Holy crap! Ben Harper & Relentless7 topped the iTunes charts at #1 for the week ending May 10th. Those guys deserve it, too. Their album, White Lies for Dark Times, is an experience. Go buy it.
1. “Boom Boom Pow,” Black Eyed Peas
2. “Don’t Trust Me,” 3OH!3
3. “No Surprise,” Daughtry
4. “Poker Face,” Lady GaGa
5. “Blame It,” Jamie Foxx
6. “Sugar (featuring Wynter),” Flo Rida
7. “Day ’n’ Nite,” Kid Cudi
8. “Old Time’s Sake (featuring Dr. Dre),” Eminem
9. “The Climb,” Miley Cyrus
10. “Halo,” Beyonce
Albums:
1. “White Lies For Dark Times,” Ben Harper and Relentless7 2. “Epiphany,” Chrisette Michele
3. “Twilight (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack),” Various Artists
4. “Only by the Night,” Kings of Leon
5. “Star Trek,” Michael Giacchino
6. “All I Ever Wanted,” Kelly Clarkson
7. “Fantasy Ride,” Ciara
8. “The Fame,” Lady GaGa
9. “Hannah Montana: The Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack),” Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana
10. “With Roots Above and Branches Below,” The Devil Wears Prada
Congrats to Ben, Jesse, Jason and Jordan. I can’t wait for the second album, so get on it already!
Bonus: Here’s Ben Harper & Relentless7 performing their single, Shimmer and Shine, on the Late Show with David Letterman:
Guess what? It’s Cinco de Mayo 2009, and Ben Harper‘s new record, White Lies for Dark Times, comes out today. Ben’s new band is called Relentless 7, and the band is made up of people I know. How weird is that? Jesse (bass), Jason (guitar), and Jordan (drums) were all members of a Led Zeppelin cover band called Pudge Zeppelin. They were also members of other bands (Oliver Future, Wan Santo Condo) that I got to see several times at the Moon bar in Fort Worth, TX. But now they are on to bigger and better things. And when I say “bigger and better” I mean an international tour and a badass new record with Ben Harper! The album is called White Lies for Dark Times, and you should go get it.
If you know me at all, you probably know about my lack of knowledge for all things music, especially rock music. I know pretty much next to nothing about 1970’s rock music, but after hearing this new album, it’s easy to hear the influences and the style they are tackling. The style is there. The tones are there. I saw them play much of the album live on a National Geographic webcast from Rome, Italy. And I’ve listened to the entire album on MySpace. After those two listening sessions, I’m practically a Relentless7 know-it-all. Not really. Anyways, I think Ben Harper & Relentless7 created an album that is everything a rock album should be. I recommend it.
If you didn’t already know, Jordan Richardson (drums) produced and engineered all 4 Darth Vato records. He kind of grew up with us as a band. He taught me so much about tone, and he was a very big influence on me taking an interest in music gear, specifically guitar amps. I met Jordan in 1999 (Looking back, it’s kind of a weird story. I might tell you about some other time), and from the moment I met him I knew he would eventually be a famous musician.
There are very few people that have a spark about them. It’s like a passion or a force that is driving them, and you can just tell that one day all the stars will align. For some people, talent and hard work will eventually meet up with luck and opportunity. Jordan is one of those people. He’s extremely talented, and he has put in a lot of work. His music dreams are coming true. Seeing how the music industry is an extremely tough environment in which to succeed, it’s awesome to know that is happening for a friend of mine. Now go buy the record. I wanna see that thing #1 on the Billboard charts. All over the world, even!