sorry its been so long since ive updated this thing, everybody. ive been focusing on my forthcoming 1700 mile move to philadelphia.

so what’s new? the radio promotion came to a crashing halt when i realized that being #13 on the hot a/c top 100 singles doesn’t mean anyone is listening to your music. it just means someone out there is playing it. over and over and over. so now that that money is rotting safely in my septic system, im ready to move on with bigger and better things. what? im not sure yet. but it’ll come to me. im going to pack my stuff for moving. then im going to move. then i’ll be in a new place and it’ll be a different time and i’ll make some new decisions. hopefully good ones.

here’s a good thing… amplifier magazine likes the musics i make

so, for now, have a great until then…

http://www.urbantulsa.comhttp://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A25066

Posted on OCTOBER  8, 2008:

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
Hardships don’t stop local acts from developing their craft and using it to benefit others

By G.K. Hizer

Sometimes the best things in life are the ones that get packed away for a rainy day, nearly forgotten until they’re needed most. The comparison may be something of a stretch, but I have a feeling that’s how Benji Latham’s solo debut, Far Too Honest, will resonate with fans.

Recorded two years ago, this is a record that nearly didn’t see the light of day. Granted, it’s not a unique story-suffering artist records album, life (or finances) gets in the way, and the product of artist’s effort gets lost in the shuffle. The thought of this CD suffering a similar fate, however, is disconcerting.

Fortunately, the cosmos decided Latham’s debut was not to suffer such a loss. What I found in my hand was an incredibly enjoyable disc of singer-songwriter pop that captures the joy and energy of early rock and roll, channeling bits of Beatles, Big Star and The Byrds.

While Latham’s songs can definitely stand on their own, part of the charm on the disc comes courtesy of his secret weapon, producer Ken Stringfellow, an accomplished pop-rocker (via The Posies, Big Star, R.E.M.) in his own right. How did the former Posie get involved with the record? According to Latham, the answer is simple.

“I e-mailed him to see if he’d be interested in producing my record and he said ’sure.’ So he flew out here for a month.”

During that month, Latham and Stringfellow settled into Rosewater Studios for a 28 day stretch and created Far Too Honest. Usually rolling into the studio around noon and often departing at dawn, Latham said that the two took only a half day off over the course of recording. During that time, the songs were built from the ground up.

“Basically, I played the songs acoustically and he built everything else around that,” Latham shared. “He asked for my feedback and was very willing to move things my way if I didn’t agree with something, but he’s as much a part of it (the record) as I am.”

While Stringfellow’s input and musicianship augments the songs, it doesn’t overwhelm them. If anything, it adds to the charm of what is a very personal and heartfelt record. By mixing the shimmer and jangle of ’60s pop with Latham’s direct and heartfelt lyrics, be it on something as simple as “I Miss You” or as honest and open as “Paper Me,” the arrangement and production bring the heart of Latham’s tunes to the forefront.

When I inquired about the classic pop and rock sound of the record, Latham said, “You know, it’s funny you say that, because in a lot of the ’50s and early ’60s rock songs, so many were patterned around three or four chords and that’s how most of these songs are.”

After finishing the record, which was mixed and engineered by Wayne Morgan and mastered in Seattle, Latham shopped the disc to a number of independent labels, but was let down when he got no response.

“It was discouraging to think that I poured my heart and soul and a ridiculous amount of money into this record and no one wanted it,” Latham recalled.

Attitudes changed this year, however, when Latham passed a copy on to another influence of his, songwriter Jeremy Enigk. Not looking for any input, Latham just wanted to share something with one of his influences. He ended up hearing back from him, via MySpace, about a month later. Encouraged by Enigk’s input, Latham was inspired to finish the process and put the record out.

As a result, Latham is celebrating the release of his debut disc, Far Too Honest, with a show at Tsunami Sushi this Saturday night, October 11, at 10pm.

After a push to A/C radio by a marketing company, the single “Everywhere You Go” debuted on the radio charts at #94, ahead of major acts like Linkin Park and Puddle of Mudd and continues to rise, moving up to #79 in its third week on the charts. In turn, Latham is working on setting up a tour to support the record and touch on new markets. Response has admittedly been slow, but the radio airplay will hopefully help draw more interest.

In the meantime, you can still catch Benji Latham playing around town on occasion, presenting his songs in their most basic form. Not only will Latham be playing a CD release party this weekend, but he will also be the featured artist for this month’s edition of the SoundProof concert series on Thursday, October 16, at the Tulsa Press Club. Urban Tulsa sponsors the monthly concert that kicks off every third Thursday of the month at 5pm.

so that’s it. pretty exciting stuff. 

i’ll try to keep this updated as often as possible. i’ll also try to keep having reasons to update it.

aiding and abetting had this to say:
Far Too Honest
(self-released)The band’s name is This is Benji, but in truth, this is mostly Benji. With some help from a few friends and producer Ken Stringfellow. Steeped in the sounds of early 70s pop and (not as strange as it sounds) Steve Earle, Benji throws down one rootsy pop gem after another.

Not strange, perhaps, but I’ve had this disc around for a while. After my fifth or sixth time through, it finally clicked. I found I couldn’t take it out. Maybe it is the unusual interplay between pop hooks and the looser rootsy song construction. Maybe it’s Stringfellow’s reverb-laden sound. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention.

I’ve played this for some friends, and they picked up on it much faster. I like the way Benji enters his songs sideways, and I really like the way he sings. It’s not quite desperate, but there are hints here and there. Stringfellow recorded this so as to peg the levels as often enough–sounds a bit like the Capstan Shafts, except with much better post-production.

Now that my brain is clued in, I’m utterly smitten. That’s how it works. Sometimes, the best albums sneak up on you. Once you’ve noticed them, it’s all over. Benji writes some great songs, and he’s recorded a great album. Give it a little time, and you just might feel the same way.

here’s their page