Diamond in the rough: new talent found

By Preshona Gauch

If you have ever been looking for a goof-ball artist with an undeniable talent who doesn't take himself seriously in the least, whose style sounds like a cross between Weezer, Grateful Dead, and the Beatles, and just something goofy and different entirely - Ben Kweller is your boy.

It seems we're all still searching for those lyrics that find where we are and give us what we need, the tunes that either make us think or let us remember. Not just in a song, but in an artist, in the essence of an entire artist. I think we spend intervals of our life looking for that one artist that we can depend on to bring us the songs we'll constantly be singing in our heads, sort of a soundtrack for that segment of our lives. But we never really know what we had been looking for until it finds us.

That is what happened when DJ Sugar of KSCU and I met underground phenomenon Ben Kweller.

Training with Sugar the past couple of weeks has introduced me to the unexplored world of music, sounds of little-known indie-rock bands and the little-known songs by names we do know.

It has shown me, a long-time fiend of mainstream, that there is a place where radios go to find the tunes they want to make known to the world. And before they even discover them, before that point of becoming mainstream, those bands thrive off of the energy of a loyal following, who have the satisfaction of having long seen and cherished their talent before anyone else lay claim to it.

When Sugar took me to my first underground concert, I experienced firsthand the feeling of those fans when they discover a great band. It feels like discovering a well-kept secret of the music industry to find such raw talent. I have felt that way before, when Nelly Furtado opened for the David Gray concert, and my two best friends and I seemed to be the only ones there for her. But this time, it came up and took me by surprise. I had not gone to hear him in particular, but somehow ... destiny led me to his music.

The venue was Slims in San Francisco. It was a lineup of bands, starring Dashboard Confessional, an underground favorite of many. One of the opening performers, Ben Kweller, I had heard Sugar play on her radio show; in concert, his style was very cute and laid-back. The opening act, Legends of the Rodeo, had a very fun, punkish presence onstage. And Dashboard had an audience that did more singing than the lead vocalist himself.

But, when everything was over, and CDs were being sold, I did not want to jump the gun like I always do, and buy every CD. Actually that wasn't really an option either, as I would soon discover that I only had ten bones on me. So, I decided I would pass up on the CD purchases and wait to hear them all again down the road, on KSCU.

And then Sugar grabbed my arm. Practically a professional concertgoer, she never leaves a concert without having first met the band. It just doesn't happen with her. Although her dream originally was to meet her love interest, the bassist from Dashboard, she saw a chance and quickly grabbed it:

"Do you want to meet Ben?" she asked.

"Uh, ok," I retorted, dumbly.

Grabbing my arm, she hurried me over to a boy who looked like he was about 15, with these big, brown eyes that drooped around the corners, slightly hunched over shoulders, and a slightly stoned smile. He was wearing a beanie that covered long, shaggy bangs over his eyebrows.

Sugar introduced herself and then me, telling him that she plays his music on her radio show, and how much she digs it.

"Really? Whoa, cool. (Scratches his head) Whoa, thank you so much. Wow - whoa, hey, wait. (Lights up with this big goofy smile) What are your names?" he asked in a voice that was the epitome of stoner in a beanie.

Somewhere between the first and third "whoa", that's when I knew. I had to have his CD. He was the artist I had unconsciously been waiting for to come along. He was my stoner on a white steed. And y'all, let me tell you, that was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. I believe fate led me to meet Ben Kweller that night, and fate led Sugar and I to get his CD.

Kweller first started singing at the age of eleven, and now, at 20 (not 15), he has managed to work with artists like Madonna and Dave Matthews. Matthews liked his style so much apparently that he signed him on as his newest discovery onto his record label, ATO.

But if you'd have met him, all that would have been going around in your head is how much you would want to adopt him as your little brother, hug him and give him noogies on that shaggy little head all day long. And then wear his beanie and pretend to be him. That is just the kind of effect he has on his fans.

The CD is called Sha Sha, and is a compilation of goofy, little ways to express his feelings on everything from how it should be to the most modest, unassuming love song for his real-life girlfriend, Lizzy.

Kweller does vocals, guitar, and piano. His two newest additions to the band (he used to be a one-man show) John Kent and Josh Lattanzi accompany him on drums and bass.

But like Lavar Burton always said, don't take my word for it. Go out and get the CD, Sha Sha, and decide for yourself if it tickles your pickle. I hope you like it as much as I do!