Smells Like Alternative

Since Beck just released Modern Guilt, and celebrated a birthday this week, it only makes sense that we do an FYI on Mr. Hansen.

• Bek David Campbell, aka Beck Hansen, was born on July 8 1970 in Los Angeles, CA.
• His father David Campbell, who is a Canadian musician, wrote the string arrangements for Stone Temple Pilots’ Storytellers.
• His mother, Bibbe Hansen, worked with Andy Warhol in Prison, Restaurant, 10 Beautiful Girls and 10 More Beautiful Girls.
• In 1988 Beck recorded his first cassette, Banjo Story.
• In the late 80’s, Beck and future Presidents of the United States of America frontman Chris Ballew, formed a duo that performed on the streets of L.A.
• Beck first signed to the small label Bong Load Custom Records in the early 90’s.
• Beck has eight unreleased albums prior to his first release, they include: We Like Folk…We Cares…Destroy Us (1991), R-Marcel (1992), Are you positive (1992), Beck, Like the Beer (1992), Don’t Get Bent Out of Shape (1992), 1992 Demo, Fresh Meat and Old Slabs (1993) and Golden Leftovers (1993).
• The 1993 single “MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack” is the first official release from Beck.
• Golden Feelings is the first album released by Beck in 1993.
• In 1993 Bong Load Records released a single entitled “Loser”, which created buzz for the unknown artist.
• Beck signed to Geffen Records, even though the label offered him the least amount of money, they gave him the most creative freedom.
• A Western Harvest Field by Moonlight is the last unofficial release in 1994.
• Steropathetic Soulmanure was released on February 22, 1994 through Flipside Records.
• Mellow Gold was Beck’s major label debut, released on March 1, 1994, would reach platinum status
• “Loser” would reach the top spot on the Modern Rock Tracks and #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1994.
• On June 27, 1994 Beck released One Foot in the Grave through K Records, which features Chris Ballew on guitar and bass.
• In 1995 Beck was part of Lollapalooza, alongside Sonic Youth, Cypress Hill, The Jesus Lizard, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Moby and more.
• Odelay was released on June 18, 1996 and would go on to win the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 1997.
• The first single, “Where It’s At”, premiered during Beck’s performances at Lollapalooza in 1995.
• The video for “Devil’s Haircut” was directed by Mark Romanek, who know, the man behind NIN’s “Closer”, Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” and Audioslave’s “Cochise”.
• Beck’s thrid major label debut, Mutations, was released on November 3, 1998 and was produced by Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich.
• Beck had intended for Mutations to be released through Bong Load Records, which didn’t make Geffen too happy, so people started taking each other to court.
• The Mutations track “Tropicalia” would appear in the 2004 Ben Stiller/Jennifer Aniston flick Along Came Polly.
• In 1998 Beck teamed up with his grandfather Al Hansen for an art exhibit entitled “Beck & Al Hansen: Playing With Matches”.
• Midnite Vultures, Beck’s fourth Geffen release, hit shelves on November 23, 1999 and reached gold status.
• The video for the first single, “Sexx Laws”, was directed by Beck and features an appearance by Jack Black.
• The Beck EP was released in 2001 and features B-sides from the Midnite Vultures era.
• Beck appears as himself in the 2001 Futurama episode “Bendin’ in the Wind”.
• Beck contributed a cover of David Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs” for the 2001 flick “Moulin Rouge!”.
• Sea Change was released on September 24, 2002 and would peak at #8 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart; it was also Beck’s first album to make it in the Top Ten in the U.S. charts .
• “Lost Cause” has featured on the show Scrubs.
• The Flaming Lips were Beck’s opening and backing band in 2002.
• Beck married Marissa Ribisi, the twin sister of Giovanni Ribisi, in April of 2004.
• Beck contributed the cover “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” for the 2004 Jim Carey masterpiece Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
• Guero was released on March 29, 2005 and debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top 200.
• The first single, “E-Pro”, sample The Beastie Boys tune “So What’cha Want”
• Jack White appears on the track “Go It Alone”.
• The EP Gameboy Variations contains remixes of four Guero songs and was released on February 1, 2005.
• The Jack Black comedy Nacho Libre features six Beck songs: “My Heart Is with the Children”, “There Is No Place for Me in This World”, “Tender Beasts of the Spangled Night”, “10,000 Pesos”, “Holy Man” and “Return of the Luchador”
• Beck appeared at the 2006 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.
• The Information was released on October 3, 2006 and hit the #7 spot on the Billboard 200.
• The first single, “Nausea”, made it’s live debut on May 24, 2006.
• The non-album single “Timebomb” was released on August 21, 2007 through iTunes.
• On May 19, 2008 the track “Chemtrails” debuted on BBC Radio 1 and refers to a conspiracy theory.
• Modern Guilt was released on July 8, 2008 and was produced by Danger Mouse.
• Cat Power appears on the tracks “Orphans” and “Walls”.

Enjoy the video for “Think I’m In Love”

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