Brendan Benson

Brendan Benson doesn't like being called a "singer / songwriter" despite the fact that he sings, writes and plays all of the instruments on his albums. It's certainly an accurate description but I can understand why someone wouldn't want to be called a "singer / songwriter". It conjures up images of Gordon Lightfoot and if you don't sound like Gordon Lightfoot, then you don't want that label hung on you.

Benson is more of the "singer / songwriter" in the Ted Leo vein. He's folkier than Ted Leo but still works with a bigger sound than a folkie. Hell, Benson's "The Pledge" sounds like it came right out of a Phil Spector studio session.

Benson is playing Main Hall on Monday night (9/19) in Montreal as part of his neverending US/Europe tour in support of his 2005 album Alternative to Love. I'd love to see the show but I'll be travelling all weekend for a friend's wedding in NJ and will be too fried to make the trek up north.

Brendan Benson - Alternative to Love
Brendan Benson - The Pledge
Brendan Benson - Spit It Out (Live on KEXP)
Brendan Benson - What I'm Looking For

(links courtesy of My Old Kentucky Blog)

The videos for "Spit It Out" and "Cold Hands (Warm Heart)" can be found here.