[punk pioneer profile]

A Shot of Whiskey
in a World of Sugary Sweet

Exene Cervenka, of  famed  punk band X, now living in Missouri.
Exene Cervenka, of famed punk band X, now living in Missouri.
Exene Cervenka’s new CD, Somewhere Gone, comes out in September on Bloodshot Records.

by Vladimir Bloom

Exene Cervenka’s name should be on the tip of every music lover’s tongue. As the front woman for the legendary L.A. punk outfit “X”, an actress (alongside her one time husband Viggo Mortensen), an artist, a poet and an author, you would think everybody in America would know her name; sadly most don’t. The fact that she has not garnered more mainstream attention is disappointing but not unexpected. You see, in a world of sugary sweet music she is a shot of whiskey. She has survived for more than thirty plus years making records and playing live music to a disenfranchised youth that has applauded her every move and slowly grown her cult/underground status larger with every passing album.

Recently she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and, as should be no surprise to anyone, she announced this would not affect the X tour this fall or the release of her new solo album in September.

Excene’s music is diverse in style and never lacks authenticity or energy. Whether singing a high octane punk anthem (think Siouxsie Sioux meets At the Drive-in), pyschobilly (think Rev Horton Heat) or a country flavored tune (think Willie Nelson) she never seems to shake that genuine nature of believability. It is exactly that element of raw truthfulness that has allowed her to change musical genre and not alienate her fans.

Her music production is always perfect. The songs never sound too overproduced – and lets credit her for staying musically grounded in “the age of auto-tuner” and the “audio-surgeon” recording generation. Make no mistake, it takes effort not to eat that apple from that tree.

If you want music that is “real” look no further than Exene Cervenka; not only is she a cult legend but from the very first note you’ll understand why her star lives next door to the Ramones on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

exenecervenka.com
myspace.com/exenecervenka
bloodshotrecords.com

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