Knoxville Girls
(In the Red)
by Jon Sarre
With a pedigree as impressive as this band’s (Bob Bert, ex-Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore; Jerry Teel, formerly of the Honeymoon Killers, Boss Hog, Workdogs etc etc; Kid Congo Powers, resume includes stints with the Gun Club, the Cramps, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds; plus two other guys) you can imagine this reporter’s frothy drool upon seein’ some ads around trumpeting (albeit in the lo-key/lower-budget In the Red manner) the forthcoming Knoxville Girls release. Even ex-Chrome Crank/current Candy Snatcher/valet/babysitter to Japanese Heartthrob Sensations (uh, in Japan, as I understand) Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, Will Weber’s pronouncement of the project as “okay, the usual Jerry [Teel] stuff” failed to dissuade me of the notion that this record was gonna be fucking amazing.
Then I got the thing in the mail and it’s… all right (even “okay” to quote Will). Bob Bert is playing like he did on Sonic Youth’s Bad Moon Rising rather than like he’s simply living off the royalties from Bad Moon Rising. Congo Powers’ treble heavy guitar riffs recall the best from his previous outfits. Organ grinder Barry London (a “veteran of the Emo scene” proclaims the press release) lends the proceeding some atmosphere, and the relatively unknown Jack Martin (ex of Congo Norvell with Powers and Little Porkchop to name just two you’ve probably never heard of and whom Weber credits with “making the band work”) maybe doesn’t quite make the band work, but sure as hell helps. For my money Teel, as the medium the songs come outta (rather than the “author,” as the material presented here is more or less traditional no matter who affixes their name to it) is the guy who’s responsible when the Knoxville Girls click (and conversely the stick in the eye when they don’t).
On one hand, you’d expect a handful of NYC super scum (even with doubtlessly better record collections than anyone I know) to fall flat whence taking a stab at country blues (which, I oughtta mention at some point is the aim of the Girl’s knives). Then ya realize that these iconoclastic Lower Eastside part-time “somebodies” probably can get a grasp of such outlaw/loser music better than rhinestone cowboys locked into the Nashville culture rapidly being permanently changed by the rest of the damn country’s milky-water SUV cultural tastes, especially when friends and former bandmates like Jon Spencer or Kim Gordon or Steve Albini are posing for Calvin Klein ads and, God help us all, producing Bush albums. You hear that, too, when ya check out the Knoxville Girls’ at their best – like their incredibly nimble and soulful cover of George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” or on Charlie Feathers’ “Have You Ever” or the (I think) Kenny Rodgers penned “Feel Better All Over.” Eat your fuckin’ heart out [insert name of any newly minted country-pop singer here]!
Keep in mind that the last three examples are cover songs. Therein lies the Knoxville Girls’ problem. They have a bit of difficulty with original material (tho’ “Two Time Girl” is cool ? and the Mysterians meet Hasil Adkins with Hombres’ southern-fried garage punk to boot and “NYC Briefcase Blues” has Hank Williams’ “Ramblin’ Man,” Big Boy Crudhop’s “My Baby Left Me” and Chuck Berry’s “Memphis” rolled together with an unhealthy dose of the Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray”). Still the closest they really get to the twangy roadhouse honky-tonk they wanna produce is on varied interpretations of old 45s. Sure, I’ll take that any day over TNN’s mega-sellin’ mouths fulla white teeth, but man, get these Girls outta Knoxville. Nashville must be besieged. At least until the Dixie Chicks leave.
(2627 E. Strong Place Anaheim, CA 92806)
