X: Under The Big Black Sun (Elektra)

X ARE a southern Californian punk-style foursome who, since their debut album Los Angeles, have done everything within their power to show that they are DIFFERENT. Primarily because they don’t sing words like "We’re going out on the street tonite / Gonna rip the place apart" or "Love gets you down / Stabs you in the back", X have contrived to insist on that difference – the difference and distance from hardcore / power pop / doom rock / the trashcan of LA.