "Record of the Year" by Rolling Stone
, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times
, and Village Voice. Wild Gift, like their debut album, was released on Slash records, and was similar in musical style, although Wild Gift featured shorter, faster songs; arguably their most stereotypically punk-sounding record.
in 1982 to release Under the Big Black Sun
, which marked a slight departure from their trademark sound. While still fast and loud, the album's country leanings were evolving and its raw punk sound was channeling raw guitar power chord
s. The album was heavily influenced by the death of Exene Cervenka's elder sister Mirielle (Mary) in an automobile accident in 1980. Three songs on the album, "Riding With Mary", "Come Back To Me", and the title track all directly relate to the tragedy. A fourth, a high-speed version of Al Dubin
and Joe Burke
's "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes", was indirectly attributed to Exene Cervenka's mournful state of mind years later. The stark black & white cover art and title were also a reflection of the somber mood of the band during this time. She has said it is her favorite X album
1983 saw the release of the More Fun in the New World
album. X slightly redefined their sound with this release, making it somewhat more polished, eclectic and radio-ready than in previous albums. With the sound moving away from punk rock, the band's rockabilly influence became even more noticeable, along with some new elements: funk
on the track "True Love pt. II" and Woody Guthrie
-influenced folk protest songs like "The New World" and "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts." The record received critical praise from Rolling Stone
and Playboy
, who had long been stalwart supporters and fans of X and their sound.
A side project of some of the band members was Poor Little Critter on the Road
in 1985, under the name The Knitters
: X minus Zoom, plus Dave Alvin
(of The Blasters
) on guitar and Johnny Ray Bartel (of The Red Devils
) on double bass
. The Knitters were devoted to folk
and country music
; their take of Merle Haggard
's "Silver Wings" "may be the definitive version."
Despite the overwhelmingly positive critical reception for their first 4 albums, the band was frustrated by its lack of wider mainstream success. Billy Zoom had also stated that he would leave the band unless its next album was more successful. The band decided to change producers in search of a more accessible sound. Their 5th record, Ain't Love Grand!
, was produced by pop-metal producer Michael Wagener
. It featured a drastic change in sound, especially in the polished and layered production, while the band's punk roots were little in evidence, replaced by a countrified version of hard rock. The change in production was hoped to bring the band more chart success, but although it got somewhat more mainstream radio play than their earlier releases, it did not represent a commercial breakthrough. Zoom left the group shortly thereafter in 1986, the same year in which the feature-length documentary film, X: The Unheard Music
was released.
Zoom was initially replaced by ex-Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin
on guitar. The band then added a 5th member, guitarist Tony Gilkyson, formerly of the band Lone Justice
. By the time the band released its 6th album, See How We Are
, Alvin had already left the band, although he plays on the record along with Gilkyson. Like Ain't Love Grand, the album's sound was fairly far removed from the band's punk origins, yet featured a punchy, energetic, hard-rocking roots rock
sound that in many ways represented a more natural progression from their earlier sound than the previous record had. After touring for the album, X released a live record of the tour entitled Live at the Whisky a Go-Go, and then went on an extended hiatus.
Back in 1984, X had released a cover version of "Wild Thing" as a single; in 1989, the song was re-released as the lead single from the soundtrack to the hit film Major League
. It has since become a staple at sporting events, particularly baseball
games.
. The album marked somewhat of a retreat from the increasingly roots-rock direction that the band's past few records had gone in, instead featuring an eclectic alternative-rock sound that fit in well with the then-current musical climate. Despite this, it failed to become a hit, although two of its songs, Country at War and New Life peaked at numbers 15 and 26 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts, respectively. The band followed it with an acoustic live album Unclogged
in 1995. In 1994, they contributed a cover of the Richard Thompson
song, Shoot Out the Lights, to a tribute album to Thompson called Beat the Retreat, which featured David Hidalgo of Los Lobos
on electric guitar; on the same album, Doe sang harmony and played bass and Bonebrake played drums on Bob Mould
's cover of Turning of the Tide, and Bonebrake played drums on the title track, which was performed by the British folk artist, June Tabor
.
, which focused heavily on the early years with Billy Zoom, included a number of previously unreleased versions of songs that had appeared on their previous albums. At the same time, they also announced that they were disbanding. However, they did a farewell tour to promote the compilation in 1998, with Zoom returning on guitar. The original line-up also returned to the studio for the final time, with Ray Manzarek
reprising his role as producer, to record a cover of The Doors'
The Crystal Ship for the soundtrack
for The X-Files: Fight The Future
. Although the band has not released any new studio material since then, they continue to perform live with Zoom on guitar.
X: The Unheard Music was released on DVD
in 2005, as was the concert DVD X - Live in Los Angeles
, which commemorates the 25th anniversary of the band's landmark debut album, Los Angeles.
and Riverboat Gamblers. Starting in the Spring of 2008, X is touring on their "13X31 Tour", with Skybombers
and the Detroit Cobras, with all original members. "13X31" is a reference to their 31st Anniversary.
No release date for a new record has been scheduled as of yet.
X appeared at the 2008 SXSW Festival. Footage of their performance is viewable on Crackle
. X appeared at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
on April 19, 2009 and at the All Tomorrow's Parties
festival in Minehead, England from the 15–17 May where they have been invited to perform by the festival's curators The Breeders
.
In June 2009, the band publicly announced that Exene has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
. However, she told the O.C. Register in 2011 that the doctor who originally diagnosed the disease believes he misdiagnosed her. Exene stated that "I’ve had so many doctors tell me I have MS, then some say I don’t ... I don’t even care anymore.”
In June 2010, X played a free show at the North by Northeast Festival (NXNE) in Toronto, ON, Canada.
On June 18, 2011 the band headlined the 3rd Annual Johnny Cash Music Festival in Ventura, CA, USA.
X will is scheduled to perform at The Voodoo Experience 2011
which is held at City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 28–30, 2011. The band will also open for Pearl Jam on their 2011 South and Central American tour
in November.
and The Original Sinners. She also has done tours featuring her poetry, sometimes along with either Lydia Lunch
or Henry Rollins
. Since 1986, Doe has also maintained a busy second career as an actor, appearing in such films as Oliver Stone
's Salvador, Allison Anders
' Border Radio and Sugar Town
, the Jerry Lee Lewis
biopic Great Balls of Fire
, Miguel Arteta
's The Good Girl
, Craig Mazin's The Specials, Paul Thomas Anderson
's Boogie Nights
, and the independent feature Roadside Prophets, in which he starred with Beastie Boy
Adam Horovitz. He was a regular cast member of the television series Roswell
on WB Television Network and UPN
, and made a memorable appearance as an aging rock star on Law & Order
.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, formed in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1977. Established among the first wave of American punk, the original members are vocalist Exene Cervenka
Exene Cervenka
Exene Cervenka is an American writer, musician and artist, most famous as the co-lead vocalist of the Los Angeles punk rock band X.-Career:...
, vocalist/bassist John Doe
John Doe (musician)
John Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player. Doe founded the much-praised L.A. punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span the rock, country and folk music genres...
, guitarist Billy Zoom
Billy Zoom
Billy Zoom is an American guitarist, best known as one of the founders of the punk rock band X.-Early life:...
, and drummer DJ Bonebrake
DJ Bonebrake
Donald J. "DJ" Bonebrake is an American musician from California who first emerged as the drummer of the punk rock band Eyes...
. They released seven studio albums from 1980 to 1993. After a period of inactivity during the mid to late 1990s, they reunited in the early 2000s, and currently tour.
X achieved limited mainstream success, but are considered one of the most revered punk rock bands and, by some critics, one of the best rock bands. One critic also suggests that X are one of the all-time greatest live rock performers. X received an Official Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles in acknowledgment of their contributions to Los Angeles music and culture. They were also influential on various genres of music, including punk rock and folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
.
In 2003, X's first two studio albums, Los Angeles and Wild Gift
Wild Gift
Wild Gift is the second album by the American punk rock band X, released in 1981. It was very well received critically, and was voted #2 for the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll...
, were ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as being among the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
. Los Angeles was ranked 91st on Pitchfork
Pitchfork
A pitchfork is an agricultural tool with a long handle and long, thin, widely separated pointed tines used to lift and pitch loose material, such as hay, leaves, grapes, dung or other agricultural materials. Pitchforks typically have two or three tines...
's Top 100 Albums of the 1980s.
1977–1979: Formation and Dangerhouse era
X was founded by bassist/singer John Doe and guitarist Billy Zoom. Doe brought his poetry-writing girlfriend Exene Cervenka to band practices, and she eventually joined the band as a vocalist. Drummer DJ Bonebrake was the last of the original members to join after leaving local group The Eyes.X's first record deal was with independent label Dangerhouse, for which the band produced two singles, "Adult Books" (1978) and "Los Angeles" ("We're Desperate" was the b-side to "Adult Books"). The Dangerhouse session version of "Los Angeles" was also featured in a Dangerhouse compilation in 1979 called "Yes L.A.
Yes L.A.
Yes L.A. was a one-sided silkscreened picture album released in 1979 on Dangerhouse Records featuring Los Angeles based punk rock bands Black Randy & The Metrosquad, Eyes, Bags, Alley Cats, X and The Germs...
" (a play on the now-famous No Wave
No Wave
No Wave was a short-lived but influential underground music, film, performance art, video, and contemporary art scene that had its beginnings during the mid-1970s in New York City. The term No Wave is in part satirical word play rejecting the commercial elements of the then-popular New Wave genre...
compilation No New York
No New York
No New York is a compilation album released in 1978 by Antilles Records under the curation of producer Brian Eno. Although it only contained songs by four different artists, it is considered by many to be the definitive single album documenting New York City's late-1970s No Wave...
), a picture disc that featured other early-punk-era LA bands like the Weirdos and Black Randy.
1980–1981: Los Angeles and Wild Gift
As the band became the flag bearer for the local scene, a larger independent label, Slash RecordsSlash Records
Slash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album...
, signed the band to issue its first LP. The result was their first LP release, Los Angeles (1980) (produced by The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
' keyboard player, Ray Manzarek
Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
). It was a minor hit and was well received by the underground press and mainstream media. Much of X's early material had a rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
edge. Doe and Cervenka co-wrote most of the group's songs, and their slightly off-kilter harmony vocals
Close harmony
Close harmony is an arrangement of the notes of chords within a narrow range. It is different from open harmony or voicing in that it uses each part on the closest harmonizing note , while the open voicing uses a broader pitch array expanding the harmonic range past the octave...
remain perhaps the group's most distinctive element. Their lyrics tended to be straight-out poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
; comparisons to Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
and Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
were made from the start.
Their follow-up effort, 1981's Wild Gift
Wild Gift
Wild Gift is the second album by the American punk rock band X, released in 1981. It was very well received critically, and was voted #2 for the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll...
, broadened the band's profile when it was named "Record of the Year" by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and Village Voice. Wild Gift, like their debut album, was released on Slash records, and was similar in musical style, although Wild Gift featured shorter, faster songs; arguably their most stereotypically punk-sounding record.
1982–1984: Elektra era and The Knitters
X then signed to ElektraElektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
in 1982 to release Under the Big Black Sun
Under the Big Black Sun
Under the Big Black Sun is the third album by the American punk band X, and their major-label debut. It was released on Elektra Records in 1982, and reissued on Rhino Records in 2001 with bonus tracks.-Track listing:...
, which marked a slight departure from their trademark sound. While still fast and loud, the album's country leanings were evolving and its raw punk sound was channeling raw guitar power chord
Power chord
In music, a power chord is a chord consisting of only the root note of the chord and the fifth interval, usually played on electric guitar, and typically through an amplification process that imparts distortion...
s. The album was heavily influenced by the death of Exene Cervenka's elder sister Mirielle (Mary) in an automobile accident in 1980. Three songs on the album, "Riding With Mary", "Come Back To Me", and the title track all directly relate to the tragedy. A fourth, a high-speed version of Al Dubin
Al Dubin
Alexander "Al" Dubin was an American lyricist. He became known through his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren.-Life and works:...
and Joe Burke
Joe Burke
Joe Burke is a noted Irish accordion player.Joe Burke was born in Kilnadeema, south of Loughrea in Co Galway. He reportedly began playing at age four. In the fifties he bought an accordion in Waltons of Dublin for £5. He still owns it...
's "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes", was indirectly attributed to Exene Cervenka's mournful state of mind years later. The stark black & white cover art and title were also a reflection of the somber mood of the band during this time. She has said it is her favorite X album
"You know, my favorite record is Under the Big Black Sun, so everything else is kind of . . .
I'm saying if I had to sit down in a room and put on an X record—which I don't generally do—I have recently listened to some X records but I generally don't listen to myself—the record I would pick to listen to would be Under the Big Black Sun.
1983 saw the release of the More Fun in the New World
More Fun in the New World
More Fun in the New World is the fourth album by the band X. It was reissued with four bonus tracks by Rhino Records in 2002.Something Wild used "The New World."-Side A:# "The New World" – 3:25# "We're Having Much More Fun" – 3:05...
album. X slightly redefined their sound with this release, making it somewhat more polished, eclectic and radio-ready than in previous albums. With the sound moving away from punk rock, the band's rockabilly influence became even more noticeable, along with some new elements: funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
on the track "True Love pt. II" and Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
-influenced folk protest songs like "The New World" and "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts." The record received critical praise from Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
and Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, who had long been stalwart supporters and fans of X and their sound.
A side project of some of the band members was Poor Little Critter on the Road
Poor Little Critter on the Road
The debut album from X side project The Knitters, "Poor Little Critter on the Road" contains original compositions and covers of songs by X as well as established Country music performers.-Track listing:#"Poor Little Critter on the Road" – 1:43...
in 1985, under the name The Knitters
The Knitters
The Knitters are a Los Angeles-based band who play country, rockabilly and folk music. At the time of their formation they were pioneers of country punk, cowpunk or folk punk, the genre which gradually evolved into alternative country...
: X minus Zoom, plus Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
(of The Blasters
The Blasters
The Blasters are a rock and roll music group formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin and Dave Alvin , with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Phil Alvin explained the origin of the band's name: "I thought Joe Turner’s backup band on Atlantic records – I had...
) on guitar and Johnny Ray Bartel (of The Red Devils
The Red Devils (blues band)
The Red Devils were a Los Angeles-based blues-rock band who were active from 1988 to 1994. With their no-frills approach and singer Lester Butler's convincing Chicago-style blues harp, they were a popular fixture on the Los Angeles club scene and toured the U.S. and Europe...
) on double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
. The Knitters were devoted to folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
; their take of Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
's "Silver Wings" "may be the definitive version."
1985–1987: Commercial era and departure of Zoom
Ain't Love Grand!
Ain't Love Grand! is the fifth album by X. This album was their first not produced by Ray Manzarek. It was reissued with four bonus tracks by Rhino Records in 2002.-Track listing:...
, was produced by pop-metal producer Michael Wagener
Michael Wagener
Michael Wagener is a music producer, mixer, and engineer from Hamburg, Germany, best known for his work with many top hard rock and heavy metal bands in the late 80's. Wagener's works have sold over ninetyfour million albums worldwide. Wagener was the original guitarist for the German band Accept...
. It featured a drastic change in sound, especially in the polished and layered production, while the band's punk roots were little in evidence, replaced by a countrified version of hard rock. The change in production was hoped to bring the band more chart success, but although it got somewhat more mainstream radio play than their earlier releases, it did not represent a commercial breakthrough. Zoom left the group shortly thereafter in 1986, the same year in which the feature-length documentary film, X: The Unheard Music
X The Unheard Music
X: The Unheard Music is a 1986 rockumentary film directed by W.T. Morgan about the Los Angeles punk band X.The film stars John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom, and D.J. Bonebrake....
was released.
Zoom was initially replaced by ex-Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
on guitar. The band then added a 5th member, guitarist Tony Gilkyson, formerly of the band Lone Justice
Lone Justice
Lone Justice was an American country rock band formed in 1982 by guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee.-Early era:They began their career as part of the L.A. cowpunk scene of the 1980s. Lone Justice was inspired by Hedgecock and McKee's mutual affection for rockabilly and country music...
. By the time the band released its 6th album, See How We Are
See How We Are
See How We Are is the sixth album by X.It was their first album without founding guitarist Billy Zoom, who was replaced by ex-Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin for the album's recording sessions and some live shows...
, Alvin had already left the band, although he plays on the record along with Gilkyson. Like Ain't Love Grand, the album's sound was fairly far removed from the band's punk origins, yet featured a punchy, energetic, hard-rocking roots rock
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
sound that in many ways represented a more natural progression from their earlier sound than the previous record had. After touring for the album, X released a live record of the tour entitled Live at the Whisky a Go-Go, and then went on an extended hiatus.
Back in 1984, X had released a cover version of "Wild Thing" as a single; in 1989, the song was re-released as the lead single from the soundtrack to the hit film Major League
Major League (film)
Major League is a 1989 American satire comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward, starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, James Gammon, and Corbin Bernsen. Made for US$11 million, Major League grossed nearly US$50 million in domestic release...
. It has since become a staple at sporting events, particularly baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
games.
1993–1995: First reunion, Hey Zeus! and Unclogged
X regrouped in the early 1990s to record their 7th studio album, Hey Zeus!Hey Zeus!
hey Zeus! is the seventh studio album by X. Its tracks, Country at War and New Life peaked at numbers 15 and 26 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts, respectively.-Track listing:#"Someone's Watching" – 4:49...
. The album marked somewhat of a retreat from the increasingly roots-rock direction that the band's past few records had gone in, instead featuring an eclectic alternative-rock sound that fit in well with the then-current musical climate. Despite this, it failed to become a hit, although two of its songs, Country at War and New Life peaked at numbers 15 and 26 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts, respectively. The band followed it with an acoustic live album Unclogged
Unclogged
Recorded live at the Noe Valley Ministries Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, California over two nights of performances, Unclogged presents acoustic arrangements of past X material, along with two new songs: 'Lying in the Road' and 'The Stage.' The album's title is a play on the title of the...
in 1995. In 1994, they contributed a cover of the Richard Thompson
Richard Thompson
Richard John Thompson OBE is a British songwriter, guitarist and recording and performing musician. Highly regarded for his guitar techniques, Thompson was awarded the Orville H. Gibson award for best acoustic guitar player in 1991...
song, Shoot Out the Lights, to a tribute album to Thompson called Beat the Retreat, which featured David Hidalgo of Los Lobos
Los Lobos
Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
on electric guitar; on the same album, Doe sang harmony and played bass and Bonebrake played drums on Bob Mould
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
's cover of Turning of the Tide, and Bonebrake played drums on the title track, which was performed by the British folk artist, June Tabor
June Tabor
June Tabor is an English folk singer.- Early years :June Tabor was inspired to sing by hearing Anne Briggs' EP Hazards of Love in 1965. "I went and locked myself in the bathroom for a fortnight and drove my mother mad. I learned the songs on that EP note for note, twiddle for twiddle. That's how I...
.
1997–2004: Hiatus and second reunion
In 1997, X released a compilation called Beyond and Back: The X AnthologyBeyond and Back: The X Anthology
-Personnel:*John Doe – bass, acoustic guitar, vocals*Exene Cervenka – vocals*Billy Zoom – guitar*D.J. Bonebrake – drums-Additional personnel:*Ray Manzarek – organ*Tony Gilkyson – guitar...
, which focused heavily on the early years with Billy Zoom, included a number of previously unreleased versions of songs that had appeared on their previous albums. At the same time, they also announced that they were disbanding. However, they did a farewell tour to promote the compilation in 1998, with Zoom returning on guitar. The original line-up also returned to the studio for the final time, with Ray Manzarek
Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
reprising his role as producer, to record a cover of The Doors'
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
The Crystal Ship for the soundtrack
The X-Files: The Album
The X-Files: The Album was the soundtrack album by various artists released in conjunction with the 1998 movie, The X-Files. The album peaked at #26 on Billboard's chart and it was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies....
for The X-Files: Fight The Future
The X-Files (film)
The X-Files is a 1998 American science fiction-thriller film written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Rob Bowman. It is the first feature film based on The X-Files series created by Carter that revolves around a fictional FBI paranormal investigation unit called the X-Files...
. Although the band has not released any new studio material since then, they continue to perform live with Zoom on guitar.
X: The Unheard Music was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2005, as was the concert DVD X - Live in Los Angeles
X - Live In Los Angeles
X - Live in Los Angeles is a live album by X released as a Compact Disc and DVD on May 10, 2005. The concert was recorded on Thanksgiving as a tribute to the 25th anniversary of their debut album Los Angeles...
, which commemorates the 25th anniversary of the band's landmark debut album, Los Angeles.
2005–2007: Reunion of The Knitters
In 2005, Doe, Cervenka and Bonebrake reunited with Dave Alvin and Johnny Ray Bartel to release a second Knitters album, 20 years after the first, entitled The Modern Sound of the Knitters. In summer 2006, X toured North America on the "As The World Burns" Tour 2006 with the Rollins BandRollins Band
Rollins Band was an American rock band led by singer and songwriter Henry Rollins.They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and "Liar", which both earned heavy airplay on MTV in the early 1990s...
and Riverboat Gamblers. Starting in the Spring of 2008, X is touring on their "13X31 Tour", with Skybombers
Skybombers
Skybombers is a rock band from Melbourne. They were formed as Collusion by Scotch College students Hugh Gurney, Ravi Sharma, Scott McMurtrie and Sam Bethune. They later changed to Skybombers, a name inspired by an icy-pole. Their placing a demo song "It Goes Off" on MySpace brought them their first...
and the Detroit Cobras, with all original members. "13X31" is a reference to their 31st Anniversary.
2008–present: Recent activities
X announced in late 2008, via their Myspace.com blog, that John and Exene have been playing and writing new material together.No release date for a new record has been scheduled as of yet.
X appeared at the 2008 SXSW Festival. Footage of their performance is viewable on Crackle
Crackle
Crackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
. X appeared at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
on April 19, 2009 and at the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
festival in Minehead, England from the 15–17 May where they have been invited to perform by the festival's curators The Breeders
The Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal , her twin sister Kelley Deal , Jose Medeles , Mando Lopez Todd the Fox...
.
In June 2009, the band publicly announced that Exene has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. However, she told the O.C. Register in 2011 that the doctor who originally diagnosed the disease believes he misdiagnosed her. Exene stated that "I’ve had so many doctors tell me I have MS, then some say I don’t ... I don’t even care anymore.”
In June 2010, X played a free show at the North by Northeast Festival (NXNE) in Toronto, ON, Canada.
On June 18, 2011 the band headlined the 3rd Annual Johnny Cash Music Festival in Ventura, CA, USA.
X will is scheduled to perform at The Voodoo Experience 2011
Voodoo Experience
Voodoo Experience, also commonly referred to as Voodoo or Voodoo Fest, is a multi-day music and arts festival held in City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana. It was first held on Halloween weekend in 1999. It has since moved between the weekend before Halloween and Halloween weekend throughout the years...
which is held at City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 28–30, 2011. The band will also open for Pearl Jam on their 2011 South and Central American tour
Pearl Jam Twenty Tour
The Pearl Jam Twenty Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary. The tour consisted of a two-day festival at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin on the Labor Day weekend, and was followed by ten shows in Canada, ending...
in November.
Solo material
Over the years, both Doe and Cervenka have released solo albums, with Doe moved more toward roots music in his solo work. While Cervenka's solo albums have also been in a more folk or country vein, she has also fronted punk bands like Auntie ChristAuntie Christ
Auntie Christ is a late-1990s punk rock band, containing Exene Cervenka and D.J. Bonebrake of the band X and Matt Freeman of the band Rancid.- Albums :* Life Could Be A Dream...
and The Original Sinners. She also has done tours featuring her poetry, sometimes along with either Lydia Lunch
Lydia Lunch
Lydia Lunch is an American singer, poet, writer, and actress whose career was spawned by the New York No Wave scene...
or Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
. Since 1986, Doe has also maintained a busy second career as an actor, appearing in such films as Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's Salvador, Allison Anders
Allison Anders
Allison Anders is an American film and television director. Anders has directed many independent films, on which she frequently collaborates with fellow UCLA film school graduate Kurt Voss.-Biography:...
' Border Radio and Sugar Town
Sugar Town
"Sugar Town" is a song written by songwriter-producer Lee Hazlewood and first recorded by American singer Nancy Sinatra in 1966. As a single released under the Reprise label, it peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in November 1966, while reaching number one on the Easy Listening...
, the Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
biopic Great Balls of Fire
Great Balls of Fire
"Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 song recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie Jamboree. It was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer...
, Miguel Arteta
Miguel Arteta
Miguel Arteta is a Puerto Rican director of film and television, known for his independent film Chuck & Buck , for which he received the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award.-Early life:...
's The Good Girl
The Good Girl
The Good Girl is a 2002 black comedy-drama film directed by Miguel Arteta from a script by Mike White, and stars Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.-Plot:...
, Craig Mazin's The Specials, Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He has written and directed five feature films: Hard Eight , Boogie Nights , Magnolia , Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood...
's Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights is a 1997 drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, the script focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic films, and chronicles his rise and fall from the Golden Age of Porn of the 1970s...
, and the independent feature Roadside Prophets, in which he starred with Beastie Boy
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
Adam Horovitz. He was a regular cast member of the television series Roswell
Roswell (TV series)
Roswell is an American science fiction television series developed, produced, and co-written by Jason Katims. The series debuted on October 6, 1999 on The WB and moved to UPN for the third season. The last episode aired May 14, 2002...
on WB Television Network and UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
, and made a memorable appearance as an aging rock star on Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
.
Discography
- 1980 - Los Angeles
- 1981 - Wild GiftWild GiftWild Gift is the second album by the American punk rock band X, released in 1981. It was very well received critically, and was voted #2 for the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll...
- 1982 - Under the Big Black SunUnder the Big Black SunUnder the Big Black Sun is the third album by the American punk band X, and their major-label debut. It was released on Elektra Records in 1982, and reissued on Rhino Records in 2001 with bonus tracks.-Track listing:...
- 1983 - More Fun in the New WorldMore Fun in the New WorldMore Fun in the New World is the fourth album by the band X. It was reissued with four bonus tracks by Rhino Records in 2002.Something Wild used "The New World."-Side A:# "The New World" – 3:25# "We're Having Much More Fun" – 3:05...
- 1985 - Ain't Love Grand!Ain't Love Grand!Ain't Love Grand! is the fifth album by X. This album was their first not produced by Ray Manzarek. It was reissued with four bonus tracks by Rhino Records in 2002.-Track listing:...
- 1987 - See How We AreSee How We AreSee How We Are is the sixth album by X.It was their first album without founding guitarist Billy Zoom, who was replaced by ex-Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin for the album's recording sessions and some live shows...
- 1988 - Live at the Whisky a Go-Go (Live)
- 1993 - Hey Zeus!Hey Zeus!hey Zeus! is the seventh studio album by X. Its tracks, Country at War and New Life peaked at numbers 15 and 26 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts, respectively.-Track listing:#"Someone's Watching" – 4:49...
- 1995 - Unclogged (Live)UncloggedRecorded live at the Noe Valley Ministries Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, California over two nights of performances, Unclogged presents acoustic arrangements of past X material, along with two new songs: 'Lying in the Road' and 'The Stage.' The album's title is a play on the title of the...
- 1997 - Beyond and Back: The X AnthologyBeyond and Back: The X Anthology-Personnel:*John Doe – bass, acoustic guitar, vocals*Exene Cervenka – vocals*Billy Zoom – guitar*D.J. Bonebrake – drums-Additional personnel:*Ray Manzarek – organ*Tony Gilkyson – guitar...
- 2004 - The Best: Make the Music Go Bang!The Best: Make the Music Go Bang!The Best: Make the Music Go Bang! is a compilation American punk rock band X released in 2004. The album includes liner notes by Tony Alva, K. K...
- 2005 - X - Live In Los AngelesX - Live In Los AngelesX - Live in Los Angeles is a live album by X released as a Compact Disc and DVD on May 10, 2005. The concert was recorded on Thanksgiving as a tribute to the 25th anniversary of their debut album Los Angeles...
- 2009 - Merry Xmas From XMerry Xmas From XMerry Xmas From X is a two-track EP released by album by the American punk rock band X in 2009. It consists of two classic Christmas songs and is distributed only as digital download.-Track listing:...
Filmography
- 1981 - The Decline of Western CivilizationThe Decline of Western CivilizationThe soundtrack was released in December 1980 by Slash Records on LP. In the late 1990s it was released on CD as well. It is currently out of print. Germs singer Darby Crash appears on the soundtrack album cover. He died shortly before the film was released, though the promotional images for the...
- 1981 - Urgh! A Music WarUrgh! A Music WarUrgh! A Music War is a British film released in 1982 featuring performances by punk rock, New Wave, and post-punk acts, filmed in 1980. Among the artists featured in the movie are Magazine, The Go-Go's, The Fleshtones, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, XTC, Devo, The Cramps, Oingo Boingo, Dead...
- 1986 - X The Unheard MusicX The Unheard MusicX: The Unheard Music is a 1986 rockumentary film directed by W.T. Morgan about the Los Angeles punk band X.The film stars John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom, and D.J. Bonebrake....
- 2003 - Mayor of the Sunset StripMayor of the Sunset StripMayor of the Sunset Strip is a 2004 documentary film on the life of Rodney Bingenheimer directed by George Hickenlooper, and produced by Chris Carter.-Interviews:...
- 2005 - X - Live in Los AngelesX - Live In Los AngelesX - Live in Los Angeles is a live album by X released as a Compact Disc and DVD on May 10, 2005. The concert was recorded on Thanksgiving as a tribute to the 25th anniversary of their debut album Los Angeles...