Back when I used to work at Fingerprints in Long Beach I got turned on to Noise Addict. I think I heard “I Wish I Was Him” and ordered up their EP. I was just out of high school and have always been a fan of poppy music (No Doubt was the band I had seen play more than any other until Flaming Lips took that over a few years back). I followed the band and their leader Ben Lee and picked up anything I could find. They even did an instore performance once in LA and some buddies headed up to check that out.
Ben Lee slowly set aside Noise Addict and went the solo route and I thought that was it for the band. Over the weekend I stumbled upon The Bens EP (Ben Lee, Kweller, Folds) and searched Noise Addict to find this free album that Lee did with Lou Barlow a year or two back. And… it’s a free download! In a similar fashion to how the original songs were recorded everything was done in Ben’s bedroom. Check out it was never about the audience at NoiseAddict.net. One day I might get around to finding a way to digitize the cassette tape I have of the Ben Lee/Rebecca Gates show from McCabe’s in 1995, on of my favorite shows.
