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Ben Lee Information
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'Ben Lee' (born on September 11, 1978) is an Australian born musician. He began 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, around when he turned 18. He is also an actor, having starred in the 2003 Australian film The Rage In Placid Lake. For many years he was dating Claire Danes but their relationship ended in 2003.
Despite being Australian, his first concert tour to nearby New Zealand was not until late 2005.
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. 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 releases. He 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, when 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. - reaching no 22 in 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.
During 2003 he 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, he left Steve Pavlovic's Modular Recordings and started up his own record label, Ten Fingers. The first release on the label is the single, "Gamble Everything For Love", followed by the new album, Awake Is The New Sleep, in February 2005. In April he released the second single "Catch My Disease", which became his most successful yet, by peaking in the top 30.
Discography
Albums
*Grandpaw Would 1995
*Something to Remember Me by 1997
*Breathing Tornados 1999 #13 AUS
*hey you. yes you. 2002 #45 AUS
*Awake Is the New Sleep 2005 #5 AUS
EPs and singles
*"Pop Queen" 1994
*"Away With The Pixies" 1995
*'From Breathing Tornados:'
**"Cigarettes Will Kill You" 1998 #46 AUS
**"Ship My Body Home" 1998
**"Nothing Much Happens" 1999
*"Freediving" 2000
*Dando Lee Petersson Schwartzman - "Dead Or Anything" 2002
*'From Hey You, Yes You:'
**"The Dirty Little Secret EP" 2002
**"Something Borrowed, Something Blue" 2002
**"Running With Scissors" 2003
*'From Awake Is The New Sleep:'
**"Gamble Everything For Love" 2004 #39 AUS
**"Catch My Disease" 2005 #27 AUS
**"Into The Dark" 2005 #97 (Released as an EP)
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
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