X

it really feels like they just stepped right back in to "whatever we planned to do after More Fun In The New World", the effortlessness of their retro sound is really quite amazing

i compared it to the feeling I got from superchunk’s last one— not a restyling or reboot at all, but a band going back and doing the things they know best. and doing it very well.

holy shit i dint know zoom is 72.

zoom played with gene vincent! who died in 1971!

1it really feels like they just stepped right back in to "whatever we planned to do after More Fun In The New World",

i attribute a lot of that to billy. first album they've made with him since 1985. and first album they've made him that wasn't produced by michael wagener since 1983 :)

Listened to a bit of this when it came out and it seemed solid. Nice to hear them recorded with modern sound quality as I feel like the production on most of their previous albums doesn't measure up to their performances.

It's solid imo.

just played Water & Wine on the good old FM radio a few minutes ago, the highlight for me

still remember the excitement of discovering this band (way after their time) - was obsessed about them for months at a point in my life where I thought I just didn't get that excited about rock bands any more

good list, I reckon The Have Nots is right up there with their best tho

The L.A. equivalent of Fleetwood Mac! Oooh, good 'un, Alfred!
Been listening on bandcamp, but must confess to not yet giving it my undivided attention--=but it keeps pushing at me---would prob be good car music---and if I start to wonder if actually about to wander, Exene's the one who keeps pulling me back in.

Glad to see See How We Are and even Hey Zeus represented.

(Isn't the L.A. equivalent of Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac?)

yeah, was gonna say - can't think of a more LA vibe band than the Mac

I am way behind and finally checked the album from earlier this year out.
This is way better than I ever expected, to be honest!
Do Exene's derpy views show up in the lyrics at all?

I am way behind and finally checked the album from earlier this year out.
This is way better than I ever expected, to be honest!

I was skeptical, even after twin raves from Greil Marcus and Robert Christgau, but I finally checked out Alphabetland and this is some damn good shit, close to great. A total surprise given how much time has past. I actually like See How We Are, which is a fine collection of songs and good, solid roots-rock performances if a bit polished and softer, but this is closer to the high standard set by their first four albums. Now I'm especially sad that their 2020 shows got cancelled - had my ticket and everything.

Short - less than half an hour! - but also damn cheap if you still get CD's as most places have it for less than $10.

It's a really good album - much better than I would've expected.

I would like to see them live sometime, even despite their conservative politics, but I think the last time they played the UK in the last century it was as a support to Pearl Jam, so that's probably not happening

Is there some reason why their early records left certain streaming services in the last year or so?

Rights reverted back to the band, iirc.

xxp - John Doe's no conservative!

Yeah, I thought only Exene was kind of kook-right. Billy is Christian but I haven't heard any right wingish stuff about him.

Zoom was a libertarian conservative once upon a time which I just assume means full MAGA now. I assume DJ Bonebrake is cool like Doe.

Live, Billy just smiles and plays hot licks all night, then at the end of the night he takes a picture of the audience.

The Unheard Music is available on YouTube. Well worth watching. Some of the advertising and other footage from the 50s that’s interspersed for contrast is o_O.

Will need to listen to that recent one.

XP I love that interview in the film with the MCA executive who didn't sign X because they weren't commercial enough, and then later missed his shot when they became more commercial, but it's okay now because everyone at MCA is excited about their new marquee
Rock act ...Texas Butt Rock also-rans Point Blank.

I was really bummed that I didn't get to see X due to the pandemic, but they're apparently touring with the Psychedelic Furs and presales just started. I think they're opening for them, but I love both bands and I think the Furs' new album is supposed to be surprisingly good. (Like X, it was their first in well over a decade.) I imagine the new stuff will be heavy in their setlists, but as I mentioned upthread, I was surprised how good X's album turned out to be - it sits well with their first four great LP's.

Code is RAIN if you want to buy today.

I completely slept on the new album. Listening to it now. It is surprisingly good.

Billy Zoom now has a serious dad rock vibe going.

The Furs' new album was also surprisingly good.

Oh hadn't noticed that Furs were touring with X . Thanks

Excene going crazy has taken some of the luster off the band for me, I'm afraid.

Both albums work, the P-Furs album is better than that.

xp oh yeah, I'm bracing for some awkwardness to say the least. For example, reportedly she tried to claim, onstage in BOSTON, that the Boston marathon bombing was a fake. The rest of band immediately cut her off by slamming into the next song.

I miss the days of the tiara and the potato sack dress.

And the white vinyl coat.

I'm bracing for some awkwardness to say the least. For example, reportedly she tried to claim, onstage in BOSTON, that the Boston marathon bombing was a fake. The rest of band immediately cut her off by slamming into the next song.

is she still doing this or was that like a decade ago? not that it was a cool a decade ago, but i was under the impression her conspiracy theory days were behind her. but maybe not?

https://crisismusicblog.com/2018/12/14/x-why-i-finally-decided-it-was-time-to-bid-farewell-to-a-favorite-band-2/

see the 2022 addendum added to the bottom here . She has not changed

well that answers that. oy.

ugh. Reminds me of a fellow Ramones fan in December 2016 who said "thank God Johnny died years ago."

no, that is all out of date, she is back in the realm of the sane now

don't have time to look up the source but that is my understanding

OK I didn't see the update in that link above, I stand corrected :(

Good interview with John Doe.

Also, they do not talk about the politics and conspiracies Exene has gotten into, but I think it gives some clarity into how the band handles it, which is pretty much the simplest answer. He compares the band to being in a family, with all the complexities that come with that. Then later on in the show, they talk about the polarized state of the country and about finding some kind of peaceful co-existence even though it feels more daunting than ever. They don't talk about the band in that context, but John does mention he's chosen to live in Texas now where he clearly has neighbors who have very different politics than him (using a Trump flag to symbolize that).

I guess I should check out his new folk album. Missed he and his folk band’s recent gig near me. I think he has been in Austin for 5 years now

https://www.clevescene.com/music/john-doe-to-perform-this-month-with-trio-at-music-box-supper-club-next-month-with-x-at-mgm-northfield-park-center-stage-39105057

Saw X open for Psychedelic Furs last night . John Doe encouraged people to slow dance together to their re-arranged version of "Come Back to Me" and he made a point of saying that people should be able to dance with and love whomever they wanted. Exene mostly just said hello and the most extensive thing she said was sorta garbled (so I didn't hear any crazy stuff from her). Billy Zoom sat on a stool for much of the set, but stood for a few songs. He also played sax on 2 songs. DJ Bonebrake switched to marimba/vibes for a few cuts. An unmentioned guy played drums on cuts where Bonebrake switched instruments. The guy also played backing second guitar on a few songs .

They did "Los Angeles" and she sang "started to hate every Christian and Jew" rather than the original lyric

It's been nice following their social media accounts on the tour. They actually stopped at a popular diner in Ottawa, and just the idea of seeing X walk in while eating a reuben at Al's seems pretty awesome.

Anyway, I saw the NY stop of that tour, and it was better than I expected. Those extended improvisations on two songs were pleasant surprises, so much that I could see them doing a pretty good jazz set if they wanted to. It was also hilarious to see Zoom stick his guitar pick on his forehead every time he switched to sax. I had no idea he did that, or that it would even work - he was able to leave it on for almost an entire song. And it was great to see him standing for the last few numbers - he was pretty much beaming the whole time and he looked tan and healthy. Also, it was amazing to watch him play - his guitar sounded absolutely ferocious but his fingers simply danced around his strings like a ballet, just tiny little graceful movements. The contrast was very amusing.

John Doe was wonderful, he really loved the crowd and he loved the camera! At one point he went to the edge of the stage, leaned back and smiled for a few including my phone, but I was actually taking a video of Zoom and didn't notice Doe until it was too late. Ah well, I did take some videos where he seemed to grin directly at me. (I was at the edge of the stage.)

Last night's show was good too. Yeah, I like the older stuff better than the latest one (but it's pretty good too). John and Exene's voices still sound strong together, and Zoom and Bonebrake are still musically good too

Forgot one of my favorite remarks at the show was after "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts" - John Doe says when they first released it, it was meant to be sarcastic, but now it's become a prayer, like PLEASE don't let me think bad thoughts, about doing bad things to anyone! Very cute.

First four are still my favorites, but the new one's gravy, I'm glad to have it. It's like, we're still together and playing well, why not put one out while we still can? No worrying about making the charts and let's fix up a few old songs we didn't get down on record, or at least the way we would have liked.

but now it's become a prayer, like PLEASE don't let me think bad thoughts Word to Exene!

LOL, yeah I thought that too. Like inside, it's "please for love of god Exene..."

Posted by someone in Austin in another forum:

Bumped into John Doe at a movie theatre last night and asked about the new record. He confirmed that X will be playing some of the new, as yet unreleased tunes, when the tour begins later this month. Also said the follow up to "Alphabetland" will be the final X record and also mentioned that it's better than Alphabetland. I know that's the sort of thing people say about their work but he offered up that tidbit without prompting.