DISClosure: A Tribute to the Knitters • Myracle Brah • Ralph Carney

DISClosure
CD Reviews Of A National Scale

by Ed Yashinsky

Various Artists
Poor Little Knitter on the Road:
A Tribute to the Knitters

Over the past ten years, it’s gotten to the point where it’s impossible to walk into a music store without getting smacked upside the head by a tribute CD. And the truth is, whether they’re classic (I’m Your Fan, A Tribute to Leonard Cohen), kitsch (If I Were a Carpenter), or just cool (Saturday Morning Cartoons’ Greatest Hits), most tribute CDs fall a little flat because the artists’ collective styles don’t mix well. Which leads to Poor Little Knitter on the Road: A Tribute to the Knitters. While tribute records have been made for short-lived bands, The Knitters — John Doe, Exene Cervenka, and D.J. Bonebrake of X, Dave Alvin of The Blasters, Johnny Ray Bartel — released a single record (Poor Little Critter on the Road) in 1985 of hyped-up hillbilly standards and country-tinged originals that hardly registered a blip on the punk or rock or country or new wave radar screens. But from these country odes wrapped in punk-snot attitude arose hundreds of bands that didn’t stand a crossover chance in hell of making it in traditional country or rock circles. Many of these bands survived, and some of the best reside on Chicago-based Bloodshot Records, who are responsible for Poor Little Knitters on the Road. The music is here heartfelt, true to The Knitters’ original vision and just great songs, making Poor Little Knitter on the Road one of the best tribute records ever released. (Bloodshot Records, 3039 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL 60618)

Myracle Brah
Plate Spinner

In 1998, Love Nut front-man Andy Bopp had some spare time on his hands, so he holed up in his tiny garage studio (The Cinderblock Mansion), came up with a catchy band name (Myracle Brah) and hatched Life on Planet Eartsnop, one of the coolest records of the year. While Eartsnop was ignored by Top 40 radio, the power pop world gushed over Eartsnop placing it at or near the top of every year-end magazine editor’s poll. With Plate Spinner, Bopp returns from the garage studio with another collection of pop gems that, while equally deserving of a wider audience, will remain found treasures to power pop fans. Recorded in mono, Plate Spinner showcases Bopp’s love of The Beatles, but that is only a starting point for Myracle Brah’s influence. Bopp digs Seventies pop, so bands like Badfinger, Cheap Trick and even elements of The Cars work their way into Plate Spinner. In a time of crap-sounding guitars and over-sampled everything, Myracle Brah serves up lush guitars and classic melodies, that should be appreciated by the masses. (Not Lame Recording Company, P.O. Box 2266, Fort Collins, CO 80522)

Ralph Carney
I Like You (A Lot)

The long and the short of it is that Ralph Carney is touched in the head. That being said, everyone should be touched like Ralph Carney, because the guy is a musical genius. Best known for his fifteen-year stint as Tom Waits’ main saxophone player, this Akron, Ohio native has logged hours with artists as diverse as The B-52s, Marc Ribot, David Thomas, Grant Lee Buffalo, Allen Ginsburg, Victoria Williams, and Hole. But knowing Carney’s work with any of those bands cannot prepare anyone for I Like You (A Lot). Recorded in his home studio, Carney’s second solo release is a twisted mélange that draws equal influence from Carl Stallings (think Bugs Bunny cartoons), Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, and They Might be Giants, with a generous serving of classic music styles like Dixieland jazz, klezmer, classical, funk, and rock. And while Carney’s imaginative horn lines shine on I Like You (A Lot), the whimsy-feel flows from kazoos, children’s toys, and kitchen implements that play peek-a-boo throughout the record. I Like You (A Lot) may not appeal to everyone on the first listen, but with each return, this record unfolds into a near-perfect bliss. (Akron Cracker Records/Birdman, 1409 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91506)