I still recall my scrawny fingers excitedly tearing the shrink-wrap off the cover of my vinyl copy of the Knitters’ 1985 classic Poor Little Critter on the Road. The feeling was no less palpable two decades later as I popped open the CD of the recent Modern Sounds of the Knitters.
The Knitters’ more popular alter ego, the seminal LA punk band X, had lit up the rock world in 1980 with their debut album Los Angeles. John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom and D.J. Bonebrake’s love of roots music was always apparent, even on X’s loudest, fastest early punk albums. The Key to the band’s roots glory was Zoom’s lightning-speed rockabilly lead guitar parts. In 1985, when the band hooked up with Blasters front man Dave Alvin and upright bassist Jonny Ray Bartel to record Poor Little Critter for punk label Slash Records, Zoom sat in as producer. The album was a relaxed collection of country classics, folk, swing and rockabilly. It also was one of the turning points of the punk era, inspiring the plethora of alt.country acts that followed.
Now, 20 years later, the Knitters are back with their second album, Modern Sounds, which is as perky and witty as the debut, although with more mature and cohesive songs. In the years book-ended by Critter and Modern Sounds, there have been many great country and folk albums that owe more than a small debt to punk and the freewheeling spirit of X. My list of essentials would vary on any given day, but right now this handful of alt.country milestones should well prepare you for the Knitters’ Wednesday night show at the Visulite.
Lone Justice, Shelter (Geffen, 1986)
Singer Maria McKee’s soulful voice and tearful songwriting helped make Shelter a permanent addition to the CD collections of those in the know — long before the term alt.country became a household term.
Cowboy Junkies, The Trinity Sessions (RCA, 1988)
OK, the only thing punk about Cowboy Junkies is that cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.” But they are all about country and folk and how subtlety can be as effective as a punch in the face. The Trinity Sessions is a timeless recording.
Uncle Tupelo, No Depression (Rockville, 1990)
This is the Koran of alternative country. With its mix of Sonic Youth and them Skynyrd boys, these guys perfected the country-grunge sound that came to be known as alt.country. Somebody even named an alt.country fanzine after this album.
Mike Ness, Cheating at Solitaire (Epic, 1999)
The front man for long-running roots-punk band Social Distortion, Ness went solo here with a little help from his friends Bruce Springsteen, Brian Setzer and X-man Billy Zoom. An album of originals and covers, the desperation just oozes from these tracks, especially in his version of Hank Williams’ “You Win Again.”
Two Dollar Pistols, Hands Up (Yep Roc!, 2004)
North Carolina desperados continue the tradition of infusing honky tonk with the punk ethos. Hello? Calling Nashville. Anybody listening?
The Knitters perform at the Visulite on Wednesday, August 17, at 9pm. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Call 704-358-9200 or visit visulite.com for more details.
This article appears in Aug 17-23, 2005.
