Wild Gift

Wow. Impressed. Heard of X, I think, but never listened before. It’s catchy, pared down, good variety, not too one note. I hear ramones, pixies, misfits, Jefferson airplane, sonic youth, iggy and the stooges, that says it all. Saved the album to my library.

Had never heard this before - awesome - right up there on the list with the Clash, the Femmes, and other angry punk/post-punk bands of the era.

Maybe it’s the pop-punk loving side of me, but I really enjoyed this album, especially the first and last tracks sung by the female vocalist. I liked the blend of 50s rock with the driving pace of punk. This is the more palatable version of what The Cramps were trying to achieve. I waffled between 3 and 4 stars and ended at 4 because I want to look up more music by X.

If the Ramones hopped into a Cadillac, put Johnny B Goode on the 8 track, and drove straight into the B-52's love shack, it might sound like this. Thanks, X, for pushing punk in new directions. The rockabilly stuff is not my cuppa tea, but the rest was solid. I have a feeling their lyrics deserve more attention. Perfect soundtrack to Tony Hawk Pro Skater II. B+

1981! Really? Wow. Straight into the favourite albums list.

I loved this. It was my first time hearing of this band. What a find!

alright but a bit boring. Superb bass playing though, and bonus points for being short and sharp

It's not even Punk as it's far too clean around the edges and perhaps 5-6 years too late. There are bands that did this far better in New York, London and Manchester so I fail to see what makes this so special. It's not horrible to listen to, just bland and uninspiring.

Punk, but the band has skill.

I prefer Los Angeles, but this a great album too.

Pleasantly surprised to see this here. Very underrated.

What's not to love about X?

well, this is another one that was over too soon. i knew about X, of course, being a punkity-rock kid back in the day - but they were a little before my time, and i didn't really come to them until later. i love the aggressive attack on the guitar, the almost brutal uncaring in exene's voice...just great punk rock.

I really enjoyed this album - it feels like a perfect segue between rock from the previous two decades and the two to come. You can hear rockabilly sounds like Elvis (who they likely were inspired by) and post-punk / alternative sounds like Sonic Youth too (who they likely inspired) plus some of their contemporaries like the Sex Pistols. Lots of different sounds really; this is not one-dimensional punk. Highlights were the Once over Twice (more brooding Ramones), We're Desperate (like frenetic Talking Heads), Adult Books (my favorite - Elvis meets the Velvet Underground meets Marty Robbins), Universal Corner (can't put my finger on it, but feels ahead of it's time), It's Who You Know (Motorhead with more depth), White Girl (Sonic Youth meets the Velvet Underground), and Beyond and Back (Dead Kennedys meet Elvis Costello).

Punk music doesn’t do it for me

Great band. Great album. Fringe, outspoken leadership may soon change band name to Twitter.

I like X but this kinda fades into early 80s american punk white noise in my brain. Los Angeles I think has the more memorable tracks.

Pretty generic 80s punk

Wild Gift isn't for me, it's another one where every song sounds mostly the same, several shades of a palette that's too similar, and I've never really liked the lo-fi punk sound anyway. Shouldn't be on the list, 2.

One word review Crap

favorite songs: The Once Over Twice, Universal Corner, In This House That I Call Home, When Our Love Passed Out on the Couch. a really good album, only a couple songs that I thought were meh

4-5

Excellent! The blend of male and female vox works really well.

Solid punk album. Good sound, songs are happily 3 minutes. Songs are happily 75 seconds. Good melodies, fun listen.

This album really hits a spot in my mind. Punk music with a bit of riot girls is everything I want when I wake up and open this site.

Best American rock band from the first half of the 80s when they made five 5* albums. Probably their LA album is even a bit better but it is always a hard choice. Wild Gift contains songs like Adult Books and Universal Corner etc.

I love this album — been a staple since high school, and this isn't even my favorite X album (More Fun In The New World!). Call this punk if you gotta, but there's a lot of musicality going on, and intelligent commentary too. They shoot for an aesthetic and hit it — between the bizarre harmonies (there was one album where Exene thanked her vocal coach in the liner notes and I just found that hilarious), rockabilly shuffle, excellent guitar playing, and great tunes... turn it up.

This album is tight. It's full of ramshackle, energetic rockers from one of the most unique bands in music. X's punk bona fides are on full display, sweetened with a rockabilly undertone and a hint of a twang, which would become more pronounced on future albums. Billy Zoom's guitars burn brilliantly. D.J. Bonebrake's drums set an urgent pace that propels everything forward without distracting from the true stars of this show, John and Exene. The chaotic harmonies of John Doe and Exene Cervenka are imperfectly perfect. They're languid and messy and totally endearing. Their lyrics are incredibly poetic, blurring the gritty with the romantic. They sing about the dysfunctional side of life and of love, and you can feel it. Fave Songs: The Once Over Twice, Adult Books, In This House That I Call Home, I'm Coming Over

Great discovery! Really enjoyed listening!

Awesome!

Wild Gift by X is a visceral and intense punk rock album that captures the raw energy of the band's live performances. From the opening track to the last, the album delivers a relentless barrage of powerful riffs and impassioned vocals. The songwriting on Wild Gift is sharp and incisive, tackling themes of love, politics, and rebellion with a fierce authenticity. Tracks like We're Desperate and White Girl showcase the band's ability to blend punk aggression with melodic hooks, creating memorable anthems that stick with you long after the album ends. The production on Wild Gift is gritty and unpolished, perfectly complementing the band's DIY ethos and punk aesthetic. Each track on the album feels urgent and vital, making Wild Gift a timeless classic in the punk genre. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 9 STAND OUT TRACK - Year 1

they're awsome

This is amazing! Had never heard it before, but instant fan. It's so believable, it's so straight ahead in some ways but with a punk soul and elements of many other genres. Sounds so fresh and original.

Hell yeah

Amazing. Another underrated band.

Yep. Dear to my punk loving heart.

I love X. That is all.

yes

very cool

Great punk rock album!

rockabilly punk rock.. You can't go wrong.

Brilliant, and one I would probably never have heard otherwise! Sounds like an influence on loads of bands I love, especially suede and the Manics, but also on pretty much every punk band since. I didn't know "West Coast punk" was a thing, and it kind of wasn't really - except these guys - but I'm glad to know someone was trying to make it happen.

A band I've never heard of, a genre that I'd generally avoid, and I loved it. Just loved it! What a happy discovery!

WHITE GIIIIIIIIIRL

I'm much less familiar with this as I was Los Angeles. And I still think L.A. is better, but this is still excellent and I will listen to it a lot.

white girl and tals

This was a fun rock album - really good punk rock that was a lot of fun to listen to. Catchy songs that kept me in it for the duration.

Great band, Great album. I've listened to this before and will again. I'd have a hard time picking between this and Los Angeles.

I had a roommate in college who liked X and wanted us to go hear them when they played in the gym on campus. But none of the rest of us knew them and wouldn't buy tickets so we compromised and eavesdropped on the show from outside, on the grassy mound known as The Hump. That's not that interesting a story but it's a nice memory. Anyhow, I didn't take the opportunity to become an X fan --- they were a little too "alternative" for my tastes at the time. That's ok because they fit into my tastes just perfectly now. This album is great!

How have I never heard these guys before?! This is very much my jam and exactly what I wanted from this silly project. Songs added to Spotify: 5

Great punk with a bit of blues or country or folk to some of it. Not too heavy and not too repetitive.

Sooo good. Straightforward and tight with great musicianship and melodies. Those baselines! And the rockabilly vibes! It’s also super accessible but so varied in styles, which I can’t imagine is an easy feat. Such an awesome discovery! Tucked away safely for future listens.

I like the X - Lost Angeles album and have listened to it a lot over the years. This album I was less familiar with but still really enjoyed it.

Such a fun album with a unique sound! Yes, it’s punk, but there’s actually some really interesting rockabilly in there too. The hooks are catchy, the lyrics are enigmatic, the guitar riffs are rocking. It’s a punk rock collection of love songs. But it’s the vague harmonizing and shout-sung vocals from Exene Cervenka and John Doe that really makes the album sparkle. I’ll definitely be coming back to this album—one of my favorite discoveries from this project!

The female vocalist (Exene) really makes this album for me. Her singing is terrible, but that’s exactly what this kind of music needs. John Doe can sing, and the combination of the two voices is just perfect. The lyrics are wonderfully clever/stupid. Great fun.

So fierce

Fuck if I don't love music like this. Never knew about X before but now I need more!

Between 1981 and 1984, X released 4 albums - an album a year. My favorite is their 4th one, "More Fun In The New World." (This is probably due to me seeing them for the first time...and three times on that album). In total, I've probably seen them about 10 time and they are still pretty great live...albeit older. It was great to listen to this one again and remind myself why I fell in love with the band. When we had a wild night, a friend used to say, "Last night everything broke." - A line from "We're Desperate" the best song here. (Not to be confused with the Australian bad of the same name, who formed about the same time or the Japanese band, who were force to change their name to X Japan).

Growing up in LA & its 80-90s punk/alternative scene, this is a foundational band for me… they have an edge, an urgency, (“We’re Desperate, get used to it!” Amirite?!) to them, unlike some of the middling bands on the list that sold way more records (Steely Dan, Coldplay, Boston), the sort of edge Rock ‘n’ roll always was supposed to have going back to Chuck Berry (who’s obviously an influence on Billy Zoom) & Little Richard (influenced Exene & to a lesser degree John Doe)… plus as Anthony Kiedis once said John Doe’s “voice is made of gold…” Whenever I listen to X I think about “Decline of Western Civilization”’s performances by the band, or where they’re drunk & Exene gives herself a homemade tattoo… those other bands above would never do those things… nor would they make music like this.

Nobody has sounded like X before or since. Punk? Rockabilly? Yes and yes! We’re Desperate is pure punk rock but they can follow that with Adult Books which is… what? It’s another great track is what it is and don’t put X in too small a box. And Billy Zoom is a killer guitarist.

X had a great run of must-hear albums in the early-mid 80's with music that was smart, intelligent punk combining styles of rockabilly, country, blues, R & B and roots rock and put on energetic live shows. The first album, Los Angeles was groundbreaking and added California to the punk rock map. Their second album, Wild Gift was just as good, it was rawer and less over-produced than the first and the songs were a continuation in style and intensity of Los Angeles. In some ways, I prefer Wild Gift, it was maybe a bit overlooked and underrated in the overall X catalog, but it was an important record and lasting punk masterpiece, before the band signed to the Majors and smoothed out (and quieted) their sound. Solid and essential, if you can find it!

9/10 super wild, super fun really love this one

This is one of the greatest punk albums of all time. X takes the raw edge of punk and much like the Clash, brings in more thoughtful arrangements to create a form of punk that is more musically literate despite its destructive and deconstructive elements. This album is clearly influenced by hard rock, 50s rock, and emergent post-punk. The hallmarks of where punk inspired music was headed are all still here, increased musicality, acrobatic bass, incorporation of different genres etc.

I'd never heard of this band before... I wish I had! I loved this. Short and catchy which satisfies that craving I have. Will be exploring the rest of their discography based on this.

rock out brooklyn basement style!

love this like probably not enough to listen to it again but maybe who knows when i'm feeling Punky

Billy Zoom is a cool name, and he plays some cool guitar. A very successful fusion of rockabilly and New Wave, resulting in very listenable greaser punk. Highlight: 'Universal Corner'

classic post-modern album

Ideal album for me, thanks.

Punk-rock. Está bien. Un 4.

Buen disco de punk-rock no muy cañero de cuando se empezó a popularizar el punk un poco más comercial. Buenas melodías y divertido de escuchar

Not heard of this band at all before, really enjoyed this

nice 80s punk

never listened to this before. Love some good punk. Very nice album

Leuke punk, prima!

Good punk

Some heavy Pixies, Talking Heads and B-52's vibes from 1981. Post-punk new wave soundtrack to a student house party in a movie, any movie.

Punk-rock. Está bien. Un 4.

3,5

very cool

Super fun slice of punk 'n roll

A great rock record

What a great album. One of my favorites so far. Brings back great memories

The name of the band it's interesting and this album is interesting too. The punk style in this album is great and even if the voices weren't that great, it's part of the punk, no need to beautify the music when you only need to express something. Even if the album is so good, it needs something to be perfect

Really enjoyed

Not bad

J'ai bien aimé le style. C'est a petite dose et c'est très rafraichissant comme punk rock. Une belle découverte. 4.5

fajnie było usłyszeć kobietę

Punk envolvente que garante um tempo de animação.

Good riffs, good vocals, good punk: very interesting album.

Very West Coast punk album, another new band from this list that I've never heard before so had no idea what to expect. I liked it, great energy, wailing guitars, has a rockabilly vibe. Would listen to this again. Short, punchy, and I like that the vocalists switch it up, each leading their own songs and some with both harmonizing. Fun album.

Exhibit A on why not to look at the Wikipedia page before listening to the album. Apparently the female lead, Exene Cervenka, has gotten into conspiracy theories in recent years, including mass shooting hoaxes. But once I listened, I was pleasantly surprised and mostly didn't think about what I had learned about them. I had also read that their brand of early-80s punk was tinged with rockabilly, and I could definitely hear that in the songs. Sonically I thought they were pretty great - I liked the sped-up rockabilly/surf rock style, and usually enjoyed the paired lead vocals. I wasn't as big a fan of the lyrics, though.

This was easily the nicest surprise for me so far. Had no knowledge of this band and was blown away since the start. I have to say I very much preffer the lady vocals.

I don't know much about punk, but I enjoyed this album

Love it. Reminds me of Minutemen. Need to get it on vinyl.

Classic punk. I loved the way there were male and female vocals on most tracks. Really well done and catchy.

Pretty, pretty good

Tan punk californiano. Amo. Flema tiene un tema que se llama 'Surfeando En El Riachuelo' que es todo lo que está bien y me hizo acordar, musicalmente, al primer tema del disco. Me remontó a eso automáticamente cosa que amo profundamente. 13 temones muy fáciles de escuchar y, por sobre todo, muy geniales. The Once Over Twice y Year 1 son los temas que más me gustaron. Lo escucharía mil veces más. 9/10 ludomatics.

A previously unheard and undiscovered punk rock delight! I can hear their influence on so many of my favourite acts. A gift indeed.

Nice raw sound