With a new album, a new baby boy and an international tour that’s well under way, it’s safe to say that singer/songwriter Ben Kweller has his hands full. Kweller, who has been in the studio recording since his last album was released in 2004, is touring across Europe and the United States. His self-titled album is due out Sept. 19. Unlike his previous two efforts, the newest album is recorded and performed entirely by Kweller. Effectively, Kweller was a one-man band in the studio (though he still tours with his back-up band on the road).Kweller has a long history in the music business – he formed a band in 1993, Radish, which consisted of several of his high school buddies. They went on to record four albums with teen-aged Kweller as the lead singer and guitarist. Radish eventually disintegrated, and in 2002 Kweller returned with his first solo full-length album, “Sha Sha.” This release earned Kweller critical acclaim for his solidly written songs that spanned from electric grunge (think Nirvana) to edgy folk (according to Kweller’s Myspace profile, some referred to his music as “anti-folk”). It incorporated highly sentimental, often metaphorical lyrics and Kweller’s unashamed use of pop harmonies. 2004’s release of “On My Way” introduced a heavier sound and a much rawer vibe reminiscent of classic rock ‘n’ roll, thanks largely in part to the fact that the entire album was recorded live. Modern studio recording methods involve tedious overdubbing of each individual instrument to get the sound tweaked just right. The live recording captured Kweller’s energy in a more effective way than traditional methods.Kweller’s appeal lies not only in his enormously catchy songwriting and honesty, but even more so in his personal interaction with his admirers. He has managed to keep the typical rockstar, larger-than-life attitude in check, choosing instead to remain humble and always letting his fans know how much he appreciates their support. In a special deal with online ticket merchant Front Gate Tickets, the first three hundred fans to pre-order Kweller’s new album were promised a signed copy of the CD booklet. The spike in popularity of social-networking sites has played a large part in Kweller’s fan base and exposure. The behemoth of networking sites, Myspace.com, features Kweller’s profile on its homepage, allowing visitors to listen to the album in its entirety before its release. This is an enormous achievement, placing Kweller in the spotlight for millions of users who log on daily to see.For the past month, Kweller has appeared in a weekly series, hosted on Youtube.com, titled “One Minute Pop Song.” Each episode highlights, generally in five minutes or less, a different aspect of Kweller’s life. Topics range from Kweller’s early memories of jamming on drums with his dad on guitar, to showcasing a Japanese fan’s cover of his song “In Other Words” (as well as his exact thoughts on rapper Talib Kweli’s unauthorized sampling of the song on a track titled “Ms. Hill”).Kweller will be playing tonight at the Granada Theater on Lower Greenville, marking his first appearance in Dallas in nearly two years. Ironically, Kweller was raised in Greenville, Tx. and considers Dallas his home (though he was born in California and moved to New York as a teenager). You can buy tickets for Kweller’s “homecoming” show at CD World, or you can have them held at the will-call office by ordering online at frontgatetickets.com.Jared Caraway is a Sophomore English major and can be reached for further comment or question at [email protected]