(Marlingspike Music) Knut Bell hails from the Skagit Valley area, about 60 miles north of Seattle, WA. He's the grandson of a dairy farmer, and like his father, Knut is a certified tugboat captain who spent years fishing the waters of the Bering Sea in Alaska. He also holds a BA in Scandinavian Studies/Philosophy with a minor in International Business from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and he speaks fluent Norwegian. But it's his pride in his family heritage and deep personal connection to increasingly forgotten trades that's the driving force behind Knut's gift for writing and performing real down-to-earth, accessible country music.

"Honkahillarockabilly" is the word Knut coined to describe his sound that combines equal parts honky tonk, hillbilly and rockabilly. He possesses a deep, booming voice- a sound that mixes Dave Dudley and Dick Curless with touches of Red Simpson, Waylon Jennings and a dash of Johnny Cash thrown in for good measure. Honkahillarockabilly is Knut Bell's 4th release and contains 9 originals, and for the first time he includes 3 covers. He's backed by The Blue Collars, an incredibly tight little band made up of members Adam Bratman on electric guitar, Andrew See on upright bass and Steve Smith on drums. 

The album opens with the slinky rockabilly "Donita," about an elusive flashy/trashy tease. Knut makes his case for unwinding at the end of the work week in "Gizzards & Beer," an infectious honky tonk working man's anthem. "Felina" is a terrific, bass slapping, full speed ahead trucker song that tells the tale of a man who's heart was stolen by a truckstop waitress. The ragged waltz "Leave Me Alone" wearily addresses an old friend who never really was one. "Good Country Song" is indeed a good one that cleverly draws an analogy between old coal trains and the woman that left him and how they're both long gone, leaving nothing behind but a good country song. The outstanding "Pour Me Away" is a honky tonker that finds a hard luck guy trying to drown his sorrows after losing his farm, his family and now his current job because the saw mill's shutting down. "Yakima Girl" is a driving honkabilly song chastising an underage tease that features some blistering guitar work. Heartache is on tap in "Cowboys Cry," a waltzing ballad mourning a lost love. Adam Bratman delivers some red hot guitar licks on another album highlight, the raucous rockabilly closer about the wild "Local Yokel Lounge."

Honkahillarockabilly includes a superb cover of Vaughan Horton's delightfully politically incorrect classic, "Chick Inspector" (which was also covered by Dick Curless). Knut and the boys give a slight rockabilly spin to Mel Tillis' "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" with great results. The third cover is Johnny Cash's "So Doggone Lonesome" and Knut and the band do a terrific job nailing it down, complete with slapping bassline.

Knut sticks to the basics from writing and performing songs about country music's tried and true themes (drinking, cheating, trucks, trains, heartache and hard times) to basic but outstanding instrumental support. Knut Bell And The Blue Collars have delivered a very strong, consistently solid thoughout effort with Honkahillarockabilly, an album that should greatly appeal to both people who like their honky tonk on the rowdy and raucous side, as well as those who are fans of country music's truckin' song subgenre.  

Standout Tracks: "Chick Inspector," ""Gizzards & Beer," "Felina," "Good Country Song," "Pour Me Away," "Local Yokel Lounge"

On The Net: www.knutbell.com

www.cdbaby.com/cd/knutbell

AnnMarie Harrington TakeCountryBack January 2005