X is an American
punk rock band formed in Los Angeles. The original members are vocalist
Exene Cervenka
Exene Cervenka (born Christene Lee Cervenka; February 1, 1956) is an American singer, artist, and poet. She is best known for her work as a singer in the California punk rock band X.
Music career
The 21-year-old Cervenka met 23-year-old ...
, vocalist-bassist
John Doe
John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are often ...
, guitarist
Billy Zoom
Billy Zoom (born Stuart Tyson Kindell; February 20, 1948) is an American guitarist, best known as one of the founders of the punk rock band X.
At 68 years old, Zoom was diagnosed in 2015 with an aggressive form of bladder cancer and began imme ...
and drummer
D. J. Bonebrake
Donald J. Bonebrake (born December 8, 1955) is an American musician who first emerged as the drummer of the punk rock band the Eyes (also featuring Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Go's). He is best known as an original member of and drummer for punk ...
. 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, as of 2022.
X achieved limited mainstream success but influenced various genres of music, including punk rock,
Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
,
and
folk rock
Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...
,
and is considered one of the most influential bands of their era. In 2003, X's first two studio albums, ''
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
'' and ''
Wild Gift
''Wild Gift'' is the second studio album by American rock band X, released on May 4, 1981 by Slash Records. It was very well received critically, and was voted the year's second best album in ''The Village Voice''s Pazz & Jop poll. ''Wild Gift'' w ...
'', were ranked by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' as being among the
500 greatest albums of all time. ''Los Angeles'' was ranked 91st on ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
''s Top 100 Albums of the 1980s.
History
1977–1979: Formation and Dangerhouse era
X was founded by bassist-singer Doe and guitarist Zoom. 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.
''Yes L.A.'' is a six-song compilation EP featuring first-generation Californian punk rock bands. It was also the final release of the short-lived but influential Dangerhouse Records label.
Overview
A one-sided picture disc released at the t ...
'' (a play on the
no-wave compilation ''
No New York
''No New York'' is a compilation album released in 1978 by record label Antilles under the curation of producer Brian Eno. Although it only contained songs by four different artists, some consider it to be a definitive single album documenting Ne ...
''), a six-song
picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone (phonograph) records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or colored vinyl. Collectors traditionally reserve the term picture disc for records with graphics that extend at lea ...
that also featured other early L.A. punk bands The Eyes, The Germs, The
Bags,
The Alley Cats, and
Black Randy and the Metrosquad
Black Randy and the Metrosquad was an American punk rock band from the late 1970s and early 1980s in the Los Angeles punk scene. They gained notoriety not only for their surreal and smutty sense of humor, but also for their amalgamation of pro ...
.
1980–1981: ''Los Angeles'' and ''Wild Gift''
![X, 1980](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/X%2C_1980.jpg)
As the band became the flag bearer for the local scene, a larger independent label,
Slash Records
Slash Records was an American record label originally specializing in local punk rock bands, active from 1978 to 2000. It was notable as one of the first and most successful independent record labels in alternative rock, alternative music, befor ...
, signed the band.
The result was their debut, ''
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
'' (1980), produced by
the Doors
The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...
' keyboard player,
Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. (né Manczarek; February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American keyboardist. He is best known as a member of the Doors, co-founding the band with singer and lyricist Jim Morrison in 1965.
Manzarek was induct ...
. It sold well by the standards of independent labels. Much of X's early material had a
rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...
edge. Doe and Cervenka co-wrote most of the group's songs and their slightly off-kilter
harmony vocals
Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are simultaneously sung as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical chora ...
served as the group's most distinctive element. Their lyrics tended to be straight-out poetry; comparisons to
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski ( ; born Heinrich Karl Bukowski, ; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambience of his adopted ...
and
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...
were made from the start.
Their follow-up effort, ''
Wild Gift
''Wild Gift'' is the second studio album by American rock band X, released on May 4, 1981 by Slash Records. It was very well received critically, and was voted the year's second best album in ''The Village Voice''s Pazz & Jop poll. ''Wild Gift'' w ...
'' (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
David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s a ...
, guitarist of
The Blasters
The Blasters are an American rock band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Their self-described " American Music" i ...
) served as members of
The Flesh Eaters
The Flesh Eaters are an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, United States, in 1977. They are the most prominent of the bands which have showcased the compositions and singing of their founder, punk poet Chris Desjardin ...
, performing on that band's second album, ''
A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die''.
1982–1984: Elektra era and The Knitters
![Exene](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Exene.jpg)
X signed with major label
Elektra in 1982 and released ''
Under the Big Black Sun
''Under the Big Black Sun'' is the third studio album by American rock band X, and their major-label debut. It was released on Elektra Records in July 1982 and reissued on Rhino Records in 2001 with bonus tracks. It was re-released in its origi ...
'', which marked a departure from their trademark sound. While still fast and loud, with raw punk guitars, the album displayed evolving country leanings. The album was influenced by the death of Cervenka's elder sister Mirielle in a 1980 car accident. 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
Alexander Dubin (June 10, 1891 – February 11, 1945) was an American lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren.
Life
Al Dubin came from a Russian Jewish family that emigrated to the United States from Swi ...
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
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
on the track "True Love Pt. II", and
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...
-influenced
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
protest songs like "The New World" and "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts". The record received critical praise from ''Rolling Stone'' and ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. 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.
K ...
'', which had long been stalwart supporters of X and their sound.
The Knitters
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, a side project, were composed of X minus Zoom, plus Alvin on guitar and Johnny Ray Bartel (of
the Red Devils) on
double bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
, and released the ''
Poor Little Critter on the Road
''Poor Little Critter on the Road'' is 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.
Reception
Bart ...
'' album in 1985. The Knitters were devoted to folk and
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
; their take on
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler.
Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...
'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' State of Things (1982). "Breathless" was used in the Richard Gere remake of the Godard film Breathless (1983). "Wild Thing" was used in the Charlie Sheen comedy Major League (1989). (Source; IMDB)
1985–1987: Commercial era and departure of Zoom
Despite the overwhelmingly positive critical reception for their first four albums, the band was frustrated by its lack of wider mainstream success. 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 fifth record, ''
Ain't Love Grand!'', was produced by
pop metal
Pop metal (sometimes conflated with or used interchangeably with glam metal) is an umbrella term for commercial heavy metal and hard rock styles which feature prominent pop music elements such as catchy hooks and anthemic choruses. It became ...
producer
Michael Wagener
Michael Wagener (born 25 April 1949) is a German former music producer, mixer, and engineer from Hamburg, best known for his work with many top glam metal and heavy metal bands in the late 1980s. He is particularly renowned for his multi-amping an ...
. 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
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
. The change in production was intended to bring the band more chart success, but although it received more mainstream radio play than their earlier releases, it did not represent a commercial breakthrough. "Burning House of Love", the album's first single, was a minor hit on the
''Billboard'' Top Rock Tracks chart, where it peaked at #26 in September 1985. 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 Alvin, who had left the Blasters. The band then added a fifth member, guitarist Tony Gilkyson, formerly of the band
Lone Justice
Lone Justice is an American country rock band formed in 1982 by guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee. They have recently announced they are recording new material as per Marvin Etzioni July 2022. They are part of a new exhibit in Sep ...
. By the time the band released its sixth album, ''
See How We Are
''See How We Are'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band X, released in 1987 by Elektra Records. It was their first album without founding guitarist Billy Zoom, who was replaced by ex- Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin for the album's rec ...
'', Alvin had already left the band, although he played on the record along with Gilkyson and wrote "4th of July" for the band. Like ''Ain't Love Grand'', the album's sound was far removed from the band's punk origins, yet featured a punchy, energetic, hard-rocking
roots rock
Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...
sound that in many ways represented a more natural progression from their earlier sound than the previous album had. After touring for the album, X released a live album of the tour, titled ''
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 non-album single. In 1989, the song was re-released as the lead single from the soundtrack to the hit film ''
Major League''. It later became a staple at sporting events, particularly baseball games, and was used by Japanese professional wrestler
Atsushi Onita
is a Japanese actor, politician, and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) and is credited with introducing Japan to the deathmatch style of professional wrestling.
He founded ...
after he founded
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989, by Atsushi Onita as (FMW). The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their ...
in 1989. The song is now used as
Jon Moxley
Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wr ...
's entrance music in
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, w ...
.
1993–1995: First reunion, ''Hey Zeus!'' and ''Unclogged''
X regrouped in the early 1990s to record their seventh studio album, ''
Hey Zeus!
''Hey Zeus!'' (stylized as ''hey Zeus!'') is the seventh studio album by American rock band X. The tracks "Country at War" and "New Life" peaked at No. 15 and No. 26, respectively, on the ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Track listing
All ...
'', released in 1993 on the
Big Life
Big Life was a record label established in 1987 by Jazz Summers and Tim Parry. It featured hundreds of releases from artists such as The Orb, Stare, Yazz, Junior Reid, Coldcut, De La Soul, and Damage.
In 1999, the label was put into receivers ...
label. 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
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
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.
In 1994, they contributed a cover of the
Richard Thompson song "Shoot Out the Lights" to a Thompson tribute album called ''Beat the Retreat'', which featured
David Hidalgo
David Kent Hidalgo (born October 6, 1954, in Los Angeles.) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Los Lobos. Hidalgo frequently plays musical instruments such as accordion, violin, 6-string banjo, cello, requin ...
of
Los Lobos
Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") are an American rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cumbia, ...
on electric guitar. On the same album, Doe sang harmony and played bass and Bonebrake played drums on
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur Mould (born October 16, 1960) 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 years
Born in Malone, ...
'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 (born 31 December 1947 in Warwick, England) is an English folk singer known for her solo work and her earlier collaborations with Maddy Prior and with Oysterband.
Early life
June Tabor was born and grew up in Warwick, England. As ...
.
The band released an acoustic live album, ''
Unclogged
''Unclogged'' is a live album by the American rock band X, released in 1995 by Infidelity Records. Recorded in 1994 at the Noe Valley Ministries Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, California over two nights of performances, it presented acoust ...
'', in 1995 on Infidelity Records.
1997–2004: Hiatus and second reunion
![X 2004](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/X_2004.jpg)
In 1997, X released a compilation called ''
Beyond and Back: The X Anthology'', which focused heavily on the early years with Zoom and 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 lineup also returned to the studio for the final time, with Manzarek reprising his role as producer, to record a cover of the Doors' "
The Crystal Ship
"The Crystal Ship" is a song by American rock band the Doors, from their 1967 debut album ''The Doors'', and the B-side of the number-one hit single "Light My Fire". It was composed as a love song to Jim Morrison's first serious girlfriend, Mary ...
" for the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
for ''
The X-Files: Fight the Future''.
''X: The Unheard Music'' was released on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
in 2005, as was the concert DVD ''
X – Live in Los Angeles'', which commemorated the 25th anniversary of the band's landmark debut album, ''Los Angeles.''
2005–2007: Reunion of The Knitters
![D](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/D._J._Bonebrake.jpg)
In 2005, Doe, Cervenka and Bonebrake reunited with Alvin and Bartel to release a second Knitters album, 20 years after the first, titled ''
The Modern Sounds of the Knitters''. In summer 2006, X toured
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
on the "As the World Burns" tour with the
Rollins Band
Rollins Band was an American rock band formed in Van Nuys, California. The band was active from 1987 to 2006 and was led by former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins. They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and " Liar", which both e ...
and
the Riverboat Gamblers
Riverboat Gamblers is an American punk rock band originally from Denton, Texas, formed in 1997, now residing in Austin, Texas. The band's current line-up comprises vocalist Mike Wiebe, guitarist/voc Fadi El-Assad, guitarist/voc Ian MacDougall, ...
. In the spring of 2008, the band, with all original members, embarked on their "13X31" tour with
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 s ...
and
the Detroit Cobras
The Detroit Cobras were an American garage rock band from Detroit, Michigan, which was formed around 1994 by vocalist Rachel Nagy and guitarist Mary Ramirez, with a constantly changing assortment of (mostly male) sidemen. Nagy died on January 14 ...
. "13X31" was a reference to their 31st anniversary.
2008–present: Touring and first album in 27 years
From 2004 onward, X have continued to perform frequently around North America.
X appeared at the 2008
SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
Festival (with footage of their performance made viewable on
Crackle
Crackle or crackling may refer to:
Foods
* Cracklings, the tissue remaining after lard and tallow have been extracted from animal fats
** Pork rinds in American English, pork scratchings in British English when served in small pieces as a snac ...
); the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...
on April 19, 2009; and the
All Tomorrow's Parties
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''.
Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...
festival in
Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National P ...
, England from May 15–17, 2009. They were invited to perform at the latter by the festival's curators,
the Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ...
.
In June 2009, the band publicly announced that Cervenka had been diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
. However, she told the ''
Orange County Register
''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...
'' in 2011 that the doctor who originally diagnosed the disease believes he misdiagnosed her. Cervenka stated, "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
North by Northeast (or NXNE) is an annual music and arts festival held each June in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The festival's main focus is live music, but it also includes an eSports gaming tournament, comedy, a conversations series, a flea mark ...
festival in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada and headlined the third annual
Roadshow Revival The Roadshow Revival is a Johnny Cash Tribute Festival held at Mission Park in Ventura, California in June. The location of the Event is in close proximity to Johnny Cash's home and office in Casitas Springs and Ventura. It is produced by Ross Eme ...
, a
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
tribute festival in
Ventura, California
Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura (Spanish for "Saint Bonaventure"), is a city on the Southern Coast of California and the county seat of Ventura County. The population was 110,763 at the 2020 census. Ventura is a popular tourist des ...
. X performed at
The Voodoo Experience 2011, held at
City Park
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...
in
, Louisiana, on October 28–30, 2011. The band also opened for
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...
on their
2011 South and Central American tour in November and their
European tour
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
in June and July 2012.
[
]
On September 2, 2012, X performed at the
Budweiser Made in America Festival in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
In July 2015, Zoom took a performing break to undergo treatment for
bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is any of several types of cancer arising from the tissues of the urinary bladder. Symptoms include blood in the urine, pain with urination, and low back pain. It is caused when epithelial cells that line the bladder become mali ...
, returning in November 2015.
[
]
On March 4, 2016, X appeared on the episode "Show Me a Hero" of
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
show ''
Childrens Hospital
''Childrens Hospital'' (originally titled ''Children's Hospital'' as webisodes) is an American black comedy television show, television series and web series that parodies the medical drama genre, created by and starring actor/comedian Rob Cord ...
''. On October 13, 2017, the
Grammy Museum at L.A. Live
The Grammy Museum is an interactive, educational museum devoted to the history and winners of the Grammy Awards. The Museum has interactive touch-screens, videos, recording booths, and a collection of historical music artifacts including costum ...
opened a new exhibit titled "X: 40 Years of Punk in Los Angeles", to run through February 25, 2018.
In 2017, Cervenka announced that X had added Craig Packham of
the Palominos
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
to fill in on drums and rhythm guitar, because Bonebrake and Zoom were now playing
vibes and
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
, respectively.
[
]
In 2018, the band released ''X – Live in Latin America'' via a Kickstarter campaign, to coincide with their 40th anniversary. The album was recorded during a 2011 tour where X was the opening band for
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...
. Pearl Jam's sound engineer made the recordings, and presented them to X at the end of the tour. The album was produced by
Rob Schnapf
Rob Schnapf is an American record producer and musician. He was the co-producer (along with Tom Rothrock) of Elliott Smith's albums ''Either/Or'', '' XO'' (on which he also played guitar on the song " Baby Britain"), '' Figure 8'' and ''From a ...
, and featured the four original members of X.
In early 2019
Fat Possum Records
Fat Possum Records is an American independent record label based in Water Valley and Oxford, Mississippi. At first Fat Possum focused almost entirely on recording previously unknown Mississippi blues artists (typically from Oxford or Holly Sprin ...
released two new X songs as a single, followed by the "genuinely good" (per
BrooklynVegan
''BrooklynVegan'' is an American online music magazine founded in 2004 by David Levine. The company is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, United States and originally focused on vegan food and the music community in and around New York City, ...
) new album ''
Alphabetland
''Alphabetland'' is the eighth studio album by American punk rock band X. Released digitally in April 2020, it is their first studio release in 27years and the first with their original line-up in the past 35years. X released the album with no p ...
'' on April 22, 2020, On February 9, 2021, Fat Possum released ''
Xtras'': two more tracks from the same recording sessions, one being an alternate version.
Robby Krieger
Robert Alan Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits "Light My Fire", "Love Me Two Times", " Touch Me", and "L ...
, of
the Doors
The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...
, played slide guitar on one track each of ''Alphabetland'' and of ''Xtras''.
Members
Discography
EPs
* 2009 – ''
Merry Xmas from X
''Merry Xmas From X '' is a two-track EP by the American rock band X, released on October 9, 2009, by Anko Records. It consists of two classic Christmas songs, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Jingle Bells", and was distributed only as a di ...
''
Live albums
* 1988 – ''
Live at the Whisky a Go-Go''
* 1995 – ''
Unclogged
''Unclogged'' is a live album by the American rock band X, released in 1995 by Infidelity Records. Recorded in 1994 at the Noe Valley Ministries Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, California over two nights of performances, it presented acoust ...
''
* 2005 – ''
X – Live in Los Angeles'' #175 US Billboard Top 200
* 2018 – ''X – Live in Latin America'' (Kickstarter special album)
Compilations
* 1997 – ''
Beyond and Back: The X Anthology''
* 2004 – ''
The Best: Make the Music Go Bang!''
Compilation appearances
* ''We're Desperate: The L.A. Scene (1976-79)'' (
Rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
) (1993) - "We're Desperate", "Los Angeles"
Filmography
* 1981 – ''
The Decline of Western Civilization
''The Decline of Western Civilization'' is a 1981 American documentary filmed through 1979 and 1980. The movie is about the Los Angeles punk rock scene and was directed by Penelope Spheeris. In 1981, the LAPD Chief of Police Daryl Gates wrote a ...
''
* 1981 – ''
Urgh! A Music War
''Urgh! A Music War'' is a 1982 British concert film featuring performances by punk rock, new wave, and post-punk bands and artists. Filmed in August to September 1980 it was directed by Derek Burbidge and produced by Michael White and Lynd ...
''
* 1986 – ''
X: The Unheard Music''
* 2003 – ''
Mayor of the Sunset Strip
''Mayor of the Sunset Strip'' is a 2003 documentary film on the life of Rodney Bingenheimer directed by George Hickenlooper, and produced by Chris Carter.
Background
In 2011, Craig Hlavaty of the ''Houston Press'' named ''Mayor of the Sunset S ...
''
* 2005 – ''
X – Live in Los Angeles
''X – Live in Los Angeles'' is a live album by American rock band X released May 10, 2005, by Shout! Factory on compact disc and DVD. The concert was recorded on Thanksgiving 2004 as a tribute to the 25th anniversary of their debut album, ''Los ...
''
* 2016 – ''
Childrens Hospital
''Childrens Hospital'' (originally titled ''Children's Hospital'' as webisodes) is an American black comedy television show, television series and web series that parodies the medical drama genre, created by and starring actor/comedian Rob Cord ...
''
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:X
Punk rock groups from California
Musical groups from Los Angeles
Musical groups established in 1977
Musical quartets
1977 establishments in California
Slash Records artists
Dangerhouse Records artists
Elektra Records artists
Big Life artists
Rock music groups from California
Female-fronted musical groups