Forming the comedy rock band FORTRESS OF ATTITUDE, New Yorkers Zehentner and Barkan have found the perfect outlet for their quirky stories of love, loss, and American Gladiators. Now, what started as a way to kill time between scripts has grown into a phenomenon beyond their control.
“We didn’t expect anything to come of this. Just a few shows to make our friends laugh,” says Zehentner, who goes by the stage name Dr. Genius.
Zehentner and Barkan had been focused solely on screenwriting, having sold a script in 2006 to “Batman” producer Michael Uslan. But after a two-month national tour booked entirely out of their basement, Zehentner and Barkan realized Fortress of Attitude was now their primary mode of storytelling.
“We had an idea about a mathematician who tries to invent an equation that proves his ex-girlfriend actually still loves him,” says Barkan, a.k.a. Bomb Threat. “We thought it would be a sweet movie, but it eventually turned into one of our most popular songs, Solve for E(X).”
Fueled by a passionate response to their live show, a hybrid of standup comedy and hard-hitting rock and roll, Fortress of Attitude hit the studio, yielding their June 2008 debut album “The Gift of Music.” With well-crafted hooks, hummable melodies and tons of jokes, “The Gift of Music” offers a much-appreciated reprieve from a rock scene saturated with stuffy, self-conscious albums that take themselves far too seriously.
Relocating to LA earlier this year, Zehentner and Barkan now strive to strike a balance between their two careers. “Movies are still awesome, and we’re working on a lot of different scripts. But the turnaround time on songs is a lot faster,” Zehentner laughs.
To receive a promotional copy of “The Gift of Music” for review, please contact the band at fortressofattitude@
