The Knitters
Encyclopedia
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based band who play country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
and folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. At the time of their formation they were pioneers of country punk
Cowpunk
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock and New Wave that began in the UK and California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New Wave with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style...
, cowpunk
Cowpunk
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock and New Wave that began in the UK and California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New Wave with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style...
or folk punk
Folk punk
Folk punk , is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was pioneered in the late 1970s and early 1980s by The Pogues in Britain and Violent Femmes in America. Folk punk achieved some mainstream success in that decade...
, the genre which gradually evolved into alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
. The Knitters' name is a play on the name of the folk group The Weavers
The Weavers
The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, and selling millions of records at the height of their...
.
Background
The Knitters formed in 1982 as a side project to the band members' primary commitments. Vocalist Exene CervenkaExene Cervenka
Exene Cervenka is an American writer, musician and artist, most famous as the co-lead vocalist of the Los Angeles punk rock band X.-Career:...
, singer/bassist John Doe
John Doe (musician)
John Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player. Doe founded the much-praised L.A. punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span the rock, country and folk music genres...
and drummer DJ Bonebrake
DJ Bonebrake
Donald J. "DJ" Bonebrake is an American musician from California who first emerged as the drummer of the punk rock band Eyes...
were three of the four members of the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band X; guitarist Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
was a member of roots rock
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
band The Blasters
The Blasters
The Blasters are a rock and roll music group formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin and Dave Alvin , with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Phil Alvin explained the origin of the band's name: "I thought Joe Turner’s backup band on Atlantic records – I had...
as well as The Flesh Eaters
The Flesh Eaters (band)
The Flesh Eaters are an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1977. They are the most prominent of the bands which have showcased the compositions and singing of their founder, punk poet Chris Desjardins, known as...
; and stand-up bassist Jonny Ray Bartel was a member of blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
band The Red Devils
The Red Devils (blues band)
The Red Devils were a Los Angeles-based blues-rock band who were active from 1988 to 1994. With their no-frills approach and singer Lester Butler's convincing Chicago-style blues harp, they were a popular fixture on the Los Angeles club scene and toured the U.S. and Europe...
.
The Knitters' debut album Poor Little Critter on the Road
Poor Little Critter on the Road
The debut album from X side project The Knitters, "Poor Little Critter on the Road" contains original compositions and covers of songs by X as well as established Country music performers.-Track listing:#"Poor Little Critter on the Road" – 1:43...
was released in 1985. It included mainly traditional and cover songs, together with some X songs performed in an acoustic style. The album drew on blues, folk, country and rockabilly influences. In 1999, the label Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois which specializes in roots-inflected indie rock, punk blues, and a Chicago brand of outlaw country...
released a track-by-track tribute to the 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.
The Modern Sounds of the Knitters
The Modern Sounds of the Knitters is the second album by The Knitters, released in 2005.The Knitters formed in 1982 as a side project to the band members' primary commitments...
. John Doe has been quoted 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.
Discography
- Poor Little Critter on the RoadPoor Little Critter on the RoadThe debut album from X side project The Knitters, "Poor Little Critter on the Road" contains original compositions and covers of songs by X as well as established Country music performers.-Track listing:#"Poor Little Critter on the Road" – 1:43...
(1985) - US #204 - The Modern Sounds of the KnittersThe Modern Sounds of the KnittersThe Modern Sounds of the Knitters is the second album by The Knitters, released in 2005.The Knitters formed in 1982 as a side project to the band members' primary commitments...
(2005)
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