Ben + Vesper Discography of CDs

Ben + Vesper music CDs The couple that plays together, stays together. Ben and Vesper Stamper, a husband-and-wife duo with an affinity for offbeat folk music, get a little help from their friends on this sophomore album, which features cameos by Sufjan Stevens, two members of Holler, Wild Rose!, and other indie heavyweights. Yet despite the lengthy guest list, HONORS is basically a two-person affair. The orchestration is consistently sparse -- on "Sugar Song," the Stampers keep their melodies afloat with little more than droning bass and upright piano -- and most of the music focuses on Ben + Vesper's harmonies, which often sound like the brighter, quirkier equivalent of Mark Lanegan's duets with Isobel Campbell. Ben even channels Lanegan's deep, dark baritone on "Find Your Friend," sliding into a vibrato-heavy register to enhance the song's woozy effect, but saves most of its pizzazz for the happier numbers. "Knee-Hi Wall," the best tune here, boasts a soft rock chorus straight from the `70s, while "Understruggle: Yay, Win" throws some banjo arpeggios into the mix, resulting in a leisurely folk song that both soothes and moves. The lyrics are odd throughout the album -- "All is Forgiven" seems to be about a childhood incident in which Ben's dad taped a rerun of "The Fugitive" and accidentally used the wrong VHS cassette, erasing his son's amateur movie in the process, while the title track ...

Ben + Vesper discography Audio Mixer: Benjamin J. Recording information: Shoestring Studio (04/2006). Ben + Vesper: Ben Stamper (vocals, guitar); Vesper Stamper (vocals, tambourine); Josh Stamper (guitar); Chris Weisman (ukulele, piano); Kurt Weisman (glockenspiel, drums); Asa Irons. Personnel: Asa Irons (acoustic guitar).

Ben + Vesper songs Track Listing of songs: Singing Swords; Big Conversation, The; I Ask Because I Can; Luvinidless; Oarless Oracle;

Ben + Vesper CD discography Part of the Danielson/ Sounds Familyre posse, New Jersey duo Ben + Vesper purvey achingly sincere acoustic and electric alt-folk with a subtle Christian bent. The music is gentle, with slightly off-kilter melodies sung in pure, sometimes angelic tones, and complemented here by wispy percussion and some instrumental coloratura provided by their compatriot Sufjan Stevens. Composer: Ben Stamper. Ben + Vesper: Ben Stamper (electric guitar); Vesper Stamper (accordion). Personnel: Chris Weisman (12-string guitar); Joshua Stamper (bass instrument); Daniel C. Smith (unknown instrument); Sufjan Stevens (vocals, banjo, recorder, oboe, piano, shaker); Elin K. Smith (vocals); David Smith (drums). Recording ...