Infinite X’s released this, their only record, in 2004 and had a powerhouse lineup of Jody Bleyle (Team Dresch, Hazel), Tamala Poljak (Longstocking, Automaticans), Whitney Skillkorn (Little Deaths, Fighter D), and Scotty Walsh (Automaticans). 

In the fall before COVID, I saw Team Dresch play a show in Philly. It’s still one of my favorite concerts that I’ve ever been to. The crowd was so rowdy, but also so full of love. When I hear that opening line of “Welcome to the Show” I think of that pit; how I felt so connected to the strangers around me. I didn’t know you could feel safe in the middle of a pit until I was in the middle of that one at the Team Dresch show.

This isn’t a Team Dresch record though, it’s an Infinite X’s record. What sets them apart from the 90s and 2000s queercore is how settled and hopeful this record feels. “What I Believe” opens with: 

This is the feeling of triumph, the light at the end of a tunnel that comes once you’ve survived your teens and early twenties as a queer person. Your understanding of yourself and the comfort and strength you find in the people you choose to surround yourself with allows for more moments of reflection and calm. This album feels like it taps into those moments. 

The next track “Joanna” is a little pop track. It’s so catchy and fun and brings in those cool 2000s synths that were so prevalent with bands like Le Tigre and Peaches. It’s a sweet song about a crush — wholesome and fun. I can’t remember the last time I was able to describe a queercore song as sweet or fun, and I love that this record creates space for queer punks to just enjoy themselves and chill. 

Infinite X’s Infinite X’s is an exploration of queer early adulthood. If Team Dresch is a protest and Le Tigre is a night out, Infinite X’s is hanging out at home with your pals. It’s not apolitical; it’s political in the way queer lives are inherently political by merely existing. These songs are about mundane everyday things — full of hopes, dreams, building bookshelves, crushes, heartbreak, and crying in public. 

Infinite X’s only gave us one record in 2004. Its reissue comes at the perfect time. We can all just sit at home, listen to it, and live our little queer lives.   

Meredith Salisbury is a freelance writer and indie bookseller based right outside of Philadelphia. They write about pop culture, music, and social media. Previously they were a social media researcher and the music director of WMUH. You can find them online @meresalisbury.