Chris Knight - Little Victories

On the short list of artists whose work I blindly, or deafly, purchase without hearing, trusting that anything the put their name on is quality, Chris Knight is at the top.  He's released album after album of the best gritty country music to be found for over ten years now.  With Little Victories he maintains that streak, and while I'm not ready to name it my absolute favorite album of his, I can tell you that  "Nothing on Me" is a definite favorite song.  It's got all the classic elements of a Chris Knight song: knife fight, snow storm, lay-offs, and loyal dogs.  The other tracks are excellent too.  There's finally a studio track of "Hard Edges" where the banjo adds quite a bit to the acoustic/demo version on one of Chris's Trailer Tapes albums.  Lucky for us, Chris plays Uncle Slayton's on May 31st.

Buy the album here.

Web: http://www.chrisknight.net/

Chris Knight - Nothing on Me
Chris Knight - Little Victories

Chris Knight: An IMBR Primer

This is the first in what will be a series of In My Basement Room Primer posts: a handful of my favorite tracks from what an artist that I consider absolutely essential. The idea is that those of you not familiar with a Primer artist will have the chance to hear some of their better tracks and ultimately become a fan.

To start off the series, I could think of no artist better suited than Chris Knight. With seven albums released to date, Chris has not recorded a single bad song, where most artists with that size back catalog will have at least one complete dud of an album. Chris is consistent: he may make you wait two or three years between albums, but it is worth it. He's the best songwriter I've heard, with only Prine, Springsteen, and Dylan giving him a run for his money. But Chris's songs resonate more with me than those more prominent writers. His songs are about regular folks, usually down on their luck or in the wrong place at the wrong time. Card cheats, truck drivers, and pool hall townies (you get the idea) mixed in with murders, affairs, and child abuse.

I've selected six tracks for this first Primer. If you like Chris Knight (and if you are reading this blog chances are you will), go see him when he comes through your town and pick up his albums here.

Here it is -- Chris Knight: An IMBR Primer.

"William" (from Chris Knight)
"Hard Edges" (from The Trailer Tapes)
"A Train Not Running" (from The Jealous Kind)
"Down the River" (from A Pretty Good Guy)
"Run From Your Memory" (from Chris Knight)
"It Ain't Easy Being Me" (from Trailer II)


This is a really good read on Chris from about ten years ago courtesy of No Depression.

And here is a great video from the musicfog.com folks of Chris doing "North Dakota."

A Train Not Running - Chris Knight & the Del McCoury Band

Today's song I lifted from the Woodsongs archives. Chris Knight is joined by the Del McCoury Band for a great version of one of Chris's best songs. The banjo seems to add even a bit more sorrow to the song than the album version. Del's band is one of the best in bluegrass. I only wish they would have added some harmony vocals. I imagine it would have sounded great. You can download or stream the whole show in audio or video from the Woodsongs Archives.
A Train Not Running

In My Basement Room's Top 5 of 2009

Here are my favorite albums of 2009 based entirely on the amount of time I spent listening to each one. Granted, there were a lot of albums I did not buy. It was easy to pick my number one. It was far and away better than anything else this year. Numbers two through five could have been in any order; I just picked a sequence and went. They all received a lot of play.

1. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Self Titled - Lightning Rod Records

2. Lucero - 1372 Overton Park - Universal Republic

3. Drive-By Truckers - The Fine Print - New West Records

4. Ben Nichols - The Last Pale Light in the West - Rebel Group Records

5. Chris Knight - Trailer II - Drifter's Church Productions