We're running behind with John Doe, but follow @soundcheck on Twitter and we'll let you know when we're ready to go! Click the player below to hear a set with John Doe: The new record from punk godfather and country-rock trailblazer John Doe has a simple title: The Westerner. But the story behind the title is much more complicated, tied up in Native American history, the death of a much-loved friend, an obsession with The Doors, and a vision of dusty, big sky America. It's the latest chapter in a long career, but Doe has also just released a new book that examines the early chapters, too. It's called Under The Big Black Sun: A Personal History of LA Punk, and features contributions from Exene and other key players in the LA punk scene that spawned Doe's band X. Click the player above to hear Doe play songs from The Westerner and talk about his formative years.