Anybody ever heard of this guy? I heard him on NPR the other day.
He accompanies himself on cello.
His style is really distinctive. It reminds me somewhat of Fiona Apple, as in I could see his songs as being written and sung by her.
Here is one video on YouTube for those who've never heard of him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-8zAxyWJCs
Ben Sollee
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Ronbo
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Re: Ben Sollee
Thanks for the warning.Cranberry wrote:Anybody ever heard of this guy? I heard him on NPR the other day.
He accompanies himself on cello.
His style is really distinctive. It reminds me somewhat of Fiona Apple, as in I could see his songs as being written and sung by her.
Here is one video on YouTube for those who've never heard of him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-8zAxyWJCs
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brewerpaul
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Nanohedron
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Re: Ben Sollee
Interesting stuff, and the banjo was an oddly catchy bit of texture against the cello pizzicato. Nice voice. I'd probably take notice if I heard it on the radio.Cranberry wrote:Here is one video on YouTube for those who've never heard of him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-8zAxyWJCs
I got irritated with the video, though. The incessant culvert-dancing in business suits, although clever, before long grew overdone and apropos of nothing; it really didn't inform the music, particularly the lyrics; the director could have at least kept the dance scenes and broken them up now and then with, like...I dunno...something surreal or dark, say, as both a startling contrast to the lighthearted delivery and yet as something also in oblique keeping with the idea that "boys don't cry". You know, make it interesting. Throw some artistic compression in there. As it stands, the video's one-dimensionality makes it merely incidental to the whole (and thus texturally disposable; nothing would be amiss without it; you could substitute almost anything else just as effectively). It leaves me desperately wanting something more than what it offers, and so I couldn't stick around and let it finish. I just had to get away from the dancing. That's music videos for me: I take the visual as part and parcel along with the music. I prefer to see them go together with some meaningfulness. In this case I'd rather have seen the band at work.
BUT: that said, I tend to like unusual musical departures from the norm in the pop realm, and I found nothing one-dimensional about his music in this case, which I appreciated. Can't say how long and bright his flame will burn, though; he could stick to the cello, but his branching out would have to be astute.
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Balochi musician
I dig it. It's like Bela Flek met up with some of Dave Mathews' band members
and got Jack Johnson to sing lead. I agree that the video is kind of unfortunate,
though. It's like some sort of OK, Go ripoff...
and got Jack Johnson to sing lead. I agree that the video is kind of unfortunate,
though. It's like some sort of OK, Go ripoff...
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Nanohedron
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Well, that's four against to four in favor (with two "for" votes disliking the video, which is really irrelevant, as you were talking about the music itself). So, most? Not enough of a sample to say that when it's practically even as of this post if we include the "can't say due to technical difficulties" with the "against" votes, which I wouldn't do.Cranberry wrote:I'm sorry most of you didn't like it or couldn't hear it. I liked it, so I thought I'd share it, that's all.
Last edited by Nanohedron on Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Balochi musician
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Whatever.Nanohedron wrote:Well, that's four against to four in favor (with two "for" votes disliking the video, which is really irrelevant, as you were talking about the music itself). So, most? Not enough of a sample to say that when it's practically even as of this post if we include the "can't say due to technical difficulties" with the "against" votes, which I wouldn't do.Cranberry wrote:I'm sorry most of you didn't like it or couldn't hear it. I liked it, so I thought I'd share it, that's all.
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Nanohedron
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