Album Notes

Rosetta Pebble is actually Eric Frakes and Steve Gulian, two multi-talented song-writers from metropolitan Detroit. Stories That The World Once Told, their debut recording, is the junction of two less-traveled roads. The journey began with this previously hard-to-find 2002 release. Although less polished than the follow-up CD, true fans will instantly recognize that core "Pebble" sound, cultivated at the Indianapolis indie haven, Hit City Recording with local legend, Tim Brickley. The journey continues on their Clear Across Summer CD released in the fall of 2005.

Rosetta Pebble first formed in Barcelona, Spain during the summer of 1999. Longtime friends from the Detroit area, Gulian and Frakes met up overseas that summer, each with a guitar and a notebook filled with song ideas. Gulian had been traveling westward following a year teaching in Indonesia, and Frakes had been on holiday in Germany. The duo continued throughout Europe that summer, writing songs and performing wherever they could. Upon their return to Detroit, Rosetta Pebble was born.

As a two-man songwriting collective, they began recording and seeking out a forum for these acoustic-based songs they'd been writing individually, on hiatus from other bands. Rosetta Pebble proved to be the ideal project for each, providing them a stage to present their musical ideas and carefully wrought lyrics in an uncluttered manner, showcasing the integrity of the songs themselves.

In performance, Gulian and Frakes play acoustic guitar and sing lead vocals by turns, with the other handling the percussion and background vocals. The one-of-a-kind drum set is a work of art in itself. This collection of hand percussion from far-flung parts of the world is arrayed on iron stands created by several metal sculptors.

Although the band is often joined by guest musicians, the core Pebble sound can stand on its own. Both singer/songwriters daylight as elementary school teachers in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. The viola playing of James Gross, another GP. teacher, adds a distinctive grace to many of their songs.

On CD, Rosetta Pebble's music shines, thanks in part to the creative input and expert production of Indianapolis music legend Tim Brickley. Brickley, a fantastic musician singer/songwriter himself, plays bass and adds several tasty guitar solos on many tracks of Stories That The World Once Told. His Indianapolis recording haven, Hit City, is where Rosetta Pebble also recorded their 2005 sophmore CD, Clear Across Summer.