Ben Kweller

Ben Kweller: Sha ShaSha Sha (2002)
ATO

Reviewer Rating: 5

User Rating:

Contributed by: maverickScott
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on July 19th 2002Fuck. I was in the middle of writing a super-long review about how insanely wonderful this album is, and how it's the best pop album of 2002, and all sorts of stuff. Then my computer crashed and I lost the whole damn thing. So now, you get the shortened version. Ben Kweller is the savior of po.

Fuck. I was in the middle of writing a super-long review about how insanely wonderful this album is, and how it's the best pop album of 2002, and all sorts of stuff. Then my computer crashed and I lost the whole damn thing. So now, you get the shortened version.

Ben Kweller is the savior of pop music. He does the rock well [the Weezer-esque "Wasted & Ready" and the insanely catchy "Commerce, TX]. He does the ballad well [the well orchestrated "In Other Words" and the tearjerkingly beautiful "Lizzy]. He even does the silly well ["How It Should Be (Sha Sha)"].

His lyrics are top-notch, considering he is only 20 [fuck, I'm 20 and I'm not nearly as talented as this kid]. His wide range of influences create a sound that is just as familiar and warm as it is fresh and new. Imagine Ben Lee, Ben Folds [there must be something in the "Ben" name], Elliott Smith, Weezer, and Jeff Tweedy [of Wilco] got together to train a supermusician, if you will. One who can make a banjo and a slide guitar work side by side next to a string quartet. One who can be ironic one second and heartfelt the next. One who can make the best pop album of 2002 as well as being sincere enough to keep his "cred." Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Ben Kweller. He's amazing. Don't doubt it.

MP3s
How It Should Be (Sha Sha)
Commerce, TX
Lizzy

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

AlmostPunkEnough (August 25, 2005)

"Five stars? Jesus christ, where's the quality control around here?"

haha... unfortunatley no one's gonna get that in a week.

psychoos231 (August 24, 2005)

Five stars? Jesus christ, where's the quality control around here?

Anonymous (May 8, 2003)

to the people below who's hatin: sorry this ain't your cup of tea. your ass must be hooked on some lame shit aka poppy ass, watered down punk. ben kweller, hate him or not, is the savior of pop music. he is what's going to ressurect the pop world from whack ass choreography and lip syching. peace out homeslices

Anonymous (April 6, 2003)

I saw BK in Perth,AUS last weekend with Ben Lee and Ben Folds-"The Bens Concert" as it was appropriately called. Kweller was really good-the guy looks like he is 12 though!

Sheena (July 26, 2002)

Scott, I really do love you, and BK almost as much, but this review is a little short. Microsoft word has this special deal where even if your computer crashed, it'll still remember the last thing you were working on. Saved or not.
I saw BK last night, it was slightly depressing, look for a review next week sometime.

waste_elite (July 24, 2002)

the movielife fucking sucks. good live performers though, i'll give em that.

Anonymous (July 23, 2002)

I was not at all impressed with this.

Anonymous (July 22, 2002)

I just can't get into this guy. I would like to think I am pretty open-minded when it comes to music but there is something about this guy that turns me away from his music. Oh well, I guess I'll just save my money for the new Jawbreaker.

tgarn (July 22, 2002)

Could have sworn those could be the lyrics to nfg or any other crap pop punk band

Anonymous (July 22, 2002)

yes, the movielife. i will let one of their amazing songs do the talking for me:

And you don't talk to anyone. And you won't look at anyone but her.
And I don't think she's listening. I doubt she remembers your name.

And you say, when will she notice me? And you feel like you're gonna break.
And you say, when will she notice me? And it feels like a hand grenade.

Man I'll never understand, everyone's living in the past.
Instead of forgetting her, you're always kissing her ass.

-the movielife "hand grenade"

sickboi (July 22, 2002)

No need to get testy Scott...

Have a coke and chill....

maverick (July 22, 2002)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

The Movielife?!?

What in the fuck are you smoking?!?!?

-Scott

Anonymous (July 22, 2002)

shite. dumb lyrics and boring music. get the new get up kids or new movielife. those bands are growing and evolving like a musician should!

Anonymous (July 22, 2002)

a nice review, a phenomenal CD. Ben Kweller is a muical genius, everyone I know that has seen him live has stated the same thing. He is also a really nice guy and that should give him a little credit too even though his music is definently enough on its own.

Anonymous (July 22, 2002)

Oh yea,
pat41

Anonymous (July 22, 2002)

I was going to buy it. So I listened to it at Borders. I listened, I listened. I stopped listening because I got bored with it. Its not that good. there were one or 2 songs that caught my attention right away and after that it took a long time for them to get going.... if they got going at all. Not impressed,

pat41

tgarn (July 22, 2002)

These guys made a great first impression when I saw them live. I bought their the cd and I dont think it left my cd player for awhile

punky (July 20, 2002)

damn cookies, the comment below is mine.

Anonymous (July 20, 2002)

nah it's always good to know how it all works.For me, it's hard to review some 'new' record because Australia is usually way behind in release dates and someone always gets to review the record before me ;( And Scott, come on, both sickboi and me are the veterans here, we know that 'start your own website' policy ;)

Anonymous (July 20, 2002)

this album is pretty good....nothing compares to radish though. They were really good. They were freshman and sophomores in high school....Kweller will be a rock legend someday. Like Wilco or Dylan.

maverick (July 20, 2002)

In other words, chill the fuck out or start your own site. =)

-Scott

adam (July 20, 2002)

punky / sickboi:

10 new reviews are posted every Tuesday / Friday. The first five in the list are live reviews or reviews of new albums. The bottom five are reviews of albums that have already been out for more than a year. This gets exposure to the new stuff and leaves the older stuff for interested people to take a look at if they so choose. There are currently 31 reviews waiting.

Anonymous (July 20, 2002)

Great album. One of the best this year.

Anonymous (July 20, 2002)

This guy is soooooooooooooooo over rated. He's nothing new. Please....

punky (July 19, 2002)

sickboi, I'm waiting for my soia review too...here's the plan, if they don't post it soon, we'll just DoSS them...ok? ;)

Eddie (July 19, 2002)

Alls I know is, you are completely right about the Weezer angle. I heard "Wasted and Ready" on the radio, and spent a long time looking at Weezer lyrics trying to figure out which Weezer song it was; turns out it was Ben Kweller. He sounds a lot like Rivers.

Anonymous (July 19, 2002)

excellent album - bigjerk

Anonymous (July 19, 2002)

To the first comment.. I can't believe you fucking said that. You realize you look and sound like the biggest fucking moron, right?Why attack him like that he clearly stated in BIG CAPITAL LETTERS that it was his opinion of the music. Sure the comment didnt make that much sense (gramatically) but maybe he thinks it sucks... I dont find it that awe-inspiring either. It is ok but I dont see anything INCREDIBLY special about it.

sickboi (July 19, 2002)

Scott, Scott, Scott.... My BR review? Maybe its at the bottom, but damn, haven't I earned some seniority? Has my hard (yet half-assed) work been considered nothingness....? Fathead and Coldjuly left me, I'm trying to carry the "old-school" punknews.org banner alone.

Anonymous (July 19, 2002)

Scott is probably lying. Just so he didnt have to write a long one. Pretty creative excuse though.NICE TRY SCOTT-OLDPUNKER

Anonymous (July 19, 2002)

To the first comment.. I can't believe you fucking said that. You realize you look and sound like the biggest fucking moron, right?

Anonymous (July 19, 2002)

I haven't heard this yet, but his previous records (self released) where great. He's extrememly talented, his first band, Radish, a grunge band, where signed to some major when he was like 14.

I don't know about covering Weezer, though.

loserj

punky (July 19, 2002)

I've downloaded those mp3's just to give him a try and to tell you the truth its nothing special, the softer the music, more it sucks BY MY OPINION.