Posted on: November 21, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

“Edward Rogers’ Porcelain Hits Hard and Pure…his hardest-rocking effort so far, and not only is it his best, it’s also one of the best straight-up rock records of the last couple of years” — NY Music Daily

“Without a doubt one of the most delightful surprises to land on the BLURT office stereo of late has been Porcelain by UK-born, NYC-based songwriter and classic pop maven Edward Rogers.” — Blurt Online

Edward Rogers: Porcelain Soul

Heavily informed by the plethora of great rock, pop, and folk groups that emerged during the 60’s and 70’s, Edward Rogers is the perfect example of solid influences positively shaping the creative output of great artistic talent. His newest solo album, Porcelain, which will be released 11/08 on Zip Records, displays a grittier, edgier side of the prolific singer/songwriter, who is also a founding member of the highly regarded avant-folk trio Bedsit Poets, and an indispensable staple of NYC’s thriving downtown scene.

2004 saw Rogers releasing his debut solo effort, Sunday Fables. His follow-up, You Haven’t Been Where I’ve Been, was co-written and produced by George Usher. Meanwhile, his third solo album, Sparkle Lane, was laden with backward-glancing gems inspired by his youth in Birmingham. And now, with Porcelain, which was co-produced with Don Piper, Rogers has crafted what many are calling his best album to date: a finely honed collection of songs that delves into his modern interpretations of the music of the early to mid 70’s. And, as usual, Rogers has brought along an impressive array of supporting musicians whose credits include work with bands like The Bongos, Velvet Monkeys, Sonic Youth, Sparks, Nada Surf, and Psychedelic Furs, to name just a few. The result is a brilliant album that weaves together diverse sounds that touch on New Wave, gentle chamber pop, and fuzzed out garage rock.

The album’s title track, which showcases Rogers’ adept songwriting skills, recently premiered on Blurt Online. And there’s also a brand new video for “The Biba Crowd,” which features scenes from the classic Godard flick Band of Outsiders, and deftly manages to examine a yearning for some old style without coming off as pure nostalgia. I guess when you’ve got timeless bands like The Kinks, The Velvet Underground, Bowie, and The Zombies coursing through your veins it’s kind of hard to go wrong. In Rogers’ own words, “I’m motivated by the urge to make music and express myself, rather than by some abstract idea of being some kind of pop star, so I feel like I’m making music for the right reasons.” And it shows.

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