That Gaping Fucking Hole

I kinda embarassed it's taken me so long to post this, but legendary New Zealand musician and lo-fi pioneer Chris Knox suffered a stroke last Thursday. According to everything I can find on the story, Knox is currently in stable condition, but according to a statement issued by his family, it's too early to tell what the long term effects of the stroke will be.

At 56, Knox has been an integral figure of the NZ music scene for over 30 years, first fronting The Enemy, then Toy Love, and finally the great Tall Dwarfs. I was first introduced to his music a few years back when a friend lent me a copy of his 1995 solo album Songs of You and Me, which shows the man at the height of his powers, crafting track after track of perfect fuzz-pop with little more than a 4-track, a drum machine and an electric guitar (Sound familiar?). Since then, I've explored his back catalog, but to be honest, I've barely scratched the surface, there's just sooooo much of it. I'm sharing a couple of my favorites with you here, and I heartily recommend that you explore Knox's massive output further.

[mp3] Chris Knox - "A Song to Welcome the Onset of Maturity"
(from Songs of You and Me; buy it here)

[mp3] Tall Dwarfs - "Song of the Silents"
(from Hello Cruel World; buy it here)

If you're interested in updates regarding Chris' condition, his family has set up a blog for concerned fans at chrisknox.blogtown.co.nz.