Ben Kweller (album)

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Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller Self Titled.png
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 19, 2006
RecordedLos Angeles, California
Genre Indie rock
Length40:10
Label ATO
Producer Gil Norton
Ben Kweller chronology
On My Way
(2004)
Ben Kweller
(2006)
Changing Horses
(2009)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 74/100 link
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg link
Drowned in Sound 7/10 link
Gigwise Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg link
Harp (positive) link [usurped]
IGN 9.4/10 link
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link
Pitchfork 5.5/10 link
This Is Fake DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg link
URB Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg link
Yahoo! Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link

Ben Kweller is the third album by Ben Kweller. It was released September 19, 2006 on ATO Records.

Contents

One Minute Pop Song

For the 9 weeks leading up to the release of the album Ben Kweller previously took footage of himself and made an internet mini-show called One Minute Pop Song. Each episode would usually run for 2–6 minutes.

Topics of the videos were varied. Some of the topics were about a fan who sent in a cover version of a song, talking about laying down the tracks and playing all the instruments on the album, showing a tour of the studio, Ben Kweller rating himself on each instrument, telling a story about Neil Young, and talking about how he learned to play the drums from his father.

Recording process

On his MySpace website, Kweller described the making of the album as "very exciting, emotional and challenging." He explained that since he played all the instruments on the album it "was a big change for me and it produced something really intimate and special. It's such a different way of working but if you can pull it off it makes a very cool and unique sound." He also described a song on the album, "A bonus for me, and you, is I think I might have written my best song while I was in the studio. It's called 'Thirteen'. It's very personal and almost hard for me to listen to."

"This Is War" off the album is featured in the 2011 film Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules .

Track listing

All songs and instruments by Ben Kweller.

  1. "Run" – 3:07
  2. "Nothing Happening" – 3:53
  3. "Sundress" – 4:06
  4. "I Gotta Move" – 3:10
  5. "Thirteen" – 4:17
  6. "Penny on the Train Track" – 4:28
  7. "I Don't Know Why" – 3:06
  8. "Magic" – 3:08
  9. "Red Eye" – 4:20
  10. "Until I Die" – 4:07
  11. "This Is War" – 2:25

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Ben Kweller
Chart (2006)Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP) [1] 191
US Billboard 200 [2] 117
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [3] 7

References