Frank
Rogala burst onto the scene as the lead vocalist of
EXUDE when their debut EP debuted at #2 on the charts and stayed in
the international record charts for the next 5 years. EXUDE's
version of Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want To Have
Fun exploded before it was released and was even taped off the air by
competing radio stations so that they could have it to play for their
listeners. As the
lead singer of NC-17, Frank is profiled in the
feature length critically acclaimed documentary about the band NC-17
Won’t Anybody Listen (exclusively available through
Netflix). Frank’s critically
acclaimed first solo album Crimes
Against Nature was pronounced “a masterstroke” by the Los Angeles
Times and a dance remix of the album hit top 10 on dance charts in 8
major cities.
One of the more noteworthy independent band films is the critically
acclaimed full length feature motion picture documentary, Won’t Anybody
Listen (www.anybodylisten.com)
featuring Anaheim’s NC-17 (www.nc17music.com). Seven years in the
making, director
Dov Kelemer followed NC-17 as they rehearsed, composed, recorded
music, and played clubs in OC/LA. Intercut with interviews with music
press, and music industry executives the film was picked up by the
prestigious distributor Seventh Art Releasing. The distribution contract
resulted in theatrical screenings in nearly every major U.S. city as the
film received rave reviews by
Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, The Los Angeles
Times, among others. Robert Redford’s Sundance Channel has purchased
U.S. television right and has began a series of showings that will
continue over the next two years.
Brothers Frank and Vince Rogala with Robin Canada created
NC-17 in 1990. The trio had previously
performed and recorded together for several years in a techno rock band
called EXUDE, which among other accomplishments
was the only unsigned band ever featured twice on MTV's Basement Tapes
(the band's Safe With You video won the final Basement Tapes
competition) and was lauded as the best unsigned band in America by
Musician Magazine (chosen by judges Elvis Costello, Mark Knopfler,
T-Bone Burnett and Mitchell Froom).
Ready to go at the onset of the alternative movement, NC-17 set out on a
mission to write and record a collection of powerful new rock songs
without the use of a guitar. After months of writing and rewriting,
recording and re-recording, NC-17 completed its
debut album The Happiest Place On Earth. Using a distorted Rhodes to
take up the slack left by the absence of the guitar, and adding a slew
of non-standard instrumentation, effects and recording techniques, The
Happiest Place On Earth truly sets the unique tone that is
NC-17.
Shortly after the completion of Happiest... the group sought out a bass
player for its live show, and was introduced to Ron Perron through a
mutual friend. With Ron on bass, NC-17 played a
handful of shows in Hollywood clubs. A few months later, Ron introduced
the band to his own former band mate Chuck Hohn when the band found
itself in need of a live sound engineer. Chuck did sound for a few shows
and then made the switch to become NC-17's
drummer, with whom the band then continued its steady Hollywood show
schedule.
In early 1992, NC-17 was selected to appear on
Rock America, a live concert program directed by
Dov Kelemer.
The band performed a number of songs on the show, and more importantly
built a friendship with
Dov, who
subsequently directed two videos for NC-17 and
began a relationship with NC-17 that led to the
idea of a documentary film that would end up recording events in the
lives of the band for the next seven years.
Violinist Robert Anthony Aviles hooked up with
NC-17 later in 1992 when he, Chuck, Ron and Robin were invited to
play together for a showcase at the Troubadour to back a singer who was
an acquaintance of theirs. Robert fronted (and still now performs with)
his own band called Insight, which had been a winner on Star Search. The
band quickly integrated Robert and his unique style into its already
distinct sound, and soon afterward recorded the album Hellhead which
marked the next step in the evolution of NC-17.
NC-17 has completed Listen (the album they are
documented composing during the
film).
Frank Rogala’s current projects include: Producing, engineering a house
music album with a mysterious artist who is rumored to be a Chinese
opera singer, mastering for the Australian Based Army of DJ's
internationally distributed record label and remixing the 1980's
international smash Boys Just Want To Have Sex.
Directing, producing and engineering an audio version of the book
Retards, Rebels & Slackers, in addition Rogala has acquired motion
picture rights and is in the process of mounting an independent film
production. www.houseoftards.com
Along with being a singer, writer, producer, artist, filmmaker,
Frank Rogala operates a large family camping resort with his brothers
www.campmackinaw.com and is also an accomplished search engine optimization
specialist. www.handmade4you.com
About the Album
"Crimes Against Nature" was created
while Frank's band NC-17 was working
on its "Lost In The Land Of The Bands" documentary. Because the
NC-17 band members were keeping their schedules flexible for the
filmmakers and last minute cancellations would leave band members with nothing to do,
Frank used the time to get together in smaller groups of one or two band
mates at a time to
work on songs for the album.
All of Frank's NC-17 compatriots performed on and
contributed in various ways to the "Crimes..."
album, and other guest musicians also made appearances. The album is truly Frank Rogala's
brainchild, however, and its wide variety of songs and styles is quite a departure from
the more in-your-face NC-17 musical approach.
The album uses many songs that are thought to be female-oriented or songs that have
previously only been sung by women. While all the original lyrics were left unchanged,
Frank sang them in his own voice, giving the songs a new twist in meaning.
Frank's New Single
Don't Cha
First digital release of
Boys Just Want To Have Sex
(Frank Rogala lead vocalist)
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