Two bootlegs of past Knott concerts have been added to the Blonde Vinyl Records BandCamp page for those that want to purchase them (with income going to Knott’s daughter Stormie). See Live at the Murray Hill Theater 2001 and Live at Cornerstone 2001 to stream and purchase these releases. And thanks to the fans that dug these up and got them ready to sell as well.
Tag Archives: Solo Work
Help Fund Michael Knott’s Classic “Screaming Brittle Siren” on Vinyl
“Screaming Brittle Siren is one of Michael Knott’s best releases from start to finish. Come join us in making this historic event happen. This alternative classic will be available finally on vinyl! Unfortunately, in order to properly release this it has to be a double vinyl, which means higher manufacturing costs. I have tried to keep the costs down where I could. I think in the end it will be a release we will all love to play on our turntables. This is the moment we have been waiting for and we can’t do this project without you the fans! So please pledge and also spread the word around to your fellow Michael Knott Fans!”
The Long Lost “Losing Angel” is Now Available
Recorded on the Spring 2003 tour, Losing Angel kind of became a mythological recording in the Michael Knott catalog. Rumors came and went that it would be released, that it had been lost forever, that nobody involved with it wanted it released, you name it. None of these ended up being true, until it was released on BandCamp this week.
Lost in Ohio Announces Another Small Pressing of “Strip Cycle”
The vinyl version of Strip Cycle has arrived, and it looks and sounds amazing. But some fans missed out on getting a copy because it surprisingly sold out quickly. But if you missed snagging a copy – don’t despair!
“Another small pressing of Strip Cycle is happening, to help take care of those who missed it the first time around. Pre-orders coming later this spring. (Or for the impatient there are a few copies available at retail…)”
Lost in Ohio to Release “Strip Cycle” on Vinyl
“In 1995, Mike Knott was unstoppable. His bands L.S. Underground and Bomb Bay Babies had grown to become staples of the southern California rock circuit. Through his successful indie label Blonde Vinyl, he had produced and released over 20 albums. Most notably, his group Aunt Bettys had been signed by Elektra Records after a bidding war between labels and was primed for wide success.
Knott also released three critically-acclaimed solo records. Each showed a distinct style and approach, with influences ranging widely from Bauhaus to Tom Petty to Dinosaur Jr. And while his band Aunt Bettys were preparing their major label debut, he sat down and wrote his fourth, Strip Cycle.
Strip Cycle is unlike anything Knott has released before or since. While some of the lyrics call back to the deranged storytelling of his album Rocket and a Bomb, they quickly take a more personal turn, with a heavy emphasis on the challenges of being a new dad and struggles with alcohol. The musical shift is more obvious, recalling the sound of early Violent Femmes with its all-acoustic instrumentation. Shortly before recording began, Knott’s daughter Stormie found his guitar and messed with the tuning knobs. Knott like the weird sound it created and made it an intentional aspect of the record (dubbing it “Twisted Toddler Tuning”); it yielded a very unique sound, with the loose strings frequently snapping against the fret board in a percussive manner.
The album features a strong lineup of songs, performed by capable Knott collaborators Brian Doidge and Chuck Cummings (Aunt Bettys) and drummer Ed Benrock (Starflyer 59). There is a sound of spontaneity throughout the album, with Knott himself playing drums—poorly—on “Super Girl” and another song cutting off mid-chorus amidst screaming. It was ultimately released by fledgling indie label Tooth & Nail (a spiritual successor to Knott’s own label Blonde Vinyl). The artwork matched the grittiness of the music, featuring grainy high-contrast images from photographer and musician Matt Wignall, and a handwritten scrawl for the titles and credits.
Lost in Ohio is pleased to reissue Strip Cycle on vinyl for the first time. True to the original, the album is presented in all black and white packaging, with freshly-restored copies of Wignall’s original photos, including never-before-seen images from the photo shoot. Great care was taken to preserve the highest quality possible sound, with lacquers cut by hand at The Vinyl Room in the Netherlands, and processed at Pacri Group in Italy, before being lovingly pressed by Precision Record Pressing in Toronto.
Physical Copies of “All Indie EP II” are Available, Along with a Golden Ticket Contest
“So, with the release of this longtime coming ep, we wanted to do something special to help celebrate the launch and make it a little more fun. Since the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of our favorite movies, we thought, why not incorporate the “Golden Ticket” into the release of the All Indie Ep II?! With that said, the first 250 physical CDs are signed and numbered. We have randomly selected 3 of these signed and numbered CDs and placed an Indie Golden Indie Ticket inside.
The Indie Golden Ticket
So, what do you get? Each winner who gets an Indie Golden Ticket will get a song sung to them live over the phone by Michael from his catalog over the years. You’ll also get a video of him singing the song sent to you after the fact.
The Winners
So, what do you need to do if you got the Indie Golden Ticket? Take a picture of the ticket and the numbered CD and send it to get email below. Also, select 3 songs that Michael has written/released from vast repertoire and submit those 3 songs when you send the email with the pictures. Michael will select from the 3 provided which one he wants to perform live over the phone to you. Good Luck and we sincerely hope you enjoy the music!
The Physical CD
To purchase a physical signed and numbered CD you can do so by PayPal by going to our Bandcamp page through the link below. Each person who purchases a physical CD also gets a digital copy of the record. Thank you for your support and for listening!
Sincerely,
Michael & Rick
Bandcamp: hilldegmaria.bandcamp.com
Email: allindieep2@gmail.com
It’s also available digitally through the bigs streaming services.”
The All Indie ep II is Available for Streaming and Purchase
Surprise release today! It seems that Knott’s long-awaited All Indie EP II has been released to several streaming and digital purchasing services (Spotify, Amazon, and Apple have been spotted so far). BandCamp is coming soon, and there will be details of a limited physical CD later this week (see this Instagram video of Mike and Rick signing copies of the CD). As well as another announcement.
Michael Knott Releases New Demo of “Rack of Lamb”
“I laid this down today with friend Rick McDonough. It’s in its infancy with scratch vocals, but feel free to download if you like it. It’s called Rack of Lamb – ode to a friend. Thank you for your support!”
https://michaelknott.bandcamp.com/track/rack-of-lamb-ode-to-a-friend
New Knott Music Coming Your Way Soon
For those that haven’t heard on Facebook yet, there is some good news about Michael Knott music:
- First of all, the Wakin’ Up the Dead Kickstarter rewards have started shipping. The vinyl turned out very nice.
- Second of all, Knott announced that the nine song All Indie EP II will be out by the end of the year.
- Then Knott posted a video of himself and Rick McDonough recording a new song (possibly called “She’s a Winner”?) that they say will be on a new album they are working on called… Strip Cycle II. Wha?!?!?
- The nearly mythical Bomb Bay Babies Volume 2 miraculously re-surfaced, and the word is that Volumes 1 and 2 have been sent to a label to be remastered and released as a double CD set.
- Joshua Lory is hinting that he is trying to get the Strung Gurus songs that have been released all on to BandCamp, maybe as a complete EP (most songs are there except for one). We can pray that maybe this will encourage Knott to release the rest of the songs?
All this and more pops up as discussions in the Knottheads Facebook Group – of course, nothing is official until actual links to stuff for sale shows up, but if you want the inside scoop… you should join that group. You can even read the details of how the admin of this web site create the art layout for the Wakin’ Up the Dead vinyl. Its an instant cure for insomnia, for sure.
Live at the Viper Room Volume 2 Now Available on BandCamp
A little late on this, but Live at the Viper Room Volume 2 was recently released. Featuring the song “You’re Where I Wanna Be” that is only available on this live recording. This show was a few months before Live at the Viper Room Volume 1, and features the same amazing band line up: Michael Knott (lead vocals, electric guitar), Andy Prickett (lead guitar, background vocals), Eric Campuzano (bass), Robert Meyer (Fender Rhodes, keyboard, organ, background vocals), and Ed “Giles” Benrock (drums, background vocals). Pick it up on the Blonde Vinyl BandCamp page today.