The X-Possibles - Press

Band Bio:

The X-Possibles are from New York City and have been together since 1997. To categorize them simply as a punk band is impossible due to their vast influences. Their music embodies lust, anger, joy, violence; all the emotions connected to being ALIVE in a world that is not so pretty. The shows they've played range from international festivals, New York City clubs and political activist venues. They've toured both the US and Europe. The X-Possibles are a band that has been able to capture and hold the attention of a vast array of audiences of all ages.

Lead singer Tibbie X and Lead Guitarist Rikki Chips are the founding members of the X-Possibles. They met seven years ago at St. Marks comics in New York City and stayed up all night sitting on the sidewalk outside of Coney Island High talking about music. Tibbie quit her job that morning and in that month Rikki and her formed the X-Possibles. The beginning incarnation was... strange to say the least. Both had strong roots in surf and flamenco but also in California Hardcore, New Wave, Rock-n-roll and Rockabilly. With two guitars and a drum machine they were quickly featured in a French documentary on NYC Punk rock and started auditioning band members. They immediately started  getting shows at East Village nightclubs, including CBGBs, Coney Island High, Continental, Brownies, Downtime and Under Acme. Their raw energy and wild stage antics gained them a reputation amongst local scenesters. They started getting reviews in local zines and performed with bands such as The Independents, The Queers, The Waldos, The Yeah Yeah Yeah's, The Star Spangles and Marky Ramone.

Realizing a great passion for performing and writing music it was Tibbie X and Rikki Chips who started getting really serious about playing music professionally. They started practicing daily and were more demanding of the other band members. This naturally lead to a line up change, which took a few trial and error gigs to work out. Eventually they got solid musicians and the groundwork was set to start recording.

The shows continued and the X-Possibles became regulars at CBGBs often headlining and stealing the show. They regularly received great reviews from the NY Waste, the Main East Village Underground Newspaper. Two songs were released on a Rock and Roll compilation, “Grave Rockers” which had major distribution throughout the US and Europe. People from all over started contacting them to play shows out of state. This lead to an east coast tour where they traveled to Atlanta and back.

The shows continued for two years, and Tibbie X and Rikki Chips became well known within the underground punk scene. They have become the only female fronted band to be accepted within the hardcore scene even though they are not primarily a hardcore band. They opened for Leftover Crack at the summer festival in Tompkins square park and started playing shows with MDC and Poison Idea, switching from an audience of fifty to a few hundred. A videotape of one of these shows made it’s way to Europe and was played on the BBC. The band was ready to tour Europe.

In 2003 the X-Possibles recorded their first full length album entitled “Blood Everywhere”. With fourteen tracks people are often impressed at the varying musical styles and the quality of the song writing, both lyrically and musically. Ranging from straight up punk to pop-rock to hardcore to surf influenced pop the album has something for everyone. It received great reviews and was sent to a booking agent in Europe. Within weeks a full month tour was booked. The band were set to play in major music festivals including Holidays in The Sun in England, Summer Punk Festival at Abaton in Prague, and Hardcore Fest at The Arena in Vienna.

The band started their tour in England, and were ecstatic to see that their reputation had preceded them. In Rochdale the music spoke for itself, the crowd ripped down the fence in front to the stage by the second song in the set. Afterwards the band were mobbed by star struck teenagers trying to break into the tour van, begging for autographs. In Wales a club was shut down mid set due to going over capacity and excitement of the audience. The tour continued on and they sold out of hundreds of self released CDs by the second week of tour. They were voted the best new band at Holidays in the Sun and reviewed in local newspapers throughout. They traveled to Holland, Prague, Vienna, Germany, France and England and were greatly received everywhere. Bands they played with included The Varukers, The Angry Samoans, Leftover Crack, NY Relixs, Hate Breed, and H2O.

The X-Possibles are already booked for a second European tour in 2004 for two months, culminating at the Wasted Festival in England. This time more ground will be covered as the band travel to Spain, Italy and Turkey. They are also ready to record another full length album and are starting to get radio play, being booked to play live on WFMU. They have proven their dedication, talent and strong will and most importantly their love for what they do. The X-Possibles are ready to tour the world.

“This is some snotty, sneering Halloween punk rock, and I like it. They've got song titles like "Zombieotic" and "March of the Body Snatchers," the energy and attitude of a sustained temper tantrum, cleverly crafted songs, and very attractive band members. They shall go very far indeed.”

Review of Out For Blood EP - The X-Possibles
Noah Masterson, Rash Magazine

“The X-Possibles attacked us with a set of LA Hardcore covers which made this LA boy VERY happy. I even got to share the mic for a couple seconds with Tibbie the Punk Rock Goddess herself during a version of the Germs’ ‘Lexicon Devil’ that would have made Darby Crash proud.”

Review of X-Possibles gig at CBGBs
Chuck Foster, New York Waste

“The X-Possibles have a new self released CD with tunes like ‘March of the Body Snatchers’ and ‘Speedy Delivery.’ Their singer, Tibbie X, is really hot, and when I recently saw them play at CBGBs I had a hard time keeping my stretch jeans from ripping, budda-bing, ya know what I mean? Anyway, they sure are punk, playing fast, loud and really snotty. It’s actually a real treat to hear a band like them in this day and age of Limp Bizkit.”

Review of X-Possibles gig at CBGBs
George Tabb, New York Press

“When it’s beyond the capabilities of the Mission Impossible team, then it’s time to break out the X-Possibles. If there were any doubts as to whether or not this was a punk night the X-Possibles put that doubt to rest. One word to describe them? Gunshot from the very first song, an unrelenting and boundless energy that was like a signal to all the punks in the neighborhood. Fueled by the musical energy of Scott, Rikk and Avital, Tibbie seems to know no limits, but don’t get too close lest you get kicked like I did. Ouch!”

Review of X-Possibles gig at CBGBs
Matthew O’Halloran, New York Waste

“First off, there aren’t and there never have been enough girls involved in hardcore punk, so I was quite pleased to see a female vocalist up there ready to kick ass. Second, this is the first band I’ve seen in NY where a band member actually stepped off stage during a performance (other than Iggy, but that was his schtick). Finally, they’re great Bay Area-style hardcore and I’d defiantly make a point of seeing them again. So there.”

Review of X-Possibles gig at CBGBs
Charles Jason Foster, New York Waste

“I can remember the first time I saw the X-Possibles, I remember that they had been driving all night from Georgia the night before one of the many Action Cat shows I’ve been to. The one thing I noticed about the X-Possibles aside from their very aggressive front woman Tibbie is that they don’t seem to follow one specific style of punk rock music. Scott, Avital, Rikk and Tibbie have been playing now for about four years and they have not gone unnoticed. Apparently some of the band members will be in a film from director Pat Moonblood called ‘Do you love life?’
Speaking with Tibbie I find a great source of inspiration. She tells me that she wants more out of their live shows. ‘What I want out of our live shows is to create chaos – preferably world wide – I want people to loose control – I wanna see tables thrown, bottles breaking, stabbings, people fucking on the floor – if the club could burn down while we play I might be happy. Musically I’m concerned with the intensity of the sound – like a gun shot. I’m so sick of all this pop punk happy sounding “I hope we get signed soon” crap with stupid lyrics about some cunty girl, or the typical NY ramonsey crap. It’s fucking boring and the shows are all lame, we’re all about living life for yourself, destrying the disgusting stereotypes of society people are so readily forced into – shitty jobs, bad marriages and monsters, etc.’
So how many people can relate to this? I know I can, I actually can count the number of punk rock bands that I like on one hand and the X-Possibles are on that list they are very inspirational for me anyway so I have to wonder who inspired the X-Possibles? Well their inspiration comes from a lot of different sources ranging from The Zodiac Killer, Agent Orange, Darby Crash, Elisabeth Barthory, D.I., Hasil Adkins, Pat Moonblood, the movies Spider Babies and Liquid Sky, The Bad Popes, Chainsaw Kittens, The Stiffs, and the horrors of life in general. If I had to describe the X-Possibles I would have to mention that their CD (the one with Tibbie choking Rikk on the cover) is one of my favorite punk CDs to date. With a mix of garage, surf and psycho billy punk it has something for everyone, even your kids will like it! Rikk’s playing uses a wide range of punk styles, which is accompanied by Tibbie playing occasionally on guitar. Scott’s bass playing has the driving rhythm and Avital has the humor and the drums to cover the rest. Well that’s my opinion so I wonder how Tibbie would describe their music, Tibbie how would you describe your music? ‘It sounds like a combination of smoking crack, fucking a stranger in an alleyway, stealing, beating the shit out of someone who REALLY DESERVES IT, surfing and cannibalism with sugar and cream.’ Obviously you don’t want to get Tibbie mad!”

Replacement Killers
Matthew O’Halloran, New York Waste