Artist description Craig Bennett's melodies tend toward the melancholic and atmospheric. His lyrics explore a landscape where relationships don't necessarily go wrong, but certainly don't go right.

Music Style Lyric Oriented Atmospheric Pop

Musical Influences David Bowie, Belle and Sebastian, Smiths, Nick Cave, Stone Roses, Cure, Roxy Music, Suede, Radiohead

Similar Artists David Bowie, Suede, Belle & Sebastian, Smiths, Nick Cave, Nick Drake, Morrissey, Pulp, Tindersticks, Stone Roses, Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Roxy Music, Brian Ferry, Eno, Radiohead

Artist History New album, "Faster Forward" out September 2003. "Sweet and Twisted" February 2002. "Happy Hollowdays" was released October 2000."More City Sadness" was completed in June of 99 and released in the Fall of 99. Bennett wrote, produced, performed and engineered the CD and used the percussive talents of Diana Hoskins to complete the project.Craig has been writing words and music since his early days with bands in Athens & Atlanta, Georgia. Since it's release, theCD has been applauded for being "profoundly artistic" and hailed as "independent art at its finest".

Group Members Craig Bennett- Guitar, Vocals, Piano, Mistakes

Instruments Guitar, Drums, Bass, Keyboard, Percussion

Albums Faster Forward, Sweet and Twisted, More City Sadness, Happy Hollowdays

Press Reviews "In a very unique and refreshing indie release, Craig Bennett serves up an off-kilter, trebly, acoustic sound with a vocal style that places emphasis on odd words. The album is a mix of late '60s faux-English pop, occasional spacey sections or funky Tim Buckley bits, Steve Taylor-ish vocals and lyrics, weird effects with keyboard, even a seconds-long psychedelic or classic rock guitar solo from time to time. Fans of Belle & Sebastian style indie pop should dig this. He has some clever, odd lyrics. Indie releases are almost always a disappointment, so it's a rare treat to find one so musically mature and satisfyingly original."- Josh Spencer , Stranger Things Magazine "Bennett's blend of coffeehouse psychedelia and British pop shines even on the darkest of days, and poems-turned-lyrics throw a left curve on songs like "Blue Streak," "Beautiful Face" and "Montgomery Clift." Orchestral strings add a larger-than-life sound to the mix, making More City Sadness something worth anyone's attention." Omar Perez Altar Native (Miami, FL) "I'm sitting here completely mesmerized by the music of Craig Bennett. His voice, his guitar...wait, there is a chick in there! It's Diana Hoskins. She's the drummer and she rocks! The band has a great sound, a beatnik trance-like vibe. It's alterna/pop at its best. Could easily go mainstream. You can hear Craig's Bowie/Floyd influence in there...especially in the track "Montgomery Clift." I'll be listening to this CD alot! - Madalyn Kastenbaum, Owner & Founder, GoGirlsMusic.com "...while Bennett's songs have that comfortable, sing-a-long pop style, the focal point is still Bennett's lyrics, which are more often poetry than typical song fare. Bennett has created some mighty fine, hip, and perfectly produced songs...the production here, done by Bennett, is stellar ...the use of strings and the sonic electric guitar is very powerful. Basically, you are just getting some damn fine pop songs with a host of influences and variety, all centered around Bennett's heartfelt and poetic lyrics." - Jeff Marsh, editor, DOA Magazine (Denver, CO) " 'More City Sadness' is a luscious pop record. Newcomer Craig Bennett stitches his keen eye for scenes of urban decay to portraits of emotional ennui. Vocal-wise he comes across like a cross between a young David Bowie and Luke Haines of the Auteurs, and although the record never quite rocks as hard as the first Suede album, the froth that rises to the top of the brew is pungent and disorientating ... In a glam-tastic way, of course." Beta Music(Singapore) "Craig Bennett is an introspective sort of guy -- the type that hopes the weather isn't too nice because then he might need to go outside for a walk or to cut the grass. He'd rather sit inside and ruminate, write some verse, pick out a few chords on the guitar and -- before he knew it -- he'd have himself a song. And more likely than not, it would be catchy piece of electronic-folk (or some other sort of label -- there's an awful lot of violas, horns, and techno-esque beats to call it folk) music. The disc is filled with original sounding arrangements that probably would be appreciated by fans of Belle & Sebastian, some older David Bowie, and other Euro-pop (even though he's from Georgia) It's good Sunday morning music and a pleasant surprise that has grown on me more and more with each listen." James Baumann - Swizzle-stick

Additional Info The opening track on this album immediately tells you this album is going to be something good. A wonderfully dizzy melody complemented by great guitar and a wonderful B&S style keyboard accompaniment forms the basis for The Coffee Poet Cracked.

Location Atlanta, GA - USA

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