We are currently indepenedent
We are increasingly indignant.
“Who are you?” I ask.
We call ourselves the Rocky Fortune because an angel once appeared to our drummer the Flo as he lay slumbering in the AM one night.
According to his account, a winged celestial figure descended from the heavens with a shoulder-borne boombox and threw down some dope rhyme about a hard-luck-but smooth-singin detective named Rocky Fortunato.
Flo seemed so grave about the whole encounter; that the name became a sticker.
Our primetime picker, Ty, sometimes reminds me of Lindsay Buckingham sometimes of Johnny Marr, but then all that will change and he'll suddenly remind me of Wilt Chamberlain
Or some kind of 6' 4" musical mantis.
When he plucks that banjo though,
he reminds me of Jesus.
In addition to being a tambourine tyrant, and a velvet voice, our drummer, Flo can lay out the beat any way you need it.
I suspect he sees halos and auras.
Mr. Fletcher plays the organ like he was born with magic fingers.
We got a new kid. Says his name's Chris,
but I know it's really Rudolph.
You'll find his fingers most frequently foolin with the four fat ones (bass y'all) and doing so with deftness and defness.
Kid could cut a groove in a hailstorm.
Now the eye ogles inward, on me: the fox of fortune.
I say that words are just warmer numbers.
and I'm a grammathematician,
A dandelion farmer…
Basically rabble.
Our newest record is finished.
It's called “Back of the Beeside”
(Like a cassette with a stinger.)
It's all analog; tracked and mixed.
No computery-autotuney-binary –pointy-clicky-cut-paste-waveforms-and-why-are-we-wasting-our-time-with-this?”, shenanigans.
No sir.
We keep it real
from reel to reel
We cut all the beds in seven days off the floor of Calgary's MCC studios with our engineer and co-conspirator-Josh Gwilliam, then jumped a jet with the tapes down to Austin, Texas for seven more days of mixing and vocal sessions.
Enroute we endured 8 hours of thunderstorm delays, a cancelled flight, and a most grotesque seizure.
Don't mess with Texas indeed.
Upon finally arriving intact in Austin we worked our first day at Cedar Creek studios. It was an old ranchouse where Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lonnie Mack used to trade licks in the 80's and where the Dixie Chicks recorded their first record. It was a charming place buzzing with warm Texan vibes so we cut vocal tracks for the whole day.
On our second day down south, we left Austin and wended our way through the countryside to Pedernales Cut n' Putt. This is Willie Nelson's studio and 9-hole golf course. Our young mixing engineer Jacob Sciba, whose aural talents have been employed by Grady, the Joel Plaskett Emergency, Government Mule, and the Butthole Surfers, seemed to me, a younger slimmer Rick Rubin with an eye that was apt to pop-a-wheelie at any second.
He mixed like a madman for us, and we Love his work.
We met his right hand man Lovey,
his crew chief Poodie,
but we never did meet the elusive Willie Nelson.
Smoked some of his fine green though.
Poodie hooked us up.
The Rocky Fortune are Craig John Florence, Tyler John Toews, Chris Rudolph Van Berkel, Steve Fletcher and Todd Norman Gesshe.
The Rocky Fortune have been together officially for three years and lived together for 2 of those years in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
They live apart now sometimes but are far more together.
They have opened for the International Noise Conspiracy, Ani Difranco, Tricky Woo, C'mon, Cuff the Duke, and Hawksley Workman.
The band was recently featured on MuchMusic's Going Coastal Spotlight on Calgary.
They just bought a used Quebecois school bus (une autobus), and are converting it to bio-diesel for touring.
On their new record "Back of the Beeside" you will hear songs about educated ladies, uneducated men, and the hot black blood the keeps us all greasy. You will hear guitars, synthesizers, banjoes, and B-3. Bass, fiddle, a ton o tambourine, a flailing rope, some random pipes, the wooden spoons, rhymin', stealin', and all of it with feeling.
The Rocky Fortune will honor the beat anywhere with anyone.
Videos:
Store:
The Rocky Fortune
Back Of The Beeside
Released 2007 on Paperbird
Track Listing: She Soviette / Hot Black Blood / Pay The Rent / Back Of The B-Side / Hip City / Dandelion Farmer / What Makes The Grass Grow / Money Is The Only Thing That Rolls Up Hill / Educated Lady / Beothuk / Tidal Man
Buy BACK OF THE BEESIDE on CD at:
Buy BACK OF THE BEESIDE digitally:
or at:
The Rocky Fortune
Sway
Released 2005 on Meter Records
Track Listing: Glass In The Gravel / Priceless Vices / Drop Me In The Well / Scripts And Stories / Tonight We Pray For Rain / Pack A Day / Ann Marie / Hotter Than Heaven / Art Is A Dying Art / Three Sheets
Buy SWAY digitally at:
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