Twenty-five-year-old Brooklyn indie-popper Ben Kweller, who’s now a husband and a dad, releases his third full-length on ATO 9/19. It’s called Ben Kweller because he played every damn note on the album. Guitar, bass, drums … glockenspiel.
Ben tells Billboard:
“I’m not one to diss on my other records [but] what I released a year ago or five years ago only reflected what and where I was at those times. I’m really proud of what I’ve made this time around.”
Here’s the first single. A Stereogum.com premiere, yo.
Ben Kweller – “Penny On The Train Track” (MP3 Link Expired)
Think Tank has MP3s of Ben covering Vanilla Ice, Weezer, the Beatles, and your favorite song from Cocktail.
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Ben Kweller’s wife is hott. The man sucks at darts, though. I have defeated him twice, and can usually barely see after a half hour at the back of Ace bar.
I’ve been a lackluster fan of Ben’s for while…for example, I stand in front of his CD at the store for half an hour before before I buy it cursing his music that I know I will find less than exciting. “Damn it, Ben, you bastard! I could buy a twelve pack of Bud instead of your shit!” I usually buy it though, and like it well enough…
But this new song is great! And he plays everything? Impressive. Who else does that?
McCartney on “Maybe I’m Amazed” among other tracks.
Dave Grohl on his first album and other tracks
Prince on “When Doves Cry”
Stevie Wonder on sumptin. I know he’s done it.
Who else? Who else is a master of all of his (or her) domains?
An ace new Ben Kweller song – it is NOW officially summer.
Mike,
Popmatters did a feature on your question about artists who play everything on their albums.
http://www.popmatters.com/music/features/foundgenres/060710.shtml
They included Skip Spence (Oar), Paul McCartney (McCartney), Todd Rungren (Something/Anything?), Stevie Wonder (Talking Book), Shuggie Otis (Inspiration Information), Prince (Dirty Mind), and Elliott Smith (XO), among others.
I believe George Michael did the same thing for Faith. Cody ChestnuTT almost pulled it off on “Headphone Masterpiece.” It looks like such an approach usually produces a fairly good album.
yeah, this song is tops kweller.
This is great.
But
Does anyone else hear the auto tuner on the voice though? I might be making it up but either way, its distracting just a tad.
I didn’t know you could actually hear autotuner, but maybe I’m just so used to it from the millions of pop songs released each year that my brain dismisses it. Still, Ben Kweller playing every note on the album and then using autotuner would sort of defeat the purpose wouldn’t it?
http://www.musictimes.com.au
I’m positive the dude from Miniature Tigers plays all his own instruments too.
Mike,
Charlie Brand is master of his domain in a band called Miniature Tigers.
I would compare them to The Beach Boys, Ben Kweller, The Beatles, The Unicorns.
Seriously, AMAZING!!
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=27609418
Mike,
Charlie Brand is master of his domain in a band called Miniature Tigers.
I would compare them to The Beach Boys, Ben Kweller, The Beatles, The Unicorns.
Seriously, AMAZING!!
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=27609418
Mike,
Charlie Brand is master of his domain in a band called MINIATURE TIGERS.
I would compare them to The Beach Boys, Ben Kweller, The Beatles, The Unicorns.
Seriously, AMAZING!!
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=27609418
I got the WRONG LINK for MINIATURE TIGERS!
HERE IS THE CORRECT LINK:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=8178717&MyToken=6cd461cf-ca03-4969-9f1b-15ebc4c37083
pete yorn on his first album played all insturments i believe.
just one more test comment…
I’m going to be perfectly honest, I have never heard Ben Kweller before. I kept hearing people talk about him but never got around to listening to anything, but this song is really good. I listened to some other Kweller songs too and quite liked them. I gotta stop waiting so long to check out bands… You rock Ben!
Oh MAN…the first BK song i heard was “Wasted and Ready” and i heard him say “sex reminds her of eating spaghetti” i was like man this guy rocks but i didnt know his name so for months i called him the band without a name untill my ex was like its Ben Kweller i said “u mean Ben Keller”….”nope Ben Kweller”..WHOAH…oh well still rocks..
I saw BK at the Granada in Dallas and he freggin rocked and he signed a shirt ticket stub and sticker and i said he had a cool ass bass player…”GRADE A FUCKING MOVES MAN”
come back soon BEN K.
ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
OMG i LOVE BK!!!!!!