Wild Gift

Really loved this album! Didn’t know the band at all but combines a lot of elements I really dig.

MUITO BOM

1981 Los Angeles. Punk Rock !

Finally, a breath of fresh air! This album was a real surprise—I wasn’t familiar with the band before, but after hearing *Universal Corner*, I’ll definitely be exploring more of their work. Their sound sits somewhere between the B-52’s and the Ramones. Considering they’re from California, and knowing that The Dead Kennedys—who were far more hardcore—emerged from the same region and era, I can imagine this band might have been caught in the middle of the “real punks vs. surf punks” divide. But regardless, I really love this album. *I’m Coming Over* is a standout—absolutely beautiful. At first, I was leaning toward a 4 out of 5, but that may change. Actually, scratch that—this is a 5. If *Some Other Time* could help pull me out of a depressive state, then this album is more than just music—it’s a remedy for anything that drags you down.

Not as immediately grabbing as their debut, but still a very solid, classic X album. I really like this band and their level of versatility.

This is pretty great alt rock, hard to believe this is from the early 80s. Like some of my other favorite albums from this list, the alt/ underground scene in 1978-1982 is some of my favorite stuff. This is feels like a precursor to decades of music and I like it a lot more than the grungier stuff that developed later in the decade. My favorites are probably We're Desperate and In This House That I Call Home. The songs do all have a similar structure and tone, which can get repetative, but then again this album is only like 33 mins so thats pretty forgivable.

X has such a unique punk sound provided by their duel vocalists that nobody else really sounds like. I like songs on other albums by them much better than what's here but it's still a great album

Hell yes. I have never heard of this band or this album. But I love me some 80's punk. This album absolutely delivers oh my god. This is just such a fun time. High energy, variation in sound from song to song (some going straight punk, others veering into new wave and post-punk), and awesome riffs that are just fun to listen to. My one major criticism, and I hate to level any, concerns the vocals. They aren't recorded very well, aren't easy to understand, and frankly aren't amazing. I know punk isn't always concerned about anybody doing anything super well, so I can forgive it for that. But it did get kind of old when I really couldn't understand much of anything being said. Overall though, I love albums like this for a few reasons. For one, I'd never heard of them before and loved it. That's kind of the point of this project. But also, early punk is just such a fun period because there was so much experimentation. X definitely went for it here, and killed it. Five stars. Standout Tracks: The Once over Twice, Adult Books, Universal Corner, It's Who You Know, In This House That I Call Home, Beyond and Back

The first time I heard a song by X was while playing GTA V a couple of years ago. The song "Los Angeles" is part of the game's soundtrack. And both this song, the album of the same name, and "Wild Gift" have something in common. They are a fierce and fast quickie. The best 4 seconds of a rooster's life. The last dance of a male rabbit. But really, really good! Top-notch punk rock, and that means cheap production, simple chords and played in a quick and dirty way. Damn, this is good...

was niiice

I'm delightfully surprised by Wild Gift! I hadn't listened to X before and had some pretty low expectations coming into it. Given that it's an early American punk record, it's surprisingly musical, i.e. it's more than screaming and loud barre chords. There's some elements of 50s rock n roll and flecks of other genres and influences as well. The songwriting is shockingly varied as well. This rocks.

5 out of 5. Aside from the country sounds (this is a minor complaint) this was a solid album.

Havent heard before, but it was a very nice acquaintance. Exactly why I wanted to do this.

nekem ez marhára bejött, szerintem kellően változatos volt de clearly van egy stílus. meglepett, hogy '81-es album. bomba.

Great punk rock album!

Great discovery! Really enjoyed listening!

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!

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!

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.

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

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!

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!

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.

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

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

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).

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

very cool

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.

white girl and tals

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

Awesome!

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

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

Pretty good. Although it’s in a weird spot where it feels like it earned a 4 from me, but I don’t know if I’ll revisit this album.

X is terrific! Their first four albums give many a band a run for their money.

13 songs. 32 minutes. Hell yeah! Punk tinged with Surf Music, Rockabilly, even a touch of Country and then distilled into a heady mix of L.A. ferocity. Back 2 the Base and When our Love Passed out on the Couch are punk gems. Year 1 is 1minute and 18 seconds of pure punk pleasure.

went very hard, great taste of early 80s punk. 4/5

Honestly thought this was going to be a poor punk album, but ended up really enjoying it. Much more in the vein of late 80s alt rock. Singer sounds like early PJ Harvey on a few tracks.

Good album.

I mean a bit of a lesser version of the Clash. Fun!

What a treat.

Favourite Songs: Adult Books Universal Corner

Honestly really liked this.

Where has this been all my life? I mean, I guess it’s been around — it came out six months before I was born. But I hadn’t heard it before. I’m glad I listened.

I actually really enjoyed this. Upbeat and punky! I listened twice!

Really good punk. It keeps the same energy that most punk bands are good at, but the actual songwriting isn’t sacrificed for that, like it is in so much punk. Awesome album that I’ll definitely be revisiting.

Why have I never heard of X?! This was such a fun romp through post-punk & California new wave. It's polished (as much as this genre of music can be) and is varied enough to be interesting at every track.

This album was pretty fun to listen to, good energy.

I really liked this. It was like punk rock meets country, which isn't something I thought I needed to hear, but I'm glad I did. I liked the vocals. I thought that all the styles they brought in meant the album stayed really varied. Fav song: In This House That I Call Home Least fav: We're Desperate

I love the way she sings, I think it suits the music so well. It's a short and sweet album with a great energy level. And I love the album cover. Favourite song: The Once over Twice Least: White Girl

I listened to both the debut album by X and this one, and I think their first, "Los Angeles," is more varied, has a few stronger songs, and is better, all around. However, this is still a very good album. I just wasn't blown away or particularly pulled into it in a strong way. I'd give it a 3.5, but I'll round up to 4, as I do recognize the influence and significance at the time. I'm just surprised people hold this in higher regard than their first album.

punk rock greatness

3.5

3.8/5 Favorite Songs: The Once over Twice Universal Corner Its Who You Know Beyond and Back

When I saw “Wild Gift” as the X album I was a bit surprised as I am more familiar with “Los Angeles” and “Under the Big Black Sun.” I thought those two were seen as the “classics” for X. Who knows maybe all three will end up on this list, but I wholeheartedly support including “Wild Gift.” The songs seem tighter and more varied than my memory of other X records. (I reserve the right to change my opinion with relisten of the two albums above.) The classic X combination of punk-a-billy mixed with the Exene and John Doe combo voices stands out on “White Girl”, “Once Over Twice” and my favorite track “In This House I Call Home.” They have the familiarity of the best duet teams, which helps their short story observations stand out. The unexpected small touches raised the bar for the album. Even a straight rockabilly tune “Beyond and Back” gets pushed forward due to D.J. Bonebrake’s drumming. The same holds true for straight ahead punk smashers like “We’re Desperate.” Better still was the Talking Heads rhythms and Byrne style vocals that opened “Adult Books” that caught me off guard almost as much as the pure heavy metal riffs in “Adult Bookstore.” I will bet that John Doe and Exene’s singing comes up short for many people. It requires multiple listens to get used to the shouting, not quite perfect pitch shouting. They are not a pleasing sound to my ears, or stereotypically “fun”, but like the rest of the groups they fit the songs. For supposed punks, X knew how to compose, play and record great tunes.

Easy punk rock listen. Perfect length. Some songs blended together for better or worse, making it hard to differentiate between tracks. Made it cohesive but also made it a tad too much of the same. I'll say I enjoyed every song, but "White Girl" because the lyrics were clunky and odd to me on that one. Can't pick one out of the lineup as a favorite.

This was pretty great! I loved the energy in this album, it helped me push through a workout.

When I was sixteen, my friend Tricia would tell her mom she had to go study at the library (?) and she'd drive into Hollywood with her friend Matt to see X at the Whisky-a-go-go and the Roxy. I regret I was never able to sneak away with them (to see X; I snuck off to see other bands). Solid indy band. (I still remember Exene's hair and makeup. Fabulous.)

Punk z damskim wokalem zawsze będzie miał specjalne miejsce w moim sercu. A ten jest naprawdę porządny, duety są udane a brak harmonii nie razi w uszy. Porządna płyta 6.5/10 równana w górę.

Always a fan of these types of punk albums, and ‘Wild Gift’ is no exception. This one really leans into rockabilly and blues for inspiration, but it’s still punk at its core. It’s urgent and energetic, and the songs are short and direct without ever feeling disposable. There’s a real energy here that still sounds fresh many years later.

Good punk album. Enjoyed it!

Sounds good.

I really enjoyed this. A fun mix of punk and rock n roll with some very catchy songs. The double vocals are really cool too.

Yes 😀

Rock and blues-driven punk rock? Count me in for this! Fun album.

I'd never heard any of these songs, or even this band, but I'm a sucker for some good punk!! 3.5 rounded up

Jamais écouté avant. Du punk cérébral, nourri d'influence rockabilly, voire carrément country, sans perdre en énergie ou en agressivité. Ça fonctionne très bien, en particulier les harmonies bancales entre les deux chanteurs, qui donnent un vrai cachet. Top : Universal Corner Flop : In This House That I Call Home

I'd never listen to X before. Really loved this album. Can never have enough rockabilly.

I enjoyed this

Ikke overrasket over at de er fra Californien. Cool album!

Good energy!

Short and sweet, bourré d'énergie raw. ́Paul a beaucoup aimé et a twerké en masse.

Pretty good.

Love this band. Love this album.

X's brand of evolved punk shines on Wild Gift - nothing getting too raucous or angry but still plenty of attitude and edge. The rockabilly and blues influences prop the songs up above the simplistic down and dirty blasts of SoCal contemporaries, as does the more poetic nature of the lyrics. You still get hard-worn characters living in the songs, but a bit more is left to interpretation. I also think the playing, especially Zoom's guitar, jumps out among the scene at the time.

Have heard of X but never listened to X. Not my thing but can tell it’s talented.

Had not listened to the album. Had heard of X and listened to some of the songs. Catchy punk rock infused with other styles. I enjoyed the switching singers and change of style between songs. 1 song added to playlist

Quite fun, but not that good

Wat een vette plaat is dit. Met het verschijnen in 1981 eigenlijk te laat om nog punk te zijn. Gelukkig verwerkt X er ook andere genres doorheen en is het meer sophisticated. Dat maakt het een interessante plaat om vaker te luisteren. Er zitten leuke melodielijnen in (zoals in White Girl en Beyond and Back) die duidelijk uit andere genres komen maar erg goed samen gaan met de stijl van X. Misschien slaat het nergens op maar ergens dacht ik: X klinkt een beetje als Fleetwood Mac die een Punk-album maakt. Het is een beetje gestoeld op de 60's bluesrock en de stem van de zangeres heeft wel wat weg van Stevie Nicks. 7,5/10 Highlights The Once over Twice White Girl Beyond and Back

California punk is fun. It is bright, upbeat, and feels like you are sitting on a beach watching surfers. It hits you the same way the sun does first thing in the morning, full of life and ready for the day. The vocals are shrill and high pitched but it matches the rest of the vibe. The guitars are on the back pickup with the tone knob turned all the way up, ready to make you feel alive after a dark winter.

Great punk vibes

I don't think I'm familiar with this artist at all. This sounds like the more punky cousins of Talking Heads. This is pretty solid and really neat. I'll be adding this to my list of albums to listen to again.

How have I never heard of this band before? A fun collection of songs that successfully blend different genres and styles into a raw punk template. More like this please.

Surprised but not displeased to see this one over Los Angeles and More Fun in the New World. Love me some X.

Preferred them before Elon Musk joined and they were known as Twitter.

A fantastic discovery thanks to this list. Will stick it on today a few times to get through this miserabele day.

Top Textzeile: I play too hard when I ought to go to sleep Well, they pick on me 'cause I really got the beat Some people give me the creeps Das holt mich so hart gut ab. 15 Songs, 32 Minuten. Alles ähnlich, aber weil so kurz trotzdem immer etwas Neu. Textlich vielleicht nicht der Punk den die Welt gebraucht hätte und etwas zu privatistisch und lovelastig, aber das ist nur das Haar in der ansonsten ganz hervorragenden musikalischen Punksuppe, das kommt definitiv in meine Rotation. Große Entdeckung.

Das zweitbeste Album der fünftbesten first wave Punkbands ist genau das Problem dieses Formats. Weiß ich sicher dass Los Angeles auch noch kommt? Nein. Bewerte ich daher zur Sicherheit positiver, weil ich die Band cool finde, oder negativer, weil mir das Album weniger gut gefällt als das Debüt? 3.5 wird zu

Way more fun than expected!

This isn't just a great, early 80's punk album. It has surprising vibes of psychedelic rock and early 50s era rock and roll. They actually take a few shots at Elvis (in a good way), which is quite refreshing. "We're Desperate" is a solid standout track that holds up brilliantly. I'll take one more album!

3.5 stars. Goofy punk rock with a country/twangy twist that really works. Singers voices are a much smoother listening experience than typically found in the punk rock genre. Wish it was longer (33 min runtime). Standouts are "White Girl", "When Our Love Passed out on the Couch".

Great 80's rock. Real nice vibe and up beat music.

4/5 Solid album. This is the type of 80's stuff that I really enjoy. It's both upbeat and fun, and it feels like a hidden gem.

Did not know what to expect aside from knowing they are a punk band. I was pleasantly surprised! Lots of different influences made this a varied album.

Great find!

A catchy punk bass party - '90s alt vocals, 10 years ahead of time!

When I first started listening, I wasn't feeling it, but the further I got into the album, the more I enjoyed it. It's nice to hear a female lead singer on this list, even if the vocal conventions of punk aren't my favorite. Fun music with interesting influences to pick up on, both retrospectively and looking into the future.

Pretty solid album, I liked it better when the girl sang by herself. First half was definitely better.

This was great! Added to library.

20/02/2026 For a band I hadn't heard of, this was a good listen. Spotify listeners: 322.5k

18.02.2026

Good stuff.

Never heard it before, never even seen the name around, which is kind of surprising given my interest in the scene. Still, I really really like it, even with the short, repetitive song format that comes with the style. The dual vocals are a real plus; without that, it would feel way more generic. This is one I’ll keep in my back pocket, this kind of lighter punk feels strange at a time when the genre was slowly sliding into hardcore. But it ages quite well despite indie prod and I appreciate that the whole record stays true to Punk.

🎧This rocks

4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/x/wild-gift-3/ I like this! Never listened to this before, even though it’s apparently quite influential US punk. Will check out more!

Not what I was expecting but it was good and I liked a lot after while ! Glad 😌 I gave it a chance.

Cool psychobilly/punk rock album. Only stuff close to this I'm familiar with is The Cramps, who are also a fun listen. Songs are fast and don't overstay their welcome. Surprised to see Ray Manzarek of The Doors listed as producer. 8/10.

7/10 It's pretty alright, with some really good guitar moments.

It treads the line between punk and more traditional rock well. I imagine Pixies took some inspiration from here. If not they drew from the same place.

Excellent album from a band I must have missed at the time. Also need to check out their debut album Los Angeles. 4

No. 84 Very fun and fast. It's catchy too, everything punk needs to be good, I liked it a lot!!

Tiene su encanto, sorprende que sea de los 80

Good solid punk/rock

raw hems, squiggle print and weird makeup. not a finished product, but this album similarly feels like the beginning of something much bigger. It felt like listening to a prototype of a lot of more modern artists that I love. Even the annoying repetitiveness gave this impression. X didn't quite make it in the same way as VW but but this album did make me go on vestiaire. I don't think i can afford those boots though.

I am unsure whether this will be a hot take, but i really enjoyed this album Although I found the singing to be slightly insufferable at times, the music was thoroughly enjoyable. I am not sure whether it is a 3 or a 4, because I feel like i definitely enjoyed it more than a three - but four is definitely reserved for very good albums.

incredibly spooky moment of back-to-back x bands. and also a weirdly persistent (though not continuous streak) of the list dodging a band's most beloved/long lasting material in favor of something else??? but since this was my first time hearing this band i mostly just get to enjoy how strong and cohesive and instantly identifiable the sound is! psychobilly that chases an almost pink-flag esque kooky minimalist creativity, some great hooks, and ofc the vocal chemistry between the singers just creates its own unique colors from just about beginning to end. its a nice tight tracklist too! rly rly enjoyed this, i should hear at least a couple of their other records. now to unveil my next record, which ofc will be from xtc.

130126 16:01 4

The same song over and over. I like this song.

Sounds like Calofornia's answer to Blondie and the B-52s. Fun early 80s post punk.

Good album. A nice sound all through out. Will listen to again. Favourite song: Adult books

A fun punk rock album

Fun rockabilly punk. Can't go wrong there

I hadn't heard of this band but I really liked it. Good hooks, good band, good punk voices.

soo much fun

#799. This is what Courtney Love wished Hole could've been, isn't it? Also, I don't know what it is about the album cover, but I fucking hate it. 4/5: great

Hadn’t heard of X before. This was cool. Definitely had the spirit of punk and rebellion a bit. There was a rawness there as well that was just so great.

Godt tempo.

Had no idea what this was but glad I do now. Really fun album. 13 songs in 33 minutes. They really do a lot of in those 33 minutes. Really trimming all the fat. Had punk appeal but not to try hard. Loved the trading back and forth of vocals. Frankly this album felt ahead of it's time.

Was not familiar before. Very bouncy and energetic.

Generally a big fan. These guys and Sonic Youth really defined American post post punk for a generation. I prefer "Under the Big Black Sun" but that's a matter of personal taste.

There isn't a lot on here that I disliked, and quite a bit that I liked. Very driven - didn't change pace much.

great album awsome

Great album that I don't think I'd listened to. I *might* like this more than Los Angeles, actually. 4/5

Got me humming along

I didn’t know X (formerly Twitter) made an album! It’s pretty good, the riffs are great and I really like the way the two vocalists sound together. The production can be a bit hit or miss, I guess that the low quality in places is meant to be intentional, similar to The Velvet Underground and Nico, but it doesn’t work for me here like it does there. Also, the production is done by Ray Manzarek of The Doors! 4/5

Energetic and fun 😀

Classic Lp from LA punk rockers X.

At first I wasn’t convinced and was tempted write this off as more generic punk. But every listen revealed how wrong this was. This is definitely one of the stronger first wave punk albums I’ve heard and it makes me excited to delve deeper into X’s discography. The fast, raw playing pretty perfectly mixes with great vocal performances and harmonies between the singers. We’re Desperate and It’s Who You Know were standouts.

Terrific Band! Prefer Los Angeles and More Fun

This album was indeed a wild gift. Never heard of X and it was a fantastic listen mostly.

I liked it. I don't have much insight here. But I do think about it in comparison to other punk releases in the early 80s. To me X shows the diversity of style that lies hidden within the punk genre. This album in particular does exactly that well.

I tend not to like much punk, but when I do, I really do. What I like about this is it's punk with polish. Great vocals, cool bass work, and great punk/rockabilly guitar. I'm surprised about this one. I can almost hear June Carter and Johnny Cash covering In This House That I Call Home. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Þessi var skemmtileg!

Gott pönk og skemmtilegt.

Like The Ramones and Blondie had a baby but they were a little bit hillbilly. Nice little gem. 4/5

piacevole, un po' chiassoso ma è il genere che non mi appartiene al 100% a tratti fleetwood mac (soprattutto universal corner = gold dust woman) complessivamente riascolterei nei giorni più punk

Honestly, a really cool album for the year it came out, it seemed very predictive of a lot of '90s alt rock sounds (just listen to 'White Girl') - and was also doing some really cool stuff with your more boilerplate punk rock sounds, sort of fusing it with more '60s hard rock and psychedelic adjacent sounds. So in a funny way, it sounds like it came out both 10 years before it actually did and 10 years after it actually did, neat. And to add in something random, the female vocalist here gave heavy PJ Harvey vibes. I really loved the song 'Adult Books', it has this sweet '60s pop-rocky rockabilly riff driving the whole thing, and the two vocalists work really well together whenever they're on the same songs together, which is quite a few on this record; the chemistry is there. The riffs, while on the simpler side of things, still pierce through the mixes here and are absolutely as memorable as the vocals. They range from your typical Ramones-styled early punk riffs like on 'I'm Coming Over', to Stooges-styled bluesy and proto-punk simplicity with 'It's Who You Know', to just good ol' rockabilly with 'Beyond and Back'. Lyrically, think the album generally deals with this topic of a troubled romance, though I'll need to dig into it more; a lot of the lyrics puzzled me on first listen. But I found the writing captivating nevertheless, especially with the imagery here on a song like 'Some Other Time'. Really enjoyed my time with this one - the genre fusions here just scratch so many of my punk rock itches. Definitely an album I see growing on me with future revisits, especially as I dive deeper into the lyrics here.

Started off as some good old school punk.. trailed off to the middle with some filler but came back strong at the end. 3.5 stars really.

Sounds like a punk version of Talking Heads

never heard of them but it’s a woman singing and a fun rock and roll groove. Blondie vibes, but more guitars?

Super

Finally an album that wasn’t familiar. A pleasure to listen to. I hope the next one is this good.

Bardzo fajne. Takie rockowe, ale też punkowe. Jednak nie do końca punk rockowe moim zdaniem. 4/5

> the Beatles More like this on the list and less like the Beatles, please

It's a pretty short, and fairly simple album, but I feel like it works really well. It's the kind of album that makes defining music by genre feel pretty silly, if not completely irrelevant. They use so many ideas and sounds from so many different styles. At its heart, though, it mostly feels like a modernized version of 50s Rock 'n' Roll. I think it's borderline great. On a different day, there's a good chance I end up giving it one less star, but that's not today. I actually really liked the harmonies. I feel like it's not something you would have normally heard in music like this previously. Favorite Song(s): Universal Corner, When Our Love Passed out on the Couch

A really cool inclusion from an often overlooked band. More than just a punk rock band, X achieved success with their lyrical content as well as incorporating country and rockabilly into their driving songs. All wrapped up with their signature lead vocal trade-offs and harmonies. Getting to see them live a few times only solidified my love of these guys. And while I’m more a fan of their Los Angeles and More Fun In The New World albums this one still ranks up there. Even cooler to see the original four members still out there touring today.

Love X but they really wrote just a handful of songs that are really good and the rest feel a bit filler. I think Los Angeles is a better album but this one is not bad. There are really only two great songs on the album and the rest are ok.

Took a couple listens to warm up to it

Weirdly reminds me of FG… only complaint is it’s a tad repetitive

Fav: Universal Corner Least Fav: We’re Desperate I don’t really know why I like this, I just do

This is a really fun album. I especially like the use of dual vocalists. I think Los Angeles is a better album by them, but this is great in its own right. Favorite songs were The Once Over Twice, Adult Books, It’s Who You Know, Beyond and Back, and Year 1

A good punk album, with some unexpected rockabilly sounds. Simple, but played well, and the dual vocals are actually decent (for a Punk band). It's a 4/5 for me

Never heard of them but this was really solid, energetic guitar pop

Always enjoyed X. This was fun.

This male and female vocal duo really works, the way they play off each other. They make me want to keep hitting repeat.

4+++ but not *quite* a 5. I love it.

Ikke hørt før, men slett ikke verst!

Fun, like a cross with punk and the B-52s. Lead to a really fun infinite play on Apple Music - Dead Kennedys and the Buzzcocks and whatnot

i like how fast paced it is

Never heard of them before but enjoyed this

This was really good, this list is introducing me to a lot of eccentric punk, maybe I'm ready to give the B-52s another go. Thought this was British for some reason but listening again they definitely have American accents though I think they might be putting an English twang on. Not enough clear standout tracks for a 5 but will definitely listen again.

Enjoyed this, nice and short songs, punky, and female vocalist. Goes a long way for me! Agree with Jamie, it sounds British, like the buzzcocks or similar, maybe they were fans. 4

Love the rockabilly, love the dual vocals.

I enjoyed this. It's like an alternative version of Blondie, but for the cool kids.

Fun album and well done. 3.5/5.0: Very Good

reading about this album i expected to like it a lot more than i did. sadly it did not live up to expectations thought id still take it over the majority of albums on here

Super cool, silly Rockabilly energy. A lot of genre bending tracks that fit in that punk aesthetic, but don't restrain themselves from adding some instrumental flare. Lots of track playlist saves. Imagining a live show would be intensely fun

Hell yea

Fun ride

Never heard of this band before. Really liked this.

Fun!!

6.8/10 I enjoyed my listen through, pretty good, was thrown off with Exenes vocals at times with the off key, randomness, but at times I thought it worked well. The guitar, bass, and drums were tight. Year 1 was a favorite on the album.

Não sei muito sobre essa banda, mas aquilo que conheço, eu gosto. E não foi diferente com este álbum. Tudo aqui é bem simples, mas qualquer pessoa que tenha tentado a mão com arte no geral sabe o quão difícil é acertar no simples, e fazer o simples ser agradável. Todos os músicos aqui me agradam bastante, especialmente a vocalista. É tudo muito bom. Só não dou 5 estrelas pro disco porque algumas faixas não me pegaram totalmente. Em alguns momentos do álbum, a banda opta por um estilo mais Rockabilly. É interessante ver um grupo punk expandindo seus horizontes dessa maneira, mas não foi totalmente do meu agrado. Enfim, disco curto e sólido, não há muito o que dizer. 4/5

rockabilly, country, punk, all gathered together in a joyful rocking bundle of fun

i like

Very fun, fast paced and actually varied punk album and genuinely one of the best albums I’ve heard from this list, it’s definitely inspired by Ramones but in my opinion is better than their work as it feels a lot more varied and not too one note like a lot of punk albums seem to fall into sometimes. This also feels very pixies to an extent which i like. The rockabilly vibes also give this album a unique sound along with the old style rock. I guess my only complaint is sometimes the vocal mix gets a bit fuzzy when the vocals get a bit loud but maybe that’s part of the sound. In summary, great riffs, great vocals from both of them and really great energy throughout along with a nice variety between songs. Favourites: almost all bar a few like the first 2, white girl and the penultimate one (just personal preference really). Overall, 8/10.

Fantastic album. Some absolute classics

A band I wasn’t aware of. Cracking bit of punk with such me folk and country chucked into the mix.

Postpunk. Guitar and instrument sounds way better. Nice melodies good harmonies. Cleaner. Also fusion of punk and rock ‘n’ roll.

Influential, alt-country? It's who you know White girl

The Once Over Twice - 4/5 We're Desperate - 2/5 Adult Books - 4/5 Universal Corner - 5/5 I'm Coming Over - no rating It's Who You Know - 3/5 In This House That I Call Home - 3/5 Some Other Time - 5/5 White Girl - 5/5 Beyond and Back - 5/5 Back 2 the Base - 3/5 When Our Love Passed Out on the Couch - 5/5 Year 1 - no rating Average score: 4/5 this is not the kind of punk i'm used to. sounds like they're going for more of a Ramones-like vibe i guess. i'm not crazy about the vocals on some moments, but i found this fine overall. in fact, i noticed a significant bump in their performance from track 8 onward whether i like this group or not is still inconclusive. maybe i'll like their other albums better?

Rockin and boppin and protopunk and a little twangy. Some catchiness. Nice discovery for me!

Solid album. I was never a huge X fan but this deserves a 3.5.

Fun rock album. Never heard of these guys before, but this was some entertaining music.

While bands like the Sex Pistols, Clash, and The Ramones were the poster children of Punk music, X was defining the sound. This album sounds like it could've been produced today. 4/5

This was fine. Hadn't heard of X before, but it's not bad punk music. Could see myself checking out some of their other stuff. 4/5

There's nothing rock about this album, it's pure punk! And punk gold at that. A little new, a little throw back and lots of fun!

American punk makes British punk makes American punk makes more.

do you remember when X used to be cool?

A fun punk album for sure. I enjoyed the duet singing at times.

LA Punk! I've heard of X for years but never sat down with any of their stuff. The male-female lead vocals work really well. The guitar player REALLY wants to be in a rockabilly band. Which works- the great punk riffs are there, but he throws in rockabilly licks quite often and gives the songs a different flavor. I can't pretend to know what they lyrics mean, since I can't focus in on the vocals well enough to hear what they're saying. John Doe has a great scream and a really good voice. An excellent rock voice! And Exene has a perfect, disaffected, insouciant punk delivery. "Universal Corner" is the standout for me. What a riff. It rocks, it rips, it has crazy harmonies, it'll take you to prom in the 1950s. FOUR STARS.

They combine a lot of the genres I like into one. Excellent band and enjoyable music. Just couldn't get anything to jump out at me. Solid 4/5

Took a few listens but pretty decent. 7/10

Not mad, pretty decent

I’m a simple man - I get served a punk album, and I’m likely to be happy. This was proven true again today.

ROCK! bem besta e rapidinho. é catchy tbm, tudo que o punk precisa pra ser bom, gostei bastante!!

Excellent. Always great to listen to X.

How did I miss this band?? They’re awesome, on between punk and REM. Great lively album 4

Solid punk album. Surprised this one and not Los Angeles, but both are good.

Love me some LA punk. However, Los Angeles is the better X album in every way, IMO.

Rockin, punky tunes

Pleasantly surprised by a band I hadn't heard before! May have to listen to more of them!

What a surprise! I thought I didn't like this record because it's no Los Angeles - an arguably perfect punk record - but its not trying to be. They discovered hard rock melody and complicated grown-up feelings left behind in the practice space and are excited to share them.

We went from Dylan who can barely figure out how to make a song under 7 minute long to a band that decides to never overstay their welcome and rarely goes over 3 minutes. A nice contrast. I know 'Los Angeles'--their previous album (I think)...but I have never listened to this one. It's great! Fun! And doesn't feel it's age at all. I can see a band releasing this today. I assume Amyl and the Sniffers are fans of this group.

Highly underrated post punk

Æ trodde ikke æ kom til å like det, men det va mye mer gøy enn forventa! Det føles litt som forløperen til Bratmobile og den gjengen der, en mer gøyal tidlig Sleater-Kinney, og ikke så sint som man kunne tro. Livsbejaende, på mange vis.

Always a good listen, I love X

No idea what this is but the first 10 seconds are promising. I love this cover too?? It's fun! Right up my alley! Not sure it's doing anything I've never heard before but I'd have guessed it was later than 1981 so maybe it was at the time? Appreciate the split vocals. White Girl is a standout. I can hear free bird but also the crunchy guitars are almost 90s? Interesting. Yeah the further into this im getting the more im appreciating it. Beyond and Back could have come out today.

LA had a punk scene that included a lot of acts that drew inspiration from 50s rock and early country acts. Some drew a straighter line than others, but this scene gave us The Gun Club, The Stray Cats, Charlie Sexton, The Long Ryders, and X. There was the rockabilly sound that The Stray Cats really popularized and the hellbilly controlled chaos of The Gun Club. Many more drew their "look" from Elvis, Eddie Cochrane, et al. X was right in the middle of that, and you can hear the train-engine chugging in their rhythms. Wild Gift to me sounds like an extension of their debut, "Los Angeles," but I love both these albums. This is a snapshot of a moment, when American punk drew from Americana--punk as a return to form for rock and roll that had lost its way into wanky solos and stadium rock. The whole album, all 40 minutes of it, is a short, sharp shock.

Girl punk! Not what I was expecting from an LA punk band called X. LA band so the Doors influence makes sense. This is like punk lite but not pop punk. I bet the Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. love this band. It all sounds good, but it does also all sound the same. The girl singing is better than the guy.

i'm the exact age that i SHOULD love this record... in fact, i actually knew guys who were in bands playing this type of stuff that exact year... unfortunately... instead of being in L.A. like these cats... or Manchester, like the Hacienda roster... my buddies were in Tampa... lol... The B-52's, from Atlanta, did this kind of thing before this... this is a bit harder than them...

That was fun! Great use of the two vocalists.

Nice punk'ish rock!

Sounded like a pretty ordinary example of the genre to me.

Great album art! Pretty good album!

Not as good as Los Angeles but still pretty barnstorming

Kerrankin ei tylsä rock-levy kasarilta! Mukavasti genrejen välissä. 4/5

I really like X

Ok. Really dig this the more I listen. LA Punk!

Not as good as Los Angeles, but a damn fine album. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

One of the, if not the most, important punk gifts to the 80s and the world.

This was cool. Some really interesting moments. I was very pleasantly surprised.

i don't listen to X enough and i dont know why. this is so good.

So much fun. Punkified rock n roll. Or punk with a lot of rock n roll in it. My kind of music. I'd prefered a little better produced, but it feels garagey, so that's okay. 4/5

Good not great

So much energy in this one. All the attitude of punk, complete with melody and great riffs. Not a band I’d given any attention to before but with be sure to in the future.

A wonderful chunk of US punk with nods to Blondie , the Fleshtones , The Stooges and Talking Heads. Why have I never heard this band before?

Another surprise! Sort of a proto-pop punk sound. I was sad when it ended so fast.

Wasn’t familiar with this band before but a great album

This was a fun album, but I group I was not familiar with. This was a great version of Punk that was still raw, gritty, but still music and didn't just focus on dissonance. I really enjoyed the song In this House I Call Home. My only criticism is the female vocalist, she doesn't have a huge musical range which makes her kind of sound flat and not convey the emotions of the music the best. She was pretty good in Some Other Time and Beyond and Back, but if she just let go a little in some of the other songs I think she would have been amazing.

His singing sounds like the groaning ghost of David Byrne and she sounds like a faded Courtney Love but I don't mind it. Favorites: Once Over Twice, I'm Coming Over (cuz it makes me think of Red Rover), Some Other Time, When Our Love Passed Out on the Couch (a tragic night of overdoing it). I like the music in White Girl but I don't understand why we are bringing race into this. I looked up the lyrics and I'm just more confused. I'm 3.5 with this album but after a few listens, I like the vibe enough to give it a 4. It's punk rock with a touch of rockabilly.

The vocal interplay between female and male here is awesome. The songs are good, and the production sounds of its early 80’s time. So yes, I like this quite a bit.

Liked this. Borderline 3 but listened to it twice and it grew on me. 80s US punk and hardcore is a bit of a blind spot for me.

Wasn't expecting this punk rock gem. A good fit for a Thursday afternoon, post-work slump!

I liked this but I'm not sure if I'd listen to the entire record at once again.

I do love me some vintage punk, but not big on the Rockabilly sound.

A wild, and pretty unexpected gift!

Economical and razor sharp, with a healthy diversification of style and genre for what is essentially a straightforward punk record.

Fun, straightforward, upbeat punk (if ever that was a thing), with a little west coast surf influence at times? Like, I really hear it on “Adult Books”, with those guitar chords and strum patterns. “Universal Corner” highlights the man and woman sharing lead vocal duties super well, they have an excellent vocal dynamic. In fact, everything this band does on the album comes off with such ease, it’s really impressive. “Some Other Time” is my highlight for how distilled and catchy the whole vocal is! But the guitar melody on “White Girl” is a close second highlight too. This one really snuck up on me! There’s just no misses here. Fun jam after fun jam. Really had a great time with Wild Gift!

Distracted listen because I was on a plane holding a baby, but fuck it — 4 stars.

This was a fun listen. I’d never heard them before but reckon I’ve heard hundreds of bands that were influenced by them.

Really enjoyable. Can't recall any standout tracks but strong all the way through. Very Tony Hawk

настоящий панк очень крутые чуваки ДИНАМИЧНО И ПАНКОВО с удовольствием бы на их концерте попрыгала

A new discovery for me - started well with Ramones like punk vibes - then got a bit rockabilly and a bit new wavy... enjoyed it. Was going to go for a 3 - but I think it sneaks a low 4.

(Post-)punk with a more traditional rock song structure. It’s quite good and it’s influence is apparent in many more contemporary bands.

Me mola mucho, es como proto-punk mezclado con rock de surferos. Es un poquitín rayante por la voces sin emoción, pero las canciones son cortitas así que no es para tanto.

good punk shit. that’s all i rlly gotta say

Kul att lära känna detta. Stabil punk/rock som jag kan tänka mig återkomma till

A killer punk record. A worthy follow up to their debut

Solid rock and roll with some surf punk energy

Punk energy and pop smarts - a winning combination.

4.5

Sehr cooles Punk Album

8/10 X is amazing. Los Angeles should have been here instead but I'm just glad one of their albums made it. 2-4-2025

Punk

out of the many punk albums I've had to listen to thus far, this is the first one I've heard that is sung by a woman

Not necessarily my cup of tea but definitely pioneering.

Diet The Pretenders. More like somewhere in between The Pretenders and Pixies. Good, fleeting songs. Short and sweet. Standouts: The Once over Twice, Adult Books, It’s Who You Know, Back 2 the Base, and Year 1.

Never realized just how much Courtney Love was imitating Exene Cervenka. Speaking of which, fun fact: Exene was married to Viggo Mortenson. Anyway, this is actually really rad. Enjoyed this a good bit.

Liked this more than I thought I would

Its rare i come to an album with zero prior knowledge and when this came up i didnt have a clue what to expect. Turns out if the clash and the b52's had a love child it would sound like that. It slid around the spectrum between these two poles and did it well. Some quite dry punky stuff with a talking heads-esq vocal and some pop punk that bounced along nicely. A real treat

I saw an X show many, many years ago and was blown away. I had only heard a handful of their songs prior to that and didn't follow up much afterward. This was a mistake. I will definitely be taking a deeper dive into their music. Extra half star for the name of the band itself. The letter "X" should only be allowed to represent cool things like a Punk Rock band, a disaffected generation, or pornography. It should not mean "Twitter, but somehow even worse."

early 80s punk music. these were the original punk rock hooligans that played what they wanna played and gave a big fat middle finger to anyone who didn't approve. the irritated vocals mixed with the harsh, sometimes blunt lyrics make for a pretty solid listen, especially if this genre is for you. i hear some rockabilly influence in here as well...

This is actually really rad. Enjoyed this a good bit.

Surprisingly decent

Part of the canon for anyone learning about the US punk scene. Full of honest stories from the artists' own lives and a reflection of their own relationship (they were recently married before the release). Has most of my favorite X tracks, with tight instruments, committed vocals, and enough hooks to keep you listening throughout.

Punk meets rockabilly, high energy easy enough listen, album is a nice short length

Wild Girl is the second studio album from X, the LA based punk band. X made a unique version of punk; their work has a basis in rockabilly, in part from guitarist Billy Zoom's (Ty Kindell) previous work. X's distinct sound came, in part, from their two lead vocalists; John Doe (John Duchec) and Exene Cervenka (Christine Cervenkova) shared the role, and the dynamic between them was a distinct part of the band's song. Wild Gift and the band's debut album, Los Angeles, were well known around LA, and made them regionally famous. After this album, X got a major-label contract, and much broader exposure. Wild Gift is a snapshot of the band in a raw, early stage as an influential punk band.

Another band I should’ve been into, I just couldn’t squeeze ‘em in…I like this album a lot and like I said above…

I've always really liked X and their brand of punkabilly. I don't especially love their songs or albums, but no one quite sounds like them. There's just something in their formula that works for me.

80's punk/alt rock with folk/rockabilly/Americana influences. It's interesting. Kinda similar in a way to The Damned or Minutemen. Favourite songs: It's Who You Know, Universal Corner, Back 2 The Base, In This House That I Call Home, Beyond and Back, When Our Love Passed Out On The Couch, The Once Over Twice Least favourite songs: Adult Books, I'm Coming Over 4/5

Solid earlyish punk.

Fun and a pleasingly short album. But I think it sounds very much of its time - no bad thing for 1981!

Fun.

Though X come from the hardcore scene this album feels more like post punk before post punk really began. Flashes of country, straight up rock and R&B make appearances too. The guitar licks and hooks are just that little bit special. Best Tracks: We're Desperate; It's You Who Know; In This House That I Call Home

80s kid here myself. An 80s classic album I never knew existed. Feels like I heard something from an alternate universe.

80's punk is always solid. this one was a little more than solid. 8/10

This has to be one of the more masterful punk rock albums I have ever heard. It’s a great 33 minutes that never comes across as repetitive or grating. There’s something about X that gives off a different energy than other punk bands. I kind of get a Sonic Youth / Violent Femmes vibe, probably due to the female vocalist. It’s easy to see why they are considered so influential to the scene. Favorite track: White Girl Other hits: In This House I Call Home, When Our Love Passed Out On The Couch, We’re Desperate, Back 2 The Base

Enjoyed this rather a lot. A new band on me, even though I’m familiar with a decent amount of punk. I enjoyed the rockabilly influence, too.

Pretty good