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MP3 Ben Ashman - Sunshine
10 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Progressive Rock, ROCK: 60''s Rock
Details:
From Speakeasymag:
Ben Ashman proves glowing on ''Sunshine''
By Jill Mapes, Staff Writer
May 11, 2007 | 3 p.m.
Ben Ashman discusses the eclectic range of mind and heart that is compiled in his music.
Vintage Green’s organist, Ben Ashman, has created music that transcends genres on Sunshine. With a distinctive voice and knack for style variation, Ashman will make a bang at his CD release show at the Front Room on May 11 at 9 p.m.
Although Ashman is somewhat of a newcomer to the expansive Athens local music scene, this Dayton native is a seasoned veteran when it comes to making music. Besides playing the organ and piano and providing backup vocals in the folk rock band Vintage Green, Ashman also plays in a gospel band and the Dayton act Five Deadly Venoms. In fact, he has been tinkering around with instruments since childhood. "I actually started with a band when I was five years old and my brother was three or four – a band called The Checkers. We didn''t now anything about music, and we just made noise and recorded on a tape cassette recorder for about ten years," says Ashman.
Ashman''s musical formula is truly a mystery, seeing as the OU freshman fuses genres popular throughout numerous eras. His music proves to be an eclectic mix of progressive rock, classical piano sonatas and a touch of trumpet-infused swing music. According to Ashman, his biggest musical influences include Radiohead, The Beatles, Beethoven, Bright Eyes and Sparkle Horse.
His melodies are not the only aspects of his music that have varied influences. Overall, Ashman''s most significant lyrical influences on Sunshine appear to stem from love, heartbreak, God and radio towers. When asked about his quirky enjoyment of radio towers, Ashman said, "Radio towers are a significant source of comfort to me. They can be seen from your bedroom window and my street corner, though such places are miles apart. Their twinkling lights on the horizon make the world seem a smaller, more personal, more manageable place."
"1011071," the last and best song on Sunshine, is proof of Ashman''s curious radio tower obsession. The song was named after an Athens radio tower that Ashman gazes upon from his dorm room window. Of course, "1011071" is no walk in the park – the bare piano song is one of emotional introspection and heartbreak. This slow, soft ballad begins to gain power and volume in its sound as a synthesizer is added for progressive rock flair.
While Ashman may cite many rock bands as being the most influential to him, his choice of musical instruments does not always reflect this. Sunshine incorporates a very spare amount of guitar and relies on thick bass lines instead. In fact, his album release band does not even include a guitar player, which is a rarity in live music. Instead, Ashman’s music is driven by the organ and piano parts and accompanied by numerous other instruments, many of which Ashman played when recording Sunshine.
Ashman proves to weary listeners that piano-dominated music can still have the raw force of rock ''n'' roll on several songs, most notably "MultiLove." The thumping bass part completely consumes "MultiLove," making it sound like danceable spin on 1970s classic rock. The addition of organ only adds to the rock music quality of the song by sounding eerily like something from a Doors'' song.
The sheer variety of instruments that Ashman utilizes within his music is diverse, which helps to keep his music''s sound ever-changing. The use of vibraphone, analog synthesizers, saxophone, trumpet, violin and Hammond organ are no longer background effects – Ashman brings them to the foreground and lets them scream out for attention at times.
Some of the sound effects and instruments heard on Sunshine have an old-fashioned quality. These perfectly frame Ashman''s voice, which seems as though it is from another era altogether. With such an unexpected voice that manages not to be nasally but instead elegant, Ashman''s recognizable pipes are the most signature element of his musical style. Instead of embracing his unequaled vocals, Ashman does not necessarily think of his singing style in the most positive light. "My lack of ability to sing is a distinguishing characteristic," says Ashman.
Ashman gives his pipes a rest and lets the vibraphone take the lead on the song "Islander," which boasts a sound that is oddly familiar to Pink Floyd fans. The song is comprised of three sections of instrumental and electronic music that include the sound of alarm clocks a la Dark Side of the Moon. Surprisingly, Ashman is not exactly the biggest Pink Floyd fan. "When I was making my MySpace page, I was putting down ''influenced by,'' and I never listened to Pink Floyd because my dad didn''t really like them. But he (my dad) said, ''put down Pink Floyd – you don’t know it, but you''re heavily influenced by Pink Floyd.'' "I just got Dark Side of the Moon yesterday, actually," says Ashman.
Another stand-out song on Sunshine is the slightly blues-inspired tune "Carry On," whose acoustic guitar melody meanders slowly and smoothly much like a child''s lullaby. The charming, sleepy quality of "Carry On" lasts until the song erupts with a spirited saxophone solo.
Ashman''s ever-evolving sound both serves as a positive and as a negative attribute on Sunshine. It''s nice to hear musical variation and genre fusion, but it can also make it more difficult for a musical artist to create their own style of playing and songwriting. Because of this, Sunshine depends on its cohesive lyrical theme and Ashman''s notable vocals in order to create a singular musical idea.
With much of his music being heavily influenced by electronic sound effects and various instruments, Ashman had to choose carefully when selecting songs for the CD release show. He is playing with a band for the show, which includes Matt Emmons (who plays the analog synthesizers and is also featured on Sunshine), Jamie Rymers (bass), Rick Taylor (drums) and Sam Ashman (saxophone). Overall, the calculated genre-androgyny that is Sunshine should make for an entertaining show.
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