X

Reviews

X Hate City EP

Hate City is a collection of previously unheard material from ’77-era X (not that X).  This is the band that Ian Rilen was in; he’s the guy that briefly played bass in ROSE TATTOO for a bit, having written one of the band’s earliest songs, “Bad Boy For Love.” Aside from X’s Aspirations LP, Hate City seems to be all from this period that is out there for these cats, and it’s near perfect in its sleaze and swagger. In another world, they could have been a drunker DEAD BOYS, who wouldn’t take themselves seriously and light a fart on fire for giggles. Kind of a cousin to PETER AND TEST TUBE BABIES? I don’t know…this is a limited run that Green Noise/Dirt Cult put out, buy one for your neighbor.

X Aspirations LP reissue

Out of press for the last decade, Dirt Cult and Green Noise have collaborated to reissue an absolute mammoth of ’70s punk, the debut album by X. This is desert island, “grab it off the shelf in a house fire” kinda shit right here. One hates to see terms like “classic” bandied about, but this is the rare instance in which the label truly applies. Story goes that these tunes were committed to tape in a nascent five-hour recording session, meant for the purpose of cutting a single. Fourteen blistering tracks later, we have one of the seminal documents of first-wave Australian punk. Aspirations goes harder than 90 percent of what passes for punk these days, and at half the tempo. Unbridled, raw, and absolutely savage, this bass-driven masterpiece laid a blueprint for many bands to follow. “Good On Ya Baby,” “Suck Suck Suck,” and “Delinquent Cars” are untouchable anthems that feature some of the most memorable vocal hooks to have ever wormed into my undeserving earholes. Wildly unhinged guitars being unsanctimoniously tortured dapple the bruising soundscape created by the rhythm section. It really doesn’t get much better than this. If you’re not familiar with the band or this record, stop reading and make that change. This is a heavyweight slab of pure punk perfection.

X At Home With You LP

These Australians continue to put out interesting records. This LP contains tracks in their ’77 power-punk sound as well as more eclectic sounds that rock. Can’t say I like it all, but for a band that’s been around so long, they still pound.

X Mother / Halfway Round the World 7″

This X is from Australia, and may have actually preceded the well-known L.A. group. On this new release, “Mother” is an overlong, unnecessary version of John Lennon’s old song, but the flip is a driving number with some super-penetrating bass runs, a loud guitar, and lots of overall power. It’s a killer track that alone makes this 45 worth picking up.