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Weekend LISTening: The L.A. Punk Scene When X Began

Exene Cervenka and John Doe perform in Hollywood in September 2004. <em></em>
Amanda Edwards
/
Getty Images
Exene Cervenka and John Doe perform in Hollywood in September 2004.

John Doe of X was World Cafe's guest earlier this week, as he played live with a rock band that included original X drummer DJ Bonebrake. You can hear it again in the World Cafe archive. Doe also discussed the early days of the L.A. punk scene to which X belonged.

Doe has just put together a personal history of L.A. punk, named after the X album Under The Big Black Sun. Along with other members of that early L.A. scene — Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go's, Henry Rollins of Black Flag, Mike Watt of the Minutemen, Dave Alvin of The Blasters and others — he brings the scene alive.

In honor of the new book, here's a Spotify playlist in which 13 tracks go by in a little more than a half hour. Time to spread out and make your own mosh pit!

Copyright 2016 XPN

David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.