Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox

Posted: 28 January, 2010

In June 2009, Chris Knox, legendary Kiwi songsmith, film critic and father, suffered a major stroke at his home in Auckland. Responsible for forming New Zealand's first punk band, The Enemy, in 1977, Chris went on to play in a series of wonderfully inventive Kiwi bands like Tall Dwarfs and Toy Love, as well as racking up a rich catalogue of solo works, becoming something of a living national treasure in his homeland and a revered figure in independent music the world over.

When Chris suffered the stroke, his many friends and admirers in the music community wanted to help. So they got together a remarkable list of folks who all recorded covers of Chris's songs, and made a record – Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox – to raise funds for his treatment. The lineup on the album is testament to the power and reach of Chris's music, featuring the likes of Kiwi luminaries The Chills, The Bats, The Verlaines and David Kilgour, along with Stephen Merritt, Yo La Tengo, Bill Callahan, Jeff Mangum, AC Newman, Lambchop, The Mountain Goats and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. To support this most worthy of causes, head on over to itunes.      

Pete : 28 January, 2010

Leave a comment

Please enter your details below to comment