Ben Lee
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- This article is about the Australian musician and actor, Ben Lee. For other people with the same name, see Benjamin Lee.
Ben Lee (born 11 September, 1978) is an Australian musician and actor. He starred in the 2003 Australian film The Rage In Placid Lake. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but focused on his solo career when the band broke up, when he turned 18. For many years he dated Claire Danes, but their relationship ended in 2003.
History
Ben Lee's musical career began in 1993 with the band Noise Addict, who were signed to Steve Pavlovic's independent label Fellaheen Records, on the strength of a self-produced and distributed four-track demo recorded in Lee's bedroom.
Ben Lee appeared on international Double Dare, a Nickelodeon show, as a child. He said he loved playing guitar in a short question and answer with the host.
Pavlovic's connections brought the band to the attention of Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Beastie Boys' Mike D, both of whom released the band's material in the US.
The group put out several releases, including its one and only album in 1995, but broke up not long after its release. Lee was also briefly a member of the alternative act Gerling.
Lee's solo career started at the age of 16, while he was still in Noise Addict. He began recording his first solo album, Grandpaw Would, in both Sydney and Chicago with producer Brad Wood. This was followed by the 1997 album, Something To Remember Me By, also produced by Wood.
1999's Breathing Tornados marked a new direction for Lee as he introduced synths and increased instrumentation into his sound. The album was a huge success, with the first single, "Cigarettes Will Kill You", finishing second in that year's Triple J Hottest 100. Lee also enjoyed success with the single "Something Borrowed, Something Blue" from the album hey you. yes you.. It reached #22 on the 2002's Triple J Hottest 100.
In 2001, he joined forces with Evan Dando, Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick and Jason Schwartzman of Phantom Planet and acting fame. Calling themselves Dando Lee Petersson Schwartzman, they recorded a single, "Dead or Anything", at Globe Studios, New York City.
During 2003, Lee teamed up with Ben Kweller and Ben Folds for a side project entitled The Bens. They recorded four songs together in Nashville, resulting in a self-titled EP.
In late 2004, Lee left Steve Pavlovic's Modular Recordings and started up his own record label, Ten Fingers. The first release on the label was the single, "Gamble Everything For Love", followed by the album, Awake Is The New Sleep in February 2005, which went double platinum in Australia.
A defining release in his career, the album showcased a much brighter, positive side of Lee's personality, in contrast to his previous darker musings. Awake Is The New Sleep received several nominations for the 2005 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards, and Lee won Best Male Artist, Best Independent Release, and Single Of The Year for Catch My Disease.
Catch My Disease also went to #2 on the 2005 Triple J Hottest 100. In addition, the song was featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 film, "Just Friends," as well as the soundtrack to the television series, "Grey's Anatomy".
On Sunday, March 26th, 2006 Lee performed We're All In This Together from his latest album Awake Is The New Sleep at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
In early April 2006, Lee suffered a minor concussion when a possibly intoxicated member of the crowd threw a glass bottle at him, striking him in the head. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200604/s1607704.htm
The single for "We're All In This Together" was released on the 8th of April, 2006. The CD includes cover versions of the song by Pony Up, Holidays On Ice and Gelbison.
Film
Ben Lee also acted as the protagonist in the film The Rage in Placid Lake
Discography
Albums
- Awake Is the New Sleep 2005 #5 AUS- 2x Platinum (140,000 copies or more)
- hey you. yes you. 2002 #45 AUS
- Breathing Tornados 1999 #13 AUS
- Something to Remember Me By 1997
- Grandpaw Would 1995
EPs and singles
- From: This Bird Has Flown - Tribute to The Beatles' Rubber Soul
- *In My Life 2005
- From Awake Is The New Sleep
- *Gamble Everything For Love 2004 #39 AUS
- *Catch My Disease 2005 #27 AUS
- *Into The Dark 2005 #97 AUS (Released as an EP)
- *We're All In This Together 2006 #20 Australasian Chart, #59 AUS
- From Hey You, Yes You
- *The Dirty Little Secret EP 2002
- *Something Borrowed, Something Blue 2002
- *Running With Scissors 2003
- From Dando Lee Petersson Schwartzman
- *Dead Or Anything 2002
- From Breathing Tornados
- *Cigarettes Will Kill You 1998 #46 AUS
- *Ship My Body Home 1998
- *Nothing Much Happens 1999
- *Freediving 2000
- Away With The Pixies 1995
- Pop Queen 1994
Podcast
Ben Lee has a podcast. You can get it through [iTunes].Or, if you manage your podcasts using a different aggregator, the direct RSS feed is here: [Ben Lee Podcast]
Awards and nominations
Awards
- 2005 ARIA Music Awards, Single Of The Year for Catch My Disease
- 2005 ARIA Music Awards, Best Male Artist for Awake Is the New Sleep
- 2005 ARIA Music Awards, Best Independent Release for Awake Is the New Sleep
- 2005 ARIA Music Awards, Best Cover Art for Awake Is the New Sleep
Nominations
- 2005 ARIA Music Awards, Album Of The Year for Awake Is the New Sleep
- 2005 ARIA Music Awards, Best Pop Release for Awake Is the New Sleep
- 2003 ARIA Music Awards, Best Male Artist for Hey You, Yes You
- 1999 ARIA Music Awards, Album Of The Year for Breathing Tornados
- 1999 ARIA Music Awards, Single Of The Year for Cigarettes Will Kill You
- 1999 ARIA Music Awards, Best Male Artist for Breathing Tornados
References
External links
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