I’ve been listening to the songs of Ben Rogers for the last six months. And no matter how good are the brand new songs flowing from this blog, I’m returning to Ben Rogers.
Everyone always asks me why I always write about the past or set my stories in the past. Truth is, I can’t relate to anything today: computers, television, even the wars we’re fighting. It’s like I always say: “out with the new, in with the old.” That’s not to say I’m oblivious, I’m just not finished with the past and I’m in no hurry to catch up. I’m wandering along dormant railroads strangled by tall weeds in the time of cowboys and Indians. I’m lost somewhere along the Wakarusa River, but instead of a rifle in my hands, I got a ’63 Gibson guitar and aside from a few cuts and scrapes, I still have most of my skin to speak of.
This is an excerpt from Ben Rogers’ page at Dragline Records. The Vancouver artist is a talented songwriter who is about to release his second collection. ‘The Dawn of a New Error’, his first album released at the age of 19, is covering a wide range of styles from Rock to Folk including some amazing tunes. I’ve collected some media coverages and If this young opus received some comparisons with L. Cohen writings, others crucified. I have to confess that I’ve been listening to the 2 minutes samples streamed on the cdbaby.com at lesat a ten times as the album is permanently on the ‘out of stock’ status. If some titles such as ‘Jesus and a Jacknife’ or ‘Night on the Ghost Town’ and ‘I Hate to Say This’ – I’ve finally found a way to download some demos – are really great tracks as valuable as the recently blogged Lucky Jim, others could be received the terms of premises ; a quest that could remind me a young Geldof.
Now, 4 years later, Devil Take The Hindmost, is almost done – but the deadline. Most of the orchestral style used in the previous album have disappeared to produce a pure country album where voice and guitar are playing the driver’s role and harmonica is from time to time a welcomed hitch-hiker and so the mandolin (?). Influenced by the likes of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, Rogers is a true storyteller. From start to end – only the fourth track is missing to my library – this album is a pure gem and a must have. Ben Rogers gritty voice ; “a voice of smoked damaged velvet soaked in Tennessee Whiskey” is hypnotizing and so the stories told.
As far as I can get through lyrics – you know how this Vancouver accent is quite harsh to understand for the froggies ears – this following song is dealing with a game called Cowboys and Indians …“and she cried oh oh oh!”
Artist : Ben Rogers
Label : Dragline Records
More Appetizers : CBC Radio 3 , Herohill review
Where to buy : Not yet available
Post Scriptum : Yes, any album deadline / any further information will be welcome…
Nice Post Olly! That Vancouver accent is harse, isn’t it!! It didn’t strike me that you might not have ever played “Cowboys & Indians”! You might need a bit more outdated/racist kids games in France…
Nice to hear Ben, though, Cowboys & Indians has been in my tunes for a bit, but hadn’t heard “The Bums of Easy Street”, thanks!