“DORA LEE (GRAVITY)” by Rosetta West

With their latest release, “Dora Lee (Gravity),” Chicago’s long-standing blues-rock experimenters Rosetta West deliver a gripping fusion of mythology, mysticism, and musical force. As part of their forthcoming Gravity Sessions—recorded live at Chicago’s renowned Gravity Studios—this visual offering brings a cinematic intensity to a track already dense with narrative and raw sonic energy.

At its core, “Dora Lee (Gravity)” is classic Rosetta West: hard-edged blues rock with a deep undercurrent of psychedelia and lyrical abstraction. The band, fronted by founder and songwriter Joseph Demagore on vocals and guitar, channels a storm of emotion and symbolism into a tightly wound performance. With Herf Guderian on bass and longtime collaborator Mike Weaver on drums, the rhythm section strikes a perfect balance between urgency and control—never overpowering the message, but always driving it forward.

The video, however, elevates the track into something more than performance. It places the narrator—portrayed as a tormented military commander—at the center of a surreal vision. One by one, he is visited by archetypal female figures: goddesses drawn from a wide spiritual spectrum, including Ishtar, Hecate, and Kali. These supernatural visitors, embodiments of power, destruction, and transformation, serve as metaphors for love, memory, and perhaps madness. The choice to frame the tale through a military lens adds further layers of tension and psychological complexity—suggesting not only the chaos of war, but the disintegration of the self in the face of uncontrollable forces. While the song originates from their twelve-track album Night’s Cross, its presence in the Gravity Sessions series provides a more spontaneous, urgent delivery—capturing the essence of Rosetta West’s unfiltered performance style.

The live energy is palpable, and the quick takes only intensify the rawness. It feels less like a polished studio product and more like a conjuring—something summoned rather than merely recorded.

Rosetta West has always thrived in the margins of genre and expectation. Since the 1990s, their music has consistently blended blues rock with spiritual exploration and folklore. With “Dora Lee (Gravity),” they again prove their ability to transform song into experience, and sound into story. The result is a visceral, thought-provoking audiovisual work that challenges as much as it entertains.

Equal parts hallucinatory vision and musical exorcism, “Dora Lee (Gravity)” is a vivid reminder of what Rosetta West does best—ignite the mind while rattling the soul.

Garcia Penned 🖊️