BEN KWELLER

Precocious popster Ben Kweller is back today with his third full-length album. The fact that it's self-titled seems especially appropriate in this case, seeing as he plays all of the instruments on the record himself. Not that you'd know it. If anything, this effort sounds fuller and "cleaner" than his earlier releases.

Fortunately, things never get TOO clean and/or slick. Now 25, Kweller has had solid musical instincts since he was a kid, and whether you think this new one is his best album thus far (some will likely stick with Sha Sha), there can be little doubt that he's produced some of his best songs to date.

[You can acquire my favorite track from the album, "Penny on the Train Track," by clicking on the September archive link on the right and scrolling down to the Best of August post (September 1). You'll get 21 bonus tracks to go with it.]

Ben Kweller's MySpace page.

Some of Ben Kweller's upcoming performances...

Sep 19 8:00P/Marquee Theater/Tempe, AZ
Sep 21 11:45P/Late Night With Conan O'Brien/NBC-TV
Sep 22 8:00P/The Avalon/Los Angeles, CA
Sep 24 8:00P/Fillmore/San Francisco, CA
Sep 27 8:00P/Wow Hall/Eugene, OR
Sep 28 8:00P/Crystal Ballroom/Portland, OR
Sep 29 8:00P/Western Washington University/Bellingham, WA
Sep 30 8:00P/The Showbox/Seattle, WA

From his self-titled LP, 2006
[MP3] "Run"
[MP3] "Nothing Happening"

From the LP Sha Sha, 2002
[MP3] "Walk on Me"