<![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002 - Idolator Comments]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/idolator.com.png <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002 - Idolator Comments]]> http://idolator.com Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:56:03 EDT Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:56:03 EDT http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002 <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c6430604 Voice isn't right for Top 40 radio. Pure and simple. He sings like he's lazy.

MrStarhead

]]> 33:392501:c6430604 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:56:03 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5923201 @Pop Cesspool: I'm pretty sure Radish is why Ben Kweller didn't save 2002.

drjayphd

]]> 33:392501:c5923201 Wed, 28 May 2008 19:14:28 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5826363 @Marth: That's EXACTLY how I feel about Sha Sha. It's sitting in my music folder, and all the songs are pretty well rated, but I still consistently skip over them when they pop up in a shuffle.

Not to be one of those "they were better back then" people, but I think that Ben Kweller is a prime example of someone who got worse the more "developed" they got. The songs that made it to Sha Sha can all be found in better forms on his earlier EP ("Freak Out! It's...). As for the follow-up album... take everything good about "Wasted and Ready", invert it, and add a second dose of self-pretension (the first comes from inverting the slacker malaise of the original song).

Halfwit

]]> 33:392501:c5826363 Wed, 21 May 2008 20:19:52 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5824893 the truth is that if he became a pop darling in 2002 we wouldn't like him anymore and would probably be lamenting about someone else being shortchanged because we are snobby.

baconbacoff

]]> 33:392501:c5824893 Wed, 21 May 2008 18:57:52 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5824688 I saw him with Death Cab and he walked out and said in a turbodouche voice, "HELLLLLLLLLOOOOOO PROVIDENCE!" and then we left as he starting singing horribly off-key. It's now the shorthand impression we do when a musician is being obnoxious.

Like the records though. And THE BENS -- that's a happy accident that could stand to reoccur.

Det. Philangie

]]> 33:392501:c5824688 Wed, 21 May 2008 18:47:08 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5824126 He tried playing ACL with a massive nose bleed a few years back-Ben Kweller,that is.
Even begged the crowd for tampons to stick up his nose.
He ended up having to cut his set short,it was that bad.
But he was a trooper,and makes some great music.
And I'm sure he could grow a goatee better than Nickelback guy.





GWY

]]> 33:392501:c5824126 Wed, 21 May 2008 18:20:22 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5823949 @blobby: totally! I was bawling like a baby.

saturn

]]> 33:392501:c5823949 Wed, 21 May 2008 18:12:25 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5823564 It wasn't all bad, but BOOOOOO on figuring out anything via dreams, hallucinations, figments of one's imagination, electroshock weirdness, or any combination of the above. You might as well hang a sign around his neck saying "Out of fresh (but believable) ideas."

Bob Loblaw

]]> 33:392501:c5823564 Wed, 21 May 2008 17:54:37 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5822995 Dude, the House finale was awesome!

blobby

]]> 33:392501:c5822995 Wed, 21 May 2008 17:35:20 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5822284 Though not nearly as consistent an album, the title track off "On My Way" still chokes me up. But then again, so did the House finale, and that was a crap episode. I should really work on that.

Bob Loblaw

]]> 33:392501:c5822284 Wed, 21 May 2008 17:12:56 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5821739 Oh, man, Sha Sha - loved that record. Played the hell out of it. Back then, when I was debating with my girlfriend (now my wife) about the validity of "emo" as a label and a musical genre, I remember telling her, "If all emo sounded like this record, I'd be a bigger emo fan."

Anyway...

For the record, "How You Remind Me" was Billboard's top single 2002 on a technicality. It's actually a 2001 record. As I've mentioned in my column from time to time, the Billboard chart year runs from December of the prior year to the end of November, due to publishing deadlines. That often means songs that came out in the last month of the year are named the No. 1 song of the following year. I break it all down here.

Chris Molanphy

]]> 33:392501:c5821739 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:55:11 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5821547 What, no defense of Kweller's days in Radish?

Pop Cesspool

]]> 33:392501:c5821547 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:50:06 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5821337 Once every year and a half since 2002, I have looked at that Ben Kweller CD on my shelf and said, "Boy, I should listen to this again. It was a pretty fun record." And then I listen to half of it and smile. Then I forget about it for another year and a half.

Marth

]]> 33:392501:c5821337 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:43:12 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5821314 By the way, I really like the posts under the tag "Theories". Fun reads all around.

MayhemintheHood

]]> 33:392501:c5821314 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:42:28 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5820842 I really like "The Rules," which, according to Wikipedia, came out in 2004. Too late to counter Nickelback's 2002 domination, but a pretty good song nonetheless.

How do I say this ... THROWDINI!

]]> 33:392501:c5820842 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:26:57 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5820836 Rivers Cuomo probably paid programmers not to play Kweller. That, and Saves the Day had better publicists at the time.

MayhemintheHood

]]> 33:392501:c5820836 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:26:49 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5820782 Oh, and this is my alltime favorite Nickelback video. Be sure to watch at :45 in


+ Watch video



Sniffle

]]> 33:392501:c5820782 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:25:07 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5820665 In regards to the first track - Nickelback was channeling Pearl jam - Kweller was channeling Weezer.

Advantage - Nickelwhack.

Sniffle

]]> 33:392501:c5820665 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:21:06 EDT <![CDATA[Why Ben Kweller Could Have Saved The Year 2002]]> http://idolator.com/392501/why-ben-kweller-could-have-saved-the-year-2002#c5820522 I saw Kweller open for Jeff Tweedy in 2001 (I think...) and have been a fan ever since. Second the notion that radio finally embraces him.

All opposed?

Jerkwheat

]]> 33:392501:c5820522 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:15:25 EDT