X Is For X-Ray Spex

Steve and Doug brush up on punk history this episode with a special request, X-Ray Spex, founded by fashion and music icon Poly Styrene. The guys also talk about mental illness, long-awaited reunions, and one killer sax. Also, screw Ticketmaster.

Six Degrees From King Crimson:
X-Ray Spex -> Falcon Stuart -> Adam & The Ants -> Chris Hughes -> Peter Gabriel -> Robert Fripp -> King Crimson

Music featured this week:
Oh Bondage Up Yours! - Oh Bondage Up Yours! single
Junk Food Junkie - Conscious Consumer
Germfree Adolescents - Germfree Adolescents
Party - Conscious Consumer

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4:19 - Definitely check out our episode U Is For UJ3RK5

​10:04 - Hear our episode T Is For Tears For Fears

​22:35 - Steve and Doug are not orthodontists

30:22 - Lora Logic tells that and a bunch of more stories in this interview with The Guardian from November 2022

43:04 - No joke, check out the soundtrack to "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World"

48:48 - Just as a heads up, Steve has a degree in psychology, so he's not just stating a random opinion

​55:39 - Most notably in our episode N Is For Neon Indian

59:28 - This is "Is It A Dream" by Classix Nouveaux

59:47 - And this is "A Cry For Help In A World Gone Mad" by Agent Orange

1:00:08 - From the album Translucence by Poly Styrene, this is "Talk In Toytown"

1:01:08 - The obituary from the BBC has Boy George making this bizarre claim

1:03:36 - This was the smash, and many times sampled, his from The Waitresses "I Know What Boys Like" 

1:07:27 - AllMusic gives a pretty succinct biography of the band, but don't mention Conscious Consumer at all, which is a strange omission

1:09:25 - Here's Poly Styrene's interview with the Sunday Times, but it's behind a paywall so have fun with that

1:11:56 - Trash Theory did this great video on X-Ray Spex and their impact

1:20:15 - Here's Allie Hasn't Seen Batman: The Animated Series and Doug Hasn't Seen Teen Titans

Doug's Recommendations:
Obsessed With You - Germfree Adolescents
I Can't Do Anything - Germfree Adolescents
Crystal Clear - Conscious Consumer

Steve's Recommendations:
Highly Inflammable - Highly Inflammable single
Dog In Sweden - Conscious Consumer
I Can't Do Anything - Germfree Adolescents


X-Ray Spex's Official Website

X-Ray Spex's YouTube Channel