THE MERCY FILTER
RATHER NOT KNOW
MERCURY’S BLUES
HIGH HAT (by 6 String Drag)
6 String Drag (self-titled debut)
To purchase Kenny Roby or 6 String Drag music go to CD Baby, Amazon, iTunes or click the ’Buy Now’ buttons to purchase direct from the artist through Paypal.
In the mid to late 90’s, as a founding member of the band Six String Drag, Kenny Roby established himself as one of the main songwriting forces behind the Americana/Roots Rock movement. Six String Drag played a major role in the early success of Steve Earle and Jack Emerson’s E Squared label.
Roby and his band toured nationally with Earle and other acts and also gained a strong following on the east coast and the midwest. The band was featured on the soundtrack to the Grammy nominated film You Can Count On Me and garnered much critical acclaim for their E Squared release High Hat. In 1998 the band broke up and Roby continued with a solo career releasing two more critically acclaimed albums Mercury’s Blues and Rather Not Know.
Roby’s writing and singing have been praised by Billboard, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Boston Phoenix, The Washington Post, Option, No Depression, Performing Songwriter and many other publications. Kenny has also been featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered and Acoustic Cafe and has received extensive national airplay on NPR, Americana and AAA radio stations.
Ryan Adams has claimed Roby as as an influential writer on his and his former band Whiskeytown’s music. Adams featured Roby’s song Rather Not Know on NPR’s All Songs Considered in 2004. (in a segment called You Play the Dj: Artist’s Picks) As well, Adams recently mentioned Roby in Rolling Stone as the best songwriter that not many people have heard of.
Roby's new album "The Mercy Filter" leans much less on Americana than previous efforts but dips and turns more into straight up rock, experimentation, Beatle-esque grooves, and soulful ballads. His new band features Scott McCall (Two Dollar Pistols, New Electric Combo), Mark O'Brien (Two Dollar Pistols, Barn Burning), David Kim (Les Dirt Clods, Houston Brothers) and Ray Duffey (Six String Drag, Countdown Quartet, New Electric Combo)
To hear more songs, go to www.myspace.com/themercyfilter.
Hey man, I just wanted to say we had a really good time the other night! Ya still got it going on! Hope the fam's doing well & life's treating you good-say hi to Chris 4 me!!! ;)
I know you don't do the myspace thing much but PLEASE send event bullitins for your shows. I always miss them and unless you have another website outside of myspace to refer me to the best I can do is wait for Kristine to say, "Did you know Kenny was at...?" At which piont I reply, "No, noone told me(until after)". We'd love to come see you but we never know where you are playing. Thanks!!!!!!!
Thanks so much for your rather not know album--Anthony made me a K.Roby compalation cd. It's been a great help thru my mom's sickness.I was just in love with mercyfilter but as I hear more I find myself skipping thru other artists to songs like rather not know, on the wind, highway cross, and keep on pushin...Thanks for being the musical genius you are.Hope Chris and the fam are doing good.
Why are we both awake in this digital age. Neil's "Trans" beat the punch to us all. Or maybe me ass is talkin' again. Anyhow, come around here--we will rock the midwest the way the gasoline gods intended.
"In A Dress" is one of those transcendental songs, much like Michael Hurley's "The Rue of Ruby Whores". Taps into that place we've all been but might have forgotten, you know? Kinda like a really good "Petticoat Juction" episode...
hey there kenny, thanks for adding us. it's 11pm around here and i feel like i'm getting a little drunk sitting around here alone and listening to the songs on your site. sounds really good. thanks you shared them. herzliche grüße from germany, j. schroeder / hometown alien
i tell you, women and music ... can't get enough of those ... fuck, seems i'm really getting drunk :)