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New Zealander Chris Knox may be the eighth wonder of the world. How else to explain a guy who wears shorts and thongs in the middle of winter, has a sense of humor that is as poignant as it is odd, and has a voice that's a cross between a rubber band and John Lennon? Over the past couple of decades, on his albums with musical partner Alec Bathgate in the Tall Dwarfs and numerous solo records, Knox's pliable voice has unearthed some of the most memorable melodies ever laid to the fuzz of a guitar and the tinny beat of a drum machine. Despite being a prolific 44-year-old rock veteran--the new Yes!! (Flying Nun) is Knox's sixth solo album--he says he considers music only a "glorified hobby." For his steady income, Knox relies on his cartooning capabilities and his work as a film reviewer on a New Zealand television program. "Music is very much a spare-time thing," Knox says. "Once your music becomes your sole source of existence, you get tempted to compromise it. I don't have to worry about that, I just do what I want and the world either ignores it, as they mostly do, or takes it to the bosom of their heart, as they sometimes do." Knox's music can make one smile and wonder, but his skewed world view also invokes thought. Though draped in the plaid comfort of humor, many of Knox's songs have a strong political bent, especially when it comes to body politics and feminism. What makes his songs work is their lack of pretense or preaching; he just sings about what's on his mind, and more often than not it's politics. "There is so much to despair about in the world that it is difficult not to let that come out in the songs," Knox says. "There are so few people operating from what used to be called a leftist perspective [in rock music], that I think the more the merrier. Once you get into the rock realm, you want to be a star, and you don't get to be a star by singing about political issues." While Knox's records are a bundle of kinetic energy swathed in bursts of joy and majesty, his live performances are second to none. With his Madonna-esque headset microphone, preprogrammed drum machine and hyperactive guitar, Knox throws himself completely into his songs, to the point that if somebody stuck a pin in him, he might burst. Between songs, and sometimes during, Knox is famous for getting up close and personal with his audience. If an audience member finds that Knox and his tongue are after his or her feet, it won't help to run away, as this only encourages him. "I have an immense respect for my audience," he says. "I feel that people who come to my shows deserve as much as I can give them, and if that includes saliva on the ankles, then so be it." |
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