Dave Chamberlain

Arising from the flames of the X's still-burning embers, The Knitters formed from the legendary L.A. punk band to pay homage to American music from yore--primarily, what you and I might call country music. Composed of founding X members Exene, John Doe and DJ Bonebrake, as well as later-X member Dave Alvin and Red Devils bassist Jonny Ray Bartel, The Knitters just released their first record since those halcyon days, "The Modern Sounds of the Knitters." With a smattering of covers from the classics--Flatt & Scruggs, The Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Driftwood--plucked alongside a healthy dose of X covers, The Knitters avoid sounding disingenuous, hitting track after track with the same green-meadow devotion of any good country music act. John Doe's voice, in particular, seems built for the lonely road, his twisted-poet-soul translating with all the power that it had when he was plugging out the punk rock. From rockabilly to Bakersfield, jukejoint to Tennessee, The Knitters cover all the stylistic bases without so much as a hitch; X fans will squeal over the country-fried takes of "I'll Go Down Swingin'" and "In This House That I Call Home." If only all the second-wave punk rock bands had the balls, and ability, to carry on like this.

The Knitters play August 4 at Park West, 322 West Armitage, (773)929-5959.

(2005-08-02)

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