The Storyteller: XBYRDX
The Song: “Unsatisfied,” the raw, confessional misfit anthem by the Minneapolis-based The Replacements, hit a universal note with songwriters across genres by combining keen, cutting lyrics with unpolished, punk-prone energy and jangly alt-rock melodies.
The Background: Intrigued by singer-songwriters who aim to document moments in time through their own cultural-societal perspectives, and steeped in punk’s DIY ethos, XBYRDX sought out musical stylings where contrarian dissent and counterculture-driven lyrics were bountiful. By studying ‘60s protest folk artists and ‘80s alternative trailblazers such as Hüsker Dü & Big Black, XBYRDX began shaping a songwriting approach that channels personal reflection alongside pointed daily observation.
His upcoming release Anthems for the End Times (Feb. 13) marks his evolution. The independent album, produced by Americana rocker Lydia Loveless, includes the single—a cover of “Money Changes Everything,” popularized by Cyndi Lauper—a fitting nod to an artist long associated with creative independence. The album, which bridges intimate introspection with cultural commentary, originated from a pivotal moment for XBYRDX: hearing “Unsatisfied” by The Replacements during that nebulous phase between college naivety and adult responsibility. From there, a spark of punk defiance and raw, alt-rock storytelling synthesized his approach to creating music and the lyrical lens through which he now writes and interprets the world.
The Story: Sometimes a single song arrives at precisely the right moment, where shrouded concepts are brought into the light and sharpened. For XBYRDX, that song was “Unsatisfied,” and in his own words, it eventually changed how he writes and sees the world.
“I heard the song in my early twenties,” he recalls. “I was coming upon my last years of college and heading toward full-on adulthood.”
The track captured the paradox of what was going on in his mind during that time. “My friends and I were in an intoxicating stage play, having what everyone told me was the time of my life. But even in that hedonism, I felt it fleeting. ‘What did it all mean? Where was it going? Why did I feel so empty? If this was the highlight, I was unsatisfied.’”
During this period of unfulfillment, “Unsatisfied” continually resurfaced and reshaped XBYRDX’s songwriting philosophy. “It was a perfect moment — a union of sparse but poignant production, simple words alluding to enormous emotions in a shallow, materialistic world.” He adds, “It took me away from the tendency to express myself in established styles and helped start an ongoing search to find my own musical language.”
XBYRDX realized he didn’t need to be an overconfident lyricist, performer, or super-rockstar figure. “Party rock anthems felt false coming from my pen. The angst and uncertainty of “Unsatisfied” offered a new lexicon, truer to who I was, and became an inkwell I could draw from.”
As he describes it, lead singer Paul Westerberg’s caustic, wailing vocals with a first-person style of lyrical intimacy drew XBYRDX directly into the narrator’s shoes. “The song’s anxieties about being discontent resonated with broader generational struggles—confirming fears and dread I didn’t even fully articulate,” he notes. “Raised on the promise that if you followed the path, America would reward you, it reminded me that reality can feel entirely different—frustrating, infuriating, and inspiring at the same time.”
Though XBYRDX is in a different place in life now, “Unsatisfied” remains a litmus test. Its confessional voice—equal parts confrontation and introspection—still resonates as both personal and generational. The tension between promise and reality, fulfillment and discontent, remains unresolved. For XBYRDX, that restlessness hasn’t faded with adulthood—it has only sharpened its language. He says it simply: “It’s still a personal anthem. I’m still unsatisfied.”
Photo by Cowtown Chad
