Chris Knox Benefit Compilation Featuring Will Oldham, A.C. Newman, Stephin Merritt and Many Others Finally on the Way
11/6/2009 By Josiah Hughes

As we told you, beloved Kiwipop songwriter Chris Knox suffered a tragic stroke back in June and, though he survived the incident, he is currently in a debilitated state. Slowly making progress, there's a chance that his long and storied musical career may have come to an end.

It's a tragic turn of events, for sure, but Knox is fortunate enough to have a loving and talented support group. His friends and family, who run the Chris Knox recovery blog, announced earlier this year that they'd be releasing a benefit compilation called Stroke.

The tracklisting for the compilation has finally arrived and, as promised, it's full to the brim with indie heavyweights covering classics from Knox's solo work and work in Tall Dwarfs, the Enemy, Toy Love and the Nothing. Artists involved include Yo La Tengo, A.C. Newman, the Mountain Goats, Stephin Merritt, Jay Reatard, Lambchop, Portastatic, Will Oldham, Lou Barlow, Bill Callahan, and many others.

Stroke — Songs for Chris Knox is due in New Zealand on November 16 courtesy of Knox's A Major Label. No North American release has been revealed for the project, but Jay Reatard did tell Exclaim! he was trying to help find a label.

Stroke – Songs for Chris Knox:

Disc 1:


1. “Pull Down The Shades" - Jay Reatard
2. “Rebel" - The Checks
3. “Ain’t It Nice" - The Bleeding Allstars
4. “Don’t Catch Fire" - Peter Gutteridge
5. “Luck Or Loveliness" - The Chills
6. “Nothing’s Going to Happen" - David Kilgour
7. “All My Hollowness To You" - The Crying Wolfs
8. “Beauty" - Stephin Merritt
9. “Nostalgia’s No Excuse" - Portastatic
10. “Crush" - The Mint Chicks
11. “I’ve Left Memories Behind" - Jay & Sam Clarkson
12. “Burning Blue" - Sky Green Leopards
13. “The Slide" - Shayne Carter
14. “Grand Mal" - Pumice

15. “Knoxed Out" - Hamish Kilgour


Disc two:



1. “Not Given Lightly" - Boh Runga
2. “Bodies" - Red&Zeke featuring Bill Doss and Neil Cleary
3. “Lapse" - Bill Callahan
4. “Growth Spurt" - Genghis Smith
5. “Coloured" - Yo La Tengo
6. “Dunno Much about Life But I know How To Breathe" - A.C. Newman
7. “Glide" - Alec Bathgate
8. “Inside Story" - Don McGlashan
9. “The Outer Skin" - Sean Donnelly
10. “What Goes Up" - Lambchop
11. “Brave" - The Mountain Goats
12. “Round These Walls" - The Tokey Tones (and friends)
13. “Just Do It" - The Bats
14. “My Only Friend" - Will Oldham
15. “It’s Love" The Finn Family
16. “Becoming Something Other" - Jordan Luck
17. “Driftwood" - The Verlaines
18. “Song of the Tall Poppy" - Lou Barlow

19. “Napping In Lapland" - The Nothing
20. “Sunday Song" - Tall Dwarfs

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