The Knitters

While some musicians' side projects are one-off wanderings, others just take a little time to come around again. That would be the case with The Knitters, the country/Americana offshoot group with John Doe, Exene Cervenka and D.J. Bonebrake, all of punk legends X, and ex-Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin. The band's...

By Bob Ruggiero

May 13, 2010

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While some musicians' side projects are one-off wanderings, others just take a little time to come around again.

That would be the case with The Knitters, the country/Americana offshoot group with John Doe, Exene Cervenka and D.J. Bonebrake, all of punk legends X, and ex-Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin. The band's sophomore effort, 2005's The Modern Sounds of the Knitters, came only two decades after their debut, and includes countrified versions of X songs ("Burning House of Love," "Skin Deep Town"), genre standards ("Rank Stranger") and new originals ("The New Call of the Wreckin' Ball").

Doe and Cervenka warble together in the style of the Carter Family, though at times her over-the-top affected twang can be a bit shticky.

Still, c'mon, it's X.

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Bob has been writing about music, books, and entertainment for the Houston Press since 1997, with an emphasis on classic rock. He used to have an incredible and luxurious mullet in college as well.