Artists starting with X

The Anthology

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X-Ray Spex, “The Anthology” (Sanctuary, 2001; originally recorded 1977-78)
X-Ray Spex occupied the apex of UK punk. A hyper-abrasive guitar/beat grind and Poly Styrene’s maelstrom-howling vocals contrasted against scary-smart lyrics that critiqued consumerism from the inside and a quirky sense of pop melody that recalled the mid-60s while anticipating/influencing the early 80s. Disc 2 features gloriously chaotic early live stuff with soon-to-quit saxophonist Lora Logic’s maniacally exploratory runs battling for the spotlight with Poly.
Try 1/ 3, 1/5, 1/6, 2/1, 2/4, 2/5
7/29/12

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Live At The Roxy Club

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X-Ray Spex, “Live At The Roxy Club” (Receiver, 1991; original recording 1977)
At the venue that was ground zero for the UK punk explosion, here’s the short-lived original line-up of the Spex, with Lora Logic on sax. The lurid, glaring sing-song glee of the band’s indelible tunes of modern alienation-as-fun (or vice versa) are here brought into stark relief by a sonic attack where bopping rock-and-roll beats that keep veering off into the wall drive joy-buzzer guitar, sax and vocals that keep dancing onto each other’s feet. Chaos at its most glorious.
Try 1, 2, 4
4/7/19

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Aspirations

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X, “Aspirations” (Ugly Pop reissue, 2014; origina release 1979)
Not the X from L.A., but the Australian one, and in their own way just as great (and influential). Rumbling drums, bass rubbery and immense like the bassist was using live boa constrictors for strings, guitar crashing through in brilliant shards, all in service of punk rock songs from three people blowing a hole through a faraway place that was just like everywhere else in the ‘70s, brutal and burned-out and chaotic and ridiculous, but with weird hiding places where you could find fun or even transcendence.
Try 1/ 1, 1/ 4, 1/ 4, 2/1
3/18/18

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