I met Benjamin Brackett in his garage in the summer of 2006. I had started a band and needed some players to back me up. Those players happened to have been in a project with Ben, and since they already had a rehearsal space, I decided to start hacking out some tunes with them there. He was an interesting young man. He is still an interesting young man. He was a little quiet.
That didn’t last long.
As my band started to take shape, it seemed Ben’s talent and drive began to grow exponentially. I can’t remember the first time I heard “You’ve Got The Market Cornered”, but I remember not really believing it. His voice was soft and shy and I didn’t quite understand how someone so young could capture the feeling of loneliness and isolation using only a few simple metaphors. I heard that single and I was hooked.
Ben recorded an album all by himself. Sure, people record solo albums all the time, but not like this one. I remember him taking off one day for Seattle to record for a week at Studio Litho. He would go into record while his mother hung out in the studios kitchen and made bowls out of old LP’s. He comes home a week later with a beard down to his knees and a handful of burned CD’s with the words “Big Baby Jesus” (later to be renamed Hear Ye Hear Ye) scrawled on them. He gave me a copy, I took it home, threw on some headphones, and listened. What Ben created dwarfed what I had heard on that first single. These were wonderfully lush acoustic arrangements coupled with mellow organs and ethereal delayed guitars. He even taught himself how to play drums for the record. Benjamin has such an insightful lyricism and paints these beautifully sad and tragic portraits of characters that embody loss yet still retain a quiet and touching solitude. Benjamin had done all of this and he was only 17. To this day it still blows my mind.
I consider Ben a good friend and he should be your good friend too. And maybe that’s why it’s taken me 6 months to write this. The problem I find is that words seem to fail when trying to describe such a talent with a preternatural instinct for witty, intelligent lyrics, haunting melodies, and an all around gift for the craft of music. I’m honored to be part of Ben’s family and 6 months worth of writing can never convey that. I feel lucky to share my passion and love for the art of music with someone that has so quickly become an inspiration. Listen to his record and I think you’ll see what I mean. Then give yourself 6 months to try putting it into words.
**********Hey, why not buy the album?**********
"Hear Ye Hear Ye" is my debut full-length record. It was produced by Shawn Simmons and recorded at Studio Litho in Seattle, WA during one very rainy week this last summer. The album has 10 tracks, and is packaged in a panoramic fold-out digipak with a full color booklet. The artwork was done by wonderful Minneapolis artist Jennifer Davis.
Benjamin Brackett - "Hear Ye Hear Ye LP"
Price: $10 (w/ shipping and handling) Or, buy the album on iTunes! ..
Hey! Thank you for supporting my music. Check out my web site at www.vanessathompson.net and my music videos at www.youtube.com. One of my youtube videos is below for you to hear. If you like it, feel free to put it on your page and share it with your friends. There are also some banners on my page if you want to use them on your page. If you have Facebook, please add me. Some are putting me in their top friends. The support is really appreciated. Hope you liked the cover on Hollywood Celebrity Magazine. If you like my music, please add it to your play list for others to hear. Thank you :)
My new music video to my song "Heartbreakin Game" will be out later today or tomorrow. It will first show up on www.youtube.com. Let me know what you think. There is also a fanpop page for me that has been set up. If you get a chance visit it at http://lnk.ms/0zvbC . You can also sign up to follow me on twitter :)
Thank you to all those who supported my live performance at Club Heaven in Seattle, Washington for the Seattle Music Revival. This is an event that will help define the Seattle music scene.
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there's something specifically beautiful about listening to your music while killing huge zombie hordes. blood, bullets, and brains have never felt so sweet. Left4Dead!!!
dude, LOST is crazy (well, not really... just really fucking good)! are you watching that shit??? i am so glad jeremy davies is on the show. and that his character is awesome.
BEN I need advice with music biz stuff, I figured you were the guy for that? yeah? well anyways my e-mail is erickwilbanks@yahoo.com (if you get a chance). Thanks man, I'd appreciate it. I suppose i could just read a book about it and not bother you haha.. but w/e help if you can -PEACE- Erick "Hammer of the gods"Brackett
you don't kid, kid. i had to work sunday night. i'm also full of empty promises. but if you believe in me for a little longer, i'll deliver. just believe in me.
supergrass - "Low C" i want to cover it. i think a collaboration between you and i would be sweet. i've been listening to this song nonstop today. btw, it's on my myspace playlist. check it out.
i laughed because "you've got the market cornered" is cut off on the myspace player, and thusly reads as "you've got the mark..." which sounds like a song title of a cheesy ballad from some washed up hair metal band from the 80's that insists that they are satanists even though they write the gayest pop songs this side of bon jovi.
hey, how about "benjamin brackett and the run-ons"???
hola mi amigo! if u know spanish, please dont start speaking it! b/c i failed it. 1 & 2. if there r any bands that u like, just tell me. like ur favorite ones. and i will c if i have them. that way u dont have 2 look them up. support right there
the electric mayhem, eh? nice. i was going to suggest "(the) muppet babies" which was the name of my old high school rocknroll band. glad we're on similar wave-lengths!
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