"I can't tell you how good this album is!" (PLEASURE CENTER)
- Aaron Badgley, Here Today Show, CFRU 93.3 FM
"I always enjoy his ability to take you elsewhere in song... sophisticated... absorbing..."
- Billcs Music Blog
"I love your music Benjamin!"
- Father to Son Show, CHRW 94.9 FM Radio Western
"What a heartbreaking but beautiful song..."
- Baydreamer - Lauren Scott
“It is a damn fine album"
- David Marsden, nythespirit.com
“Timeless pop sensibilities, a strong vocal performance and a flair for arrangement"
- Ether Diver
"I am a big fan of the Benjamin Russell sound...exceptional, captivating songwriting and song craft..."
- Tom Hilton, A B Records E-zine
“Fabulous. It's like Disney animated movie soundtrack stuff. Melodic rhythmic and bright. I doubt I'll hear anything else more engaging today."
- Div Allan, Matrix Div
“.Pleasure Centre is a great listen from start to finish. A very talented cat out of Montreal, Canada!"
- Jimmy C, Middtown Music Radio
“...one of the biggest talents in this, or any other, country...songs are so full of hooks and strong melodies...tracks that grow stronger with each spin..."
- Aaron Badgley, Spill Magazine
“I can see this in a James Bond film. It's absolutely stunning - it blew me away!”
- Suzanne Letting, Let’s Get It On radio show
“…loaded with talent!”
- The Hamilton Spectator
“…one of our better singer-songwriters.”
- The Montreal Star
“…a wide and expressive vocal range…a talented multi-instrumentalist.”
- Ralph Angelillo, Muzik Etc.
“…experience this uber-talented, charming, and endearing musician..”
- Miss Parker, Rave and Roll Blog
“His style, voice and playing are right on the money.”
- Fanfare Magazine
“The vocals are expressive and strong, carrying a melody mingling energy and shadowy feeling as drums thunder and bass growls.”
- Karl Magi, Freelance Blogger
“A sound and persona of his own.”
- Share
“Combining elements from his punk era with his better remembered electronic Miracle ‘80s pop career…prolific...”
- David Farrell, FYI Music News
“I love this (ROCKHILL) CD. It brings elements from the exciting times of the late sixties and early seventies and makes it fresh and new again, sounding totally modern.”
- Duke Eatmon, CBC Radio One Homerun Show
“…a fantastic show. The interaction was almost unbelievable.”
- The Plant
“…a very special talent.”
- Sunday Express
“An impressive display of staccato, claw hammer style of guitar playing... His voice is smooth and tuneful, evocative of Ian McCulloch from Echo & The Bunnymen.”
- noisography
“…excellent new album is an amalgam of avant-garde modernity, earthy tradition, and Brian Eno-like eccentricity.”
- zoot aloors, canadaisamusicmec.ca
About
I am a multi-genre singer-songwriter, painter, writer and graphic artist (I design all my album covers), originally from Saskatoon, a small city in Saskatchewan, a prairie province in western Canada. I now live in Montreal, Quebec. My partner in life and art is Elyce.
I was nominated, "Most Promising Male Vocalist", in the 80s for my hit single, "Miracle (Miracle of Love)". I have released many albums, singles and videos.
My songs are wide-ranging in style and hard to pin down, with influences from folk to punk, from rock to jazz and classical. I've even made a country album, HALF TON TRUCK. I have a couple of other personas at the extreme ends of my creative spectrum: RIVER OF STONE (acoustic/folk-style), and GURU GROAN (aggressive electronic dance).
I come from an era when it was normal for artists to go where their creativity led them, so I offer no excuse. I may not be as famous as some of my influences, but I believe I deserve the creative latitude allowed The Clash, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Adele and Kanye West.
In 2008, at one of my lowest points, I had the dream which started me painting. I described it to Elyce as being in "water colour hues". She surprised me by giving me the gift of my first paints. My watercolour and gouache paintings have been exhibited and sold in art shows.
I'm also a poet, and I share excerpts of poems and lyrics on Instagram.
