X

X is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles. The original members were vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist-bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer D. J. Bonebrake. The band released seven studio albums from 1980 to 1993. After a period of inactivity during the mid-to-late 1990s, X reunited in the early 2000s and continued to tour. In June 2024, X announced a final album and farewell tour, but went on to clarify that they would still perform live together as a group, albeit not in a "touring" capacity.

X achieved limited mainstream success but influenced various genres of music, including punk rock, Americana, and folk rock. In 1991, Music critic Robert Hilburn identified them as one of the most influential bands of their era. In 2003, X's first two studio albums, Los Angeles and Wild Gift, were ranked by Rolling Stone as being among the 500 greatest albums of all time. Los Angeles was ranked 91st on Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1980s.

History

1977–1979: Formation and Dangerhouse era

X was founded by bassist-singer Doe and guitarist Zoom after responding to each others advertisements that they had placed in The Recycler, a local magazine. Doe brought his poetry-writing girlfriend Cervenka to band practices, and she eventually joined the band as a vocalist. Drummer Bonebrake was the last of the original members to join after leaving local group the Eyes; he also filled in on drums for Germs.

X's first record deal was with independent label Dangerhouse, for which the band produced one single, "Adult Books"/"We're Desperate" (1978). A Dangerhouse session version of "Los Angeles" was also featured on a 1979 Dangerhouse 12-inch EP compilation called Yes L.A. (a play on the no-wave compilation No New York), a six-song picture disc that also featured five other early L.A. punk bands: the Eyes, the Germs, the Bags, the Alley Cats, and Black Randy and the Metrosquad.

1980–1981: Los Angeles and Wild Gift

As the band became the flag bearer for the local scene, a larger independent label, Slash Records, signed them. The result was their debut album, Los Angeles (1980), which was produced by the Doors' former keyboard player Ray Manzarek. It sold well by the standards of independent labels. 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 served as 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, Wild Gift (1981), was similar in musical style. It featured shorter, faster songs and is arguably their most stereotypically punk-sounding record.

During 1981, both Doe and Bonebrake (along with Dave Alvin, guitarist of the Blasters) served as members of the Flesh Eaters, performing on that band's second album, A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die.

1982–1984: Elektra era and the Knitters

X signed with major label Elektra in 1982 and released their third studio album, Under the Big Black Sun, which marked a departure from their trademark sound. While still fast and loud, with raw punk guitars, it displayed evolving country leanings. The album was influenced by the death of Cervenka's elder sister Mirielle in a 1980 car accident. Three of its songs ("Riding with Mary", "Come Back to Me" and the title track) 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, years later, indirectly attributed to Cervenka's mournful state of mind. The stark black-and-white cover art and title were also a reflection of the somber mood of the band during this time. Cervenka has said it is her favorite X album.

In 1983, the band slightly redefined their sound with the release of the album More Fun in the New World, making X somewhat more polished, eclectic and radio-ready than on 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, which had long been stalwart supporters of X and their sound.

The Knitters, a side project, were composed of X minus Zoom, plus Alvin on guitar and Johnny Ray Bartel (of the Red Devils) on double bass, and released the Poor Little Critter on the Road album in 1985. The Knitters were devoted to folk and country music; music critic Denise Sullivan said their take on Merle Haggard's "Silver Wings" "may be the definitive version".

The band's music was featured in three movie soundtracks during this period. "Los Angeles" and "Beyond and Back" were used in Wim Wenders' The State of Things (1982). "Breathless" was used in the Richard Gere remake of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (1983).