The Knitters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Knitters are a longstanding Los Angeles based band who play country, rockabilly and folk music. At the time of their formation they were pioneers of country punk, cowpunk or folk punk, the genre which gradually evolved into alternative country. The Knitters' name is a play on the name of the legendary folk group The Weavers.
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[edit] Background
The Knitters formed in 1982 as a side project to the band members' primary commitments. Vocalist Exene Cervenka, singer/bassist John Doe and drummer DJ Bonebrake were three of the four members of the renowned punk band X; guitarist Dave Alvin was a member of roots rock band The Blasters; and stand-up bassist Jonny Ray Bartel was a member of blues-rock band The Red Devils.
The Knitters' debut album Poor Little Critter on the Road was released in 1985. It included mainly traditional and cover songs, together with some X songs performed in an acoustic style. Drawing on blues, folk, country and rockabilly influences with an eclecticism that was highly unusual and inventive at the time, it became widely considered a country punk classic. So much so that in 1999, the label Bloodshot Records released a track-by-track tribute album entitled Poor Little Knitter on the Road.
After the debut album's release, all the group members continued to work with their primary bands. Dave Alvin also later pursued a solo career.
Twenty years later, in 2005, the group released their second and ironically-titled album, The Modern Sounds of the Knitters. John Doe has been quoted [1] as saying "The Knitters, like their music, don't do anything hasty. Since our last record's been out for a while and it did pretty good, we figured it was just about time to put out another." The Modern Sounds of the Knitters has been well-received by critics.[2][3][4][5]
[edit] Discography
- Poor Little Critter on the Road (1985)
- The Modern Sounds of the Knitters (2005)
[edit] Reviews
- Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/12/2005, "These critters are punk, country, "anything goes," Steve Klinge
- Warped Reality Magazine - feature article Beyond and Back with the Knitters
- Harp Magazine - review of The Modern Sounds Of The Knitters
- Blogcritics - review of The Modern Sounds Of The Knitters
- Rhino Recommends - review of The Modern Sounds Of The Knitters
[edit] External links
- The Knitters - official website
- The Knitters
- All Music Guide
- Rockabilly.net - article Reunited Knitters play benefit in San Francisco
[edit] References
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