X might have formed in the midst of the Los Angeles punk explosion, but their vibrant sound was built on a rootsy bedrock of country, rockabilly, and surf music. The fact that Ray Manzarek of The Doors produced their first several albums made plain their disinterest in punk orthodoxy. With the sweet-and-sour harmonies of songwriters John Doe and Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom's twangy flash, and D.J. Bonebrake's monster drumming, X were miles ahead of their punk contemporaries musically. Nevertheless the angst and despair on albums like Los Angeles and Under the Big Black Sun were pure punk.