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Joe Fournier is the real deal. He simply plays American roots music - funky,
country soul, folk,
rockabilly and blues - with stories that will make you laugh, cry and cringe,
sometimes all in the
same verse. You’ll find elements of John Fogerty, Bruce Springteen, Kris
Kristofferson, John
Hiatt, Shel Silverstein, Fred Eaglesmith - all covered in southern fried swamp
rockin' blues and
a good dose of Bakersfield twang. Joe records in the “Eight Track Shack”
studio he built himself
from old gear and found parts. He plays most of the instruments and produces as
well.
Five records into his
late-starting career Joe Fournier has refined -- if you can actually say
"refined" for a guy
who sings with a voice that is as much a holler as
it is singing -- his style.
The songs on his new disc,
Truth & Twang, are sometimes hilarious, sometimes
heartbreaking
but always rocking.
Joyously sing along with Joe even while his stories are
breaking your heart.
Joe grew up stealing songs and
stories from the many road-worn acts that rolled through the
local beer joint his family ran in northern Canada. Every night he'd fall asleep
to the sound of
country music filtering up through the floorboards and every morning a new Merle
Haggard,
Johnny Cash or Creedence tune would be stuck in his head. It's bound to have an
effect on a kid.
His first appearance, at age 12, was filling in for the hired act who was too
drunk to play the
matinee at his folk's hotel. The people ate it up - plus it paid 25 bucks and
all the soda he could
handle. Joe was hooked. He soon found himself making good money playing
traditional and then
current (late 70's) country and rock in local bands every weekend. The next 25
years were spent
on and off the road. Punk, pop, rockabilly, polka, blues, new country, old
country, whatever...
he played it all. Sometimes it was guitar, sometimes it was bass or drums. He
met his first wife
while playing the part of Ringo in a Beatles tribute band! All the while Joe was
learning about songs.
How to write 'em and to record 'em.
Joe's first release, Raw Sugar
Shed (2002) received rave reviews. In no time flat he was fielding
calls from publishers and managers from Nashville to Europe and beyond. The next
two years were
spent touring around Canada, England and Scandinavia to enthusiastic crowds. In
Nova Scotia he
received three MIANS nominations for best songwriter, best male vocalist and
best country/roots
album. Joe also appeared at Canada's National Arts Centre and was featured twice
on CBC radio in
concert. He shared stages with the likes of Fred Eaglesmith, Willie P. Bennett,
Tom Russell, Robbie Fulks, Josh Ritter and Alabama 3 to name a few.
Since then, he's released
three more critically acclaimed discs - Whiskey Stars (2003), Three Chord
MacGyver (2005) and Dirt Road Joyride (2008). Whiskey Stars was re-released in a
slightly different
mix for the US market in 2008
and did very well on alt-country radio. The
single, "Almost Got it Made",
was covered by many acts including
a blues band, a punk outfit and a
swing/gospel group.
Truth & Twang (2009) is
the latest batch of tunes. It's a little louder and a little dirtier than the
last few
have been. Cut at the Eight Track Shack, using lotsa tube and ribbon junk, It's
mostly Joe bangin' and
hackin' away with a few buddies guesting here and there. Plus there's one
written by Steve Ketchen
of the Kensington Hillbillys - and a Tom Waits cover, Goin' Out West, kinda
swamped up a little. It'll be
out on Dusty Records in Europe this September, then later in the year on
Reliable Records in Canada
and at CD Baby and ITunes worldwide. If you're a fan of great songwriting with
lyrics as sharp as a
broken beer bottle - and swamp rockin' country that's slightly cock-eyed with
the rough edges intact
- then get with Joe's latest, Truth and Twang!
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