Ben Rogers - Guitar.
Nikki Scarlett - Bass Guitar & Double Bass.
Denis Close - Drums & percussion.
Influences
The Shadows, The Ventures, Django Reinhardt, Duane Eddy, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, JJ Cale, Peter Green, Danny Gatton, Atlantics, Wishbone Ash.
Sounds Like
Hank B Marvin on acid, Ventures with distortion, ranging from heavy surf to deep twang, lots of reverb and echo, Link Wray, Neil Young without vocals, Jeff Beck.
“Huge guitar, intense energy, and very emotional” – Phil Dirt, Reverb Central (Santa Cruz USA)
“a guitar player whose genre bending technique, taste and eclecticism place him among the world’s great guitarists.” – Billy Pinnell, Music Australia Guide (Australia)
ONE OF THE TOP 10 ROOTS ALBUMS OF 2007 (Reverb Rehab) – Billy Pinnell, Rhythms Magazine Writers' Poll (Australia)
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Like Hank Marvin on Acid!
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When electric guitars ruled the earth…
Ben Rogers was listening, learning and stealing everything he could from Django Reinhardt, Hank B. Marvin, Duane Eddy, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, JJ Cale and Peter Green. Having now left the primordial ooze, he’s unleashing his fearful blend of surf/gypsy/Tarantino rock solid pulp guitar truth and fiction to the masses. Ben Rogers' Instrumental Asylum is a trio made up of electric guitar, bass and drums and features reverb drenched guitar music that echoes some of the best work of The Shadows, Ventures and Surfaris, but with an extreme left turn towards the surreal. All done up with an Aussie accent.
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“…this is a band that takes no prisoners.” – Matthew Frederick, The Age (Australia)
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“A muscular, lovingly distorted guitar sound” – Greg Haymes, Times Union (USA)
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“Huge guitar, intense energy, and very emotional” – Phil Dirt, Reverb Central (Santa Cruz USA)
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"Against the hard-driving rhythm section of Nikki Scarlett on bass and Denis Close on drums, Ben fires salvo after salvo of tastily aggressive licks…” – Alan Taylor, Pipeline (UK)
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“The overall one-two punch of dazzling instrumentals played by expert hands makes Reverb Rehab one of the most favorable guitar instrumental CDs of the millenium” – Robert Silverstein, 20th Century Guitar (USA)
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“Their cover of Dick Dale’s Shake’n’Stomp is feverishly hot and the opening track KangaRoux could run at the beginning of the next Tarantino movie.” – Karl Mayerhofer, Australian Guitar
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“A mind-twisting compound of guitars, genre-swapping, echo and a garden frog, Reverb Rehab is, well, quite mad. Love it!” – Phil Bennett, Nova West (Perth Western Australia)
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“glimpses of Django Reinhardt, Peter Green and J.J. Cale poke through Rogers' Strat...” – Dan Forte, Vintage Guitar Magazine (USA) ________________________________________________________________
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“This is tough, punchy, guitars-astride-the-world stuff, not for the faint-hearted” – Ken Williams, the Sunday Age (Australia)
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Purchase from:
>Australian Distributor MGM Distribution: http://www.thegroovemerchants.com
>Payplay (MP3 format): http://payplay.fm/rogersia
>Waterfront Records: http://www.waterfrontrecords.com
>CDBaby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/rogersia (Welcome to the Instrumental Asylum), and http://cdbaby.com/cd/rogersia2 (Reverb Rehab)
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Ben Rogers’ Instrumental Asylum's Friend Space (Randomized)
Video – “Southern Right Surfer” just posted on Youtube and myspace. It’s a video of whales and surfers that Nikki (bass player) shot recently at Logan’s Beach (Warrnambool), with an accompanying piece of music composed to suit the scene…
This review appeared in the Sept 09 edition of the Australian Instrumental Newsletter "2Good4Words", written by Geoff Jermy: ASYLUM / FUTURAS / CILIA I finally made it to a Futuras / Ben Rogers gig at the Town Hall Hotel in North Melbourne, on Saturday 25 July, and was I glad I made the effort!! Ben Rogers’ Instrumental Asylum kicked things off at around 10pm with some of their “regulars” – Kanga Roux, WDR, Secret Agent Man etc, then the Futuras wheeled in their 1935 Hammond Organ and pleased with a selection including a great version of Paint It Black. Ben’s Asylum then returned with special guest Martin Cilia (with his Gibson Les Paul – not the Strat) for a superb “jam session” which included a fantastic version of Sleepwalk. How they all did this on a “stage” not much bigger than a postage stamp beats me. But it was a GREAT night, with friends Gary O’Rorke, John & Linlee Hall, Mandy Hall PLUS dancing girls (who had obviously indulged too much, but were entertaining!!)
Incidentally, Ben Rogers and Co. have been gigging around Melbourne quite regularly, including Clifton Hill Hotel and the aforementioned Town Hall Hotel.
Their track “Kanga Roux” has appeared on a new compilation “It’s A Gas Vol.2” from Press-Tone Music. Ben’s website is blazz.com.au
"Ticklin' The Strings" by Sweet Hollywaiians
Amazing Japanese hot string band playing 1920's, 30's, 40's style hawaiian, swing, calypso, blues, italian music and originals,featuring vintage instruments.3 songs with Robert Armstrong and Tony Marcus(from Robert Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders)
"The Sweet Hollywaiians have probably the best feel for this 20's music of any string band working today. They manage the rare feat of sounding relaxed even when their playing is hot, are top notch musicians with tasteful arrangements and a full, rich, warm sound.Plus, they have a nice gamut of tunes, from King Nawahi to Giovanni Vicari to Bobby Leecan. See them live, if you can, for an unforgettable experience. If you can't, buy their Cds!" ~ Terry Zwigoff
