The Knitters formed in mid-’80s Los Angeles as a strange beast. The band brought together members of X, The Blasters, and The Red Devils for a one-of-a-kind mix of alt-country and punk aesthetics. The band will reissue their debut album, Poor Little Critter on the Road, on March 11.
“It’s like if the guys at Sun Records dropped LSD and made a record with Lead Belly and the Carter Family,” says member Dave Alvin. “That’s what The Knitters sound like.”
Originally released in 1985, Poor Little Critter on the Road features originals, early versions of X songs, and covers of artists including Merle Haggard and Lead Belly.
“We’re proud to have introduced young punk rockers to Merle Haggard & Cleoma Falcon (Walkin’ Cane),” says X co-founder John Doe. “We recorded like our heroes, late at night on borrowed studio time, drinking beer all together in one room. Above all, we did it for fun, and it never felt like work.”
Poor Little Critter on the Road will be released on limited-edition blue vinyl and 140-gram black vinyl via Fat Possum Records.
Preorder the album here.
