Dutch punk band formed in the late 1970s on a whim. Members living in anarchist squats at the time decided which instrument they would play by drawing straws and apparently subsequently stealing the equipment from music shops. Highly politicised, The Ex also keep a bizarre sense of humour in lyrics such as "let me tell you about Karl Marx / A visionary fish in a pool of sharks". Over the years, their drunken-rhythmed hardcore sound has grown to incorporate bits of folk, jazz and traditional Eastern European music. The band are also admired in avant-garde rock circles: collaborators include Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, and their latest (sixteenth) album was produced by über-producer Steve Albini.