Ten Benson are a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band from

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

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formed in 1997. Their early releases saw them described as "psychedelic hillbillies",Strong, Martin C.: "The Great Alternative & Indie Discography", 1999, Canongate, but they later moved on to a (cod-) heavy metal sound.

History

The band was formed in 1997 by ex-

Swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

singer/guitarist Chris Teckkam, with Shiva Affect drummer Napoleon Catilo, and bassist Duncan Lovatt. Jonny Wood came in for live shows on keyboard and general crazy shenanigans etc. Three 7" singles were released in 1997 and 1998, the latter ("Evil Heat") getting considerable airplay on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

. These singles were compiled onto the ''6 Fingers of Benson'' mini-album on

Deceptive Records Deceptive Records was a British independent record label formed in 1993 by Steve Lamacq, Tony Smith and Alan James, which concentrated on rock and alternative rock. The most famous group signed to the label were Elastica. Steve Lamacq left t ...

. The ''United Colors of Benson'' EP followed in November 1998, these early release seeing them described as a "geeky gaggle of quirk-rock experimentalists". The band recorded two sessions for

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

's show, in 1998, and 2000. "The Claw" reached No. 4 in the 1998

Festive 50 The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's 50 (though the exact figure varied above and below this number) best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show. It was usually do ...

, "Evil Heat" also making the chart at No. 47. Their next release, "Rock Cottage" saw them spoofing Heavy Metal. First album proper, ''Hiss'' followed in 2000. Next album was 2002's ''Satan Kidney Pie''. The

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

debut album ''Benson Burner'' was released in 2003 on

Jetset Records Jetset Records was a New York-based indie rock record label. Founded by Shelley Maple in 1996, the label's first release was a reissue of German punk rock band The Golden Lemons' fourth album, ''Punkrock''. The label has released music by a varie ...

, and was described in one review as "

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sound ...

in bed with

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-- infectious hooks with primal leanings" and gaining comparisons with

Tenacious D Tenacious D is an American comedy rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. It was founded by actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass, who were members of The Actors' Gang theater company at the time. The duo's name is derived from "tenacio ...

in another.

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compared the band to

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, and described them as "foreigners with bad hick accents growling, 'Mmmmmmm, hot sausage!'". A 2003

Drowned In Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

live review described them as an "inbred family of redneck truckers resplendent in mesh caps and string vests and hirsute faces". ''Danger of Deaf'' was also issued in 2003. After a two and a half-year sabbatical, the band returned in late 2006. Their live shows sometimes include unreleased songs "Third Eye" and "500 Miles". They recorded

BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...

sessions on

Marc Riley Marc Riley (born 10 July 1961 in Manchester) is an English radio DJ, alternative rock critic, musician, and former music businessman. He currently presents on BBC Radio 6 Music. Formerly a member of the Fall, he co-owned a record label, In-Ta ...

's show on 2 October 2013, when Mike Joyce (ex Smiths drummer) stood in as the DJ, and on 6 October 2015. Ten Benson continue to play live, albeit seldom.

Discography

Singles

*"City Hoppers" (1997, Sweet) *"The Claw" (1998, Sweet) *"Evil Heat" (1998, Deceptive) *''United Colors of Benson'' EP (1998, Deceptive) *"Rock Cottage" (1999, Cottage) *"Robot Tourist" (February 2000, Cottage) UK No. 97 *"I Don't Buy It" (July 2000, Cottage) UK No. 121 *"Black Snow" (December 2000, Cottage) UK No. 127 *"One Way Ticket" (August 2007, Artrocker) *"Mud Man" (September 2015, Ditto Music) *”Snowman Snowgirl” (December 2015, Ditto Music) *”Half an Hour from Hell” (December 2021) *”500 Miles” (December 2021) *”Almost Human” (February 2022)

Albums

*''6 Fingers of Benson'' (June 1998, Deceptive) *''Hiss'' (March 2000, Cottage) *''Satan Kidney Pie'' (2002, Artrocker) *''Danger of Deaf'' (May 2003, Must Destroy) *''Benson Burner'' (August 2003, Jetset)

References

External links

Official websiteMaelstrom review of ''Benson Burner''Prefix magazine review of ''Benson Burner''
{{Authority control English rock music groups