David Avram Brown - Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards & Various Odd Noises
...and a rotating cast of colorful characters
Influences
This list could go on forever but here's a little sample...
Lately:
M. Ward, Wilco, The Shins, Arcade Fire, Peter Bjorn & John, Rogue Wave, The Foundry Field Recordings, Sea Wolf, Everest
In General:
My family's record collection, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, The Beach Boys, Phil Ochs, Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, The Velvet Underground, Jerome John Garcia, Robert Hunter, David Bowie, The Who, Early U2, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, The Flaming Lips, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Nigel Godrich, Chris Walla, Beck, Towane, LinkiDoo & Kaduki, Sunbun Deluxicon, Redwood Trees, Diamond Rings, Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five, Kool Keith, Kostar 1, Johnny B, Smith Dobson Jr, Nels Cline, Grant Green, Charlie Christian, C2, Terry Gilliam, Jon Brion, Michel Gondry, Wes Anderson, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo DaVinci, Claude Monet, Andy Warhol, Etc...
Hitchhiking from New York to California with nothing more than a sleeping bag, an acoustic guitar and $112 may sound like an extreme way for an 18-year-old singer/songwriter to follow his inspiration but, according to David Avram Brown, who performs under the moniker Benny Strange, “It just seemed like the necessary thing to do at the time.”
After spending his early twenties ping-ponging between San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Santa Cruz and Maui, Brown eventually settled in Los Angeles where, with the help of recording engineers Joe Zook (Modest Mouse) and Ethan Willoughby (Black Eyed Peas), he recorded his self-produced debut EP, Nowhere Left to Run. The EP was released on his own label, Darkroom Records in September of 2006.
It’s been an uphill battle for this truly independent recording artist. From singing for his supper and sleeping on park benches in Golden Gate Park to rescuing his instruments from a burning rehearsal building, the music of Benny Strange continues to be more than just a labor of love. According to this multi-instrumentalist, the process of writing, recording and performing is also his “cathartic outlet essential to both emotional and spiritual survival.” Brown continues, “Through all the uncertainties of a lifestyle rooted in constant change, the one thing I’ve always had is my music. Whether I was cold and hungry or sittin’ fat and comfy on a beach in Hawaii, I’ve always had a guitar by my side.”
Currently Brown is promoting his second Benny Strange EP entitled When Continents Collide. The five song EP was released on iTunes on January 19th 2008 and is available right here on the official Benny Strange MySpace page.
"Each song was better than the last. Truly impressive!" -CBS Radio
"Rising indie-sensation Benny Strange knows that brevity and experimentation aren’t necessarily strange-bedfellows." -Relix.com
"... the tracks we’re releasing today, “Sifting” and “Askew” off of his new EP When Continents Collide have a certain wise-beyond-their-years quality to them. The subtle piano riff on “Askew” reminds us of Ben Folds (pre-being annoying) where as the poppy keyboard line and lyrics on “Sifting” is like a slowed down version of ‘90s alt-pop legends the Rentals. It’s lovable stuff."
Sounds like: Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, Belle & Sebastian -RcrdLbl.com
"His thoroughly listenable second EP, When Continents Collide, is more than worthy of comparisons to his contemporaries like Keane and Cary Brothers." -JoshSpear.com
"...lush arrangements with sweeping hooks, Benny Strange is beginning to generate a lot of buzz in the indie community." -Suite101.com
Hey! It was great meeting you two last night. I really like your music & your voice - beautiful! Hope I get to see you both again soon. Until then, good luck with everything. (P.S. I'll send a friend request from my personal site too!) Take care... Gina
Hey Guys thanks for the request. We love Sifting and play it every chance we get. We'd love to have you in the studio next time you're in town. Rob and Jeannie 106.7 KWSS
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