Ben Kweller




















Ben Kweller
No Video Available
A lot of kids are raised in musical families, but few had the introduction to music that Ben Kweller had. Nils Lofgren was one of Kweller's father's buddies during Lofgren's days with Bruce Springsteen. Young Kweller, not even old enough for kindergarten at the time, would try to be like the famous guitarist when he picked up his own toy version of the instrument. He played the piano since his very early childhood and by the age of eight had graduated from toy guitars and simply tapping the ivories to penning his own tunes. The following year, he received a nod of encouragement from Billboard magazine when it conferred an honorable mention on the youth for his entry into its yearly songwriters competition. By the time he hit his teen years, Kweller was accomplished on the guitar and also played the drums. As many teenagers do, he pulled together a band, which he dubbed Mirage. He followed up with groups named Green Eggs & Ham and Foxglove. In 1993, with Bryan Blur on bass and John Kent on drums, Kweller established Radish. The group made its mark on the local Dallas scene, not far from Greenville, TX, where Kweller was raised. In 1994, the musical wunderkind and his outfit put out the EP Hello through Practice Amp Records. That same year, the label released the album Dizzy. Roger Greenawalt, a producer, stepped into the picture in 1995. He led Radish through the production of a demo that led to the inking of a contract with Mercury during the summer of 1996. The label released Restraining Bolt the following spring, and Kweller led Radish through European and American tours and stops on late-night television talk shows, including The Conan O'Brian Show and Late Night With David Letterman. When Radish disbanded in 1999, Kweller headed east, in the spring, to Guilford, CT, where he stayed only a short time before relocating to Brooklyn, NY, the following November. Not yet 20 years old, he signed with Island Records as a solo artist. He spent time touring with such artists as Juliana Hatfield, Guster, Kristin Hersh, and Evan Dando. He also collaborated with Ben Folds and Ben Lee for a series of dates down under in 2003 and appeared on Folds' limited-edition EP The Bens. Kweller's sophomore effort, the much more subdued On My Way, followed in spring 2004. Two years later, he returned with his self-titled third album, on which he played all the instruments.
Date Venue City State Note
No Tour Dates Available
07/22/2009 - Singer/songwriter Ben Kweller has been performing professionally - Read More
03/19/2009 - Pop singer goes all country on us - Read More
03/01/2009 - In Studio: Ben Kweller's Country Makeover - Read More
02/12/2009 - Pop goes Ben Kweller - Read More
More News
No Blogs Available
No Interviews Available
No Merchandise Available
Average Rating : 5              Total Reviews: 5


Ben Kweller  07/07/2008            
WEEB
Ben moved back to Texas. Austin to be exact, so expect to hear more from his locally..
Ben Kweller  06/29/2008            
samistake2ice
new cd supposed to come out early 2009. he described it as more alt-country compared to his previous stuff. get excited
Ben Kweller  06/07/2004            
buzzcat
I saw Ben on channel 9 and he was great. I never heard of you before but you can mark me as one of your fans. Keep it up, I got to find your CD'S
Ben Kweller  04/20/2004            
Ben Kweller is on his way.
I first heard of Ben Kweller a couple of years ago, when his first major album Sha Sha was released. I picked it up and immediately fell in love with his unique, distinctive sound. I suppose I had high expectations of his new album based on this, and it certainly does not disappoint. The catchy hooks, the gooky and off-the-wall yet somehow still thoughtful lyrics, and Ben's undeniable musicianship are all still there, and Ben manages to add to the appeal with the new rockier sound. If you liked "Harriet's Got A Song" and "Wasted and Ready", you'll adore the whole of the new record, especially the standout rock of "The Rules" and "Hospital Bed". That's not to say there aren't still some more lower tempo, smoother tracks. "On My Way" gives light to a new, countrier sound most comparable with "Lizzy" on the last album, while "Living Life" is like what "Falling" should have been. Altogether, if you're into Ben already, you'll love the new direction this album has taken. If you haven't heard him before, you should definitely check him out if you like Moldy Peaches, Adam Green, Ben Folds Five, Weezer, Kings Of Leon, Death Cab For Cutie or Brendan Benson.
Ben Kweller  09/28/2003            
Mike W.
Sha Sha is an awesome CD. Ben Kweller is an excellent songwriter and musician. His music is a mixture of Weezer, the Beatles and Texas music all in one.
Add Review   More Review