Kami
Nixon and the Skiddy Knickers (Kami on lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and
flute; Bill "Sputnik"
Spooner on lead guitar and vocals, and John
Lazarus on drums) play country-flavored folky rockabilly with a bit
of classically-influenced flute thrown in for texture. The music is honest
and original but it has been described as a sort of Emmylou Harris meets
Elvis Costello kind of thing.
Kami Nixon used to be a newspaper reporter, but she realized that writing
songs was a more honest form of expression and activism. She could write
songs relating to the issues she was passionate about, like the war, eating
disorders or single parenthood, without being confined by a newspaper's
slant or stifling sensibilities.
On the country side of rock and roll, Kami cut her teeth on Willie Nelson
and Hank Williams Sr., and it shows. She found a partner/conspirator in
quirky rocker Bill "Sputnik"
Spooner (founder and songwriter of the legendary Tubes Group), who
engineered and produced her self-released 2003 debut EP "Boys named
Jon" and recently-released full length CD "Fertile Girl".
The songs showcase her voice (which has been described as "breathy"
and "modern") and her humorous-yet-poignant, right-on-the-money
songwriting talent. She plays guitar, flute and hand drum on this record,
and Bill plays nearly everything else. Boone
Spooner lends his amazing percussion abilities. So, it's great, original
music, that might feel a bit familiar. After all, when an artist's influences
include Johnny Cash and John Denver, there's going to be a quality to
the music that just feels right. And this does.
Kami Nixon and the Skiddy Knickers have been playing around the San Francisco
Bay Area for the last year, and Kami has played solo throughout California,
Minnesota and London. Bill of course has played all over the world, touring
as a giant rock star.
Kami's songs have been featured on local radio and her song "Plans,"
from her EP "Boys named Jon," was featured on KQED. Her music
is in stores in Northern California and all over the internet (including
iTunes and CD Baby).
