Hello... I'm Brenda, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I've been lurking around for a few weeks and already shared how I found Ben in another thread... so I'll share something else. I've been a devoted Elliott Smith fan for... I don't know, 10 or 12 years, and here in Iowa I had never met another fan (other than my little brother) until this last year. No doubt they exist, just not in large enough quantities for me to happen upon one. A few months ago I was wearing an Elliott Smith shirt, and some random person was like "Hey, I love Elliott Smith! But I can't listen to his music because it's too depressing." Admittedly, I was kind of shocked. I had never thought of it that way, even after years of listening. So when I got home I listened through my collection carefully and only then did I even realize, yeah, I guess the lyrics are often depressing... but the songs never felt that way to me, so I had never really noticed. I'm very sensitive to music too... But it's the sound of it that can kind of get me down. For example I went through a Nine Inch Nails phase when I was 15 or so... and to me that kind of music sounds depressing... I can't listen to that type of music at all anymore-makes me feel awful, and genuinely sad inside... takes a bad feeling and makes it worse, you know? Anyway... my point is, I feel the same way about Ben's music as I do about Elliott's. The lyrics may sometimes be "sad", but it's sad in a way that maybe helps me acknowledge whatever my own sadness may be and still feel good about being able to experience those feelings and then move on and be happy. The music itself sounds poignant and triumphant, and makes me feel better, not worse. Resonates in me and fills me up. Hooray Ben.
Yep, that get's me as well Same I use to be in a hardcore band when I was a freshmen in highschool. That was probably fun for the first couple weeks then it made me realize that I don't like werewolves growling or singing to me while they scream. So, I quit for that reason and because all my friends wanted to skate, play video games, and just use each other instead of practice. I am glad I found Ben it was a great day that helped change my feelings and thoughts about things haha.
Hellooo, my name is Sean Pluto, and after finding Radical Face on Pandora about a year ago, I simply fell in love with Ben's music. I've been playing piano and synth for about 6 years, and i've recently started writing music. Above all else I love to draw and create 2D traditional animations, and I'm hoping to move to California in the summer in order to being a business with my art. I'm happy to see other people feel the same way about these beautiful albums. Happy to be here.
Hey all! I'm Kyle Brookings... I was originally snagged by the Electric President song Insomnia, which I found on Pandora. Even more specifically, I was gripped by the genius transition that occurs at about 22 seconds into the song. For whatever reason, I never looked into the band further until about three weeks ago, when I decided to start digging. The ensuing weeks have been a whirlwind of discovery, blogging, sharing and getting other people addicted to the music of this incredible musician. My favorite thing in music tends to consistently be transitions within the song... and my goodness, can Ben really rip those transitions out! Good Morning, Hypocrite; Ten Thousand Lines; Metal Fingers; Ether; Safe And Sound; Always Gold; Welcome Home, Son; Wandering... the list goes on and on. I'm still discovering new BANDS that Ben is part of, to say nothing of the massive number of songs. Since I was 3 years old, The Moody Blues have been my favorite band, and have been an Immovable Object. Unchanged through years of musical discoveries of bands ranging from Steely Dan to Passion Pit; from songwriters like Paul Simon to Leonard Cohen; from carnally satisfying genres like electronica, opera, and classical to more traditional genres like rock, punk, country and on and on and on... through it all, The Moody Blues' position as my #1 was never threatened. Ben, since discovering your music and for the first time in 21 years of avid musical exploration, that top position in my musical favorites is being threatened by you. After mere weeks, I can't think of an artist whose music I'd rather spend hours every day getting to know, as I have been. So howdy everyone, and hello Ben. I look forward to being a part of any community that sees this kind of music for the gem it is.
Hi there, I'm Amélie, from France (somewhere in Brittany...). The Nikon spot through "Welcome Home" brought me to Radical Face - i must admit that my discovery is not very original^^. So then i discovered Ghost, and some months after, i discovered that Radical Face was planned to play on a venue close to where i live, so i went, (it was thursday), i was totally blown away by the gig, so when i came home, i 've started listening to "the roots", i fell in love with this album too & understood that i didn't get enough of Radical Face... so i'm pleased to see the show for the second time tomorrow!!
Hi All, I am a 32 year old male from Ottawa, Canada. Our nations capital. I was introduced to Radical Face back in 2007 when someone posted a link to "Ghost" in a thread at Headfi. The poster claimed that it was his friend, and that he was really good. I downloaded it and forgot about it. I mean, really, everyone knows someone in a band who is "really good". Sadly, most aren't. But it was free, and I was interested enough to open the thread so I downloaded it and there it sat on my hard drive forgotten and unappreciated. Some time later, months (or longer), I threw it on my iPod and immediately loved it. I enjoyed it on my own for a while, and eventually put it on my wife's (then gf) iPod and she fell in love with it. Ghost has literally been in steady rotation in our house for five years. I still listen to it weekly. So does she. It is an album that means a lot to us individually and as a family. My daughter has heard plenty of Ben's work in her short time on this earth. First in utero, as I used to play Ghost through a set of headphones on my wife's belly. Now The Roots has been on repeat in the car since it came out. Thanks Ben. For doing what you do. I know that at this point it is a labour of love, as I'm sure the riches aren't rolling in. I hope that changes for you, but in a way I'm glad it hasn't.
Hi everyone, My name is Clive Lynx (name for music). I am from Clermont-Ferrand in France. I am a huge fan of Ben since i've had the chance to listen Monsters with Electric President. And i feel really that Ben doesn't get the fame the he deserves (good fame); but i believe Welcome Home is a really good start. For personal infos i am a product developper and i do music. Here is one of my song: So i will spend good time here. Thank you all for reading this.
Hello, my name is Jamie and I'm absolutely in love with your music, Ben. I'm from England and I'm 17 years old. It really annoys me that people do not know more about the incredible sound that is Radical Face. I'm proud to say that I listen to Radical Face when my friends prefer other genres. Ever since a friend told me about the song Glory, I've been hooked on all things Ben Cooper. I'm an insomniac and when I lay in bed at night I listen to your music over and over again until I eventually fade. Thank you for creating such incredible music, Ben. Best wishes.
Hi, my name is Bob. I am 17 years old and live in the Netherlands, I am a really big fan of Radical Face. Funny thing is I've known some electric president songs for a long time and on Spotify it linked to Radical Face so that is how I got to know the music of Radical Face. I have been hooked since hearing Black Eyes, I went to the Radical Face concert and got a picture with you and Jack and got my ''ghost'' album signed. That was such a great concert, I bought The Family Tree ''roots'' and have listened to both albums every day. Thank you Ben, I have the feeling you changed my live in some positive way.
Hello, My name is Céline and I live in a little town next to Paris, in France. I discovered Radical Face thanks to Nikon and the T.V advertisement last year, so "Welcome home" is the first song I've heard from Ben. I think this is the first time I listened to a music and felt so moved/touched. Ben your music is unique (I don't know if you can say that in English because I don't speak very very well). I will take an exam next week (I study philosophy, literature, history...all literary matters) your music enables me to work and escape! I hope you will come in France soon (I know you went there this year but I saw this too late...). Have a good night or a good day, à bientôt !
Hello! I am from the island of Sakhalin in Russia. I'm 15 years old. I like mostly rock, but the music sucked me and Ben forced to think about something important and beautiful. First, like many, I heard the song "Welcome home, son" and immediately ran to download it from the internet, I saw the other songs and I wanted to download them too. I always wanted to meet this type of music, but the one who searches always finds. Thank you, Ben. Sorry for my bad English, because it is Google Translator
Does anyone else run to Radical Face? I like to think of it as meditation for people who can't sit still. I will run on the treadmill in a completely dark room and put on the music. The beat matches my running cadence and I can let my mind totally disassociate. Something about his music really lets me visualize, and suddenly I am skipping across the landscape watching the stories unfold around me. I can run among the tall skinny pines and look at the doll houses around me where the stories are playing out. I see the monsters and the people and they meld into one. Sometimes I'm part of the grand machine and other times I'm just an observer. Faces flash before me and then fade behind me as I move on. I wish I could describe it better. But it feels like freedom and triumph, something I need in my every day life. Thanks for the music Ben, it's made my life better.
Hi ! My name is Caroline and i'm from Montpellier (south of France) After trying 3 times to sign up i'm finaly here, biggest stalker of the month lol Again, i'm sorry for the mess.. Hum, like a lot of people, I discoverd Radical Face with Nikon on tv.. Actually it take me some time to go on the internet and listen the full song because I loved so much the pub that I was afraid to break my hope! But I'm here so, it didn't I like many differents music style but I really like being suspended, not falling and not flying ether. Just swaying with a little thrill. That how I listen your music. After that, I'm a big lover of photography, nature, people, child, animals and landscape... But I enjoy to take the unexpected moment when someone is happy, sad or surprised. If anyone is interested, here is my site where I put some pictures .. http://kako-photographie.deviantart.com/gallery/ For the rest, I'm really happy to be here so thank you Ben for this forum !
Hey, I'm Leandro from Brazil. And got his musical projects like the best things I've heard for years! Congratulations, Ben!
I'm Santa Fe April and I paint. Ben, I am a bit out of it when it comes to music and so I just found you about 3 hours ago, serendipity, and have been listening to you nonstop. I adore you completely and your poetic genius is overwhelming my senses. I'm hooked. Thank you for enriching the world and filling the darkness with light. It was getting hard to see. <3
I'm Ellie Ann, from a small farm town in Grinnell, Ia. I'm thrilled to hear Always Gold is getting a music video. It's been a calm hand on me lately. "Everything goes away, everything goes away." Such a cool forum going on here, I'm glad to be a part of it!
oh crap! haha. You're right. Now I look like a total poseur but my brain must've melted for a second when I wrote it. I changed it out now, thanks for pointing it out to me, Magical Zebra.
