Beyond the great strengths of the band’s pedigree and disparate influences, Knoxville Girls create an entity that outweighs the sum of its parts, spontaneously recreating rock ‘n’ roll once again.
Founded in NYC in 1998, this all-star supergroup featuring Jerry Teel on vocals, guitar, harp (The Chrome Cranks, Honeymoon Killers, Boss Hog, Chicken Snake, Kid Congo Powers on vocals, guitar (The Gun Club, The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Butcher Shop), Jack Martin on guitar (Five Dollar Priest), Barry London on organ, piano, Bob Bert on drums (The Chrome Cranks, Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Lydia Lunch), have drawn comparisons to Charlie Feathers as backed by The Velvet Underground, also bringing to mind the thin wild mercury sound Newport era Dylan, or music that could be described as “Country No-wave.”
In A Ripped Dress was written and recorded with a no-frills, workman-like approach at Jerry Teel’s NYC’s famed Funhouse studio. These were mostly live demos that became In A Paper Suit ( IN THE RED RECORDS 2000 ). In addition are a handful of outtakes from the first self-titled record (KNOXVILLE GIRLS, IN THE RED RECORDS 1999).
These tracks were left in the vault for 20 years and were finally mixed by Jerry Teel in 2020 at the Chicken Coop in New Orleans. Here we have the original album as it was conceived with its pristine swamp, country, blues, and New York sound. In A Ripped Dress is finally seeing the light of day on Spain’s BANG! RECORDS. An absolute must for fans of The Gun Club, The Beasts of Bourbon, etc.
