The LB Collective
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The LB Collective

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"Concert Spotlight - St. Simons"

When your music is described by an Atlanta-based record company as "Fitting somewhere between a tamed version of Tori Amos and Laura Nyro revisited," there's a good chance you're doing something right.
Laura Benjamin, singer-songwriter for LB Collective, the band of that description, keeps it relatively simple when she describes her group's sound.
"I think of it as pop-soul-americana," said [Benjamin], "It's really a unifying mix of soulful vocals, bluesy sounds, and even a bit of country throw in."
The group is slated to celebrate its recently released eclectic debut album, "Let it Go," with a 5 p.m. Friday performance.... (excerpt) - Brunswick News, Cody Trawick


"Stomp and Stammer - 04/08"

Atlanta's LB Collective is a polished mainstream pop band with a slight modern country element in the mix. Singer/keyboardist Laura Benjamin gives the group its initials; "let it go" is the Collective's seven-song debut CD. - Jeff Clark - ed. in chief


"Southeast Performer, April 2008"

The soulful, introspective sounds of Atlanta's Laura Benjamin and her group LB Collective are sure to charm listeners. With sounds and lyrics reminiscent of dames such as Fiona Apple and K.D. Lang, LB Collective's latest release "let it go" will capture the hearts of listeners who yearn for moody, abstract, melodies. The singer, pianist, and songwriter carefully weaves a variety of styles and genres into the fabric and substance of this CD. This album begins and ends sounding like contemporary, light, pop music, but in between the first and last tunes, Southern, country-fried, delicacies abound. The first song ,Oblivion, has a funky, bluesy, feel similar to what one might hear in a smoke-filled lounge full of pool tables with patrons sipping on PBR while the wailing Benjamin suggests that maybe she should "fall into oblivion."
The last song "What Would He Think" is the story about a girl growing up and wondering what her late father would think and say about what she has become, and the vocals and style are similar to Celine Dione. Track 5, "With us for Awhile," especially has the potential of becoming a classic country music hit due to is heavy reliance on slide-steel guitar playing and its twangy effects on the guitar. A standout is "Goodbye Pluto." A song with piano, lyrics, and vocals similar to Tori Amos as it tells a story about how it was wrong when some in the scientific community decided not to classify Pluto as a planet in Earth's solar system any longer. Other musicians contributing to this delightful CD are A.J. Holz on bass, Steve Mounce on percussion, and Diana Mounce on vocals. This piece also features Doug Kees on guitar and Cameron Hizer on keyboards. Take a listen to this.
- James Hester


"Album Review - St. Simons Islander"

......
Benjamin's music is built around two key ingredients - her absolutely gorgeous voice and her intelligent, world wise lyrics.....
Her own sound is more Tori Amos meets Laura Nyro. It's a nice, lyrical blend of contemporary adult pop with some jazzy overtones, while also treading some modern folk/Americana ground.
No doubt Laura Benjamin is a serious musician with a bright future, but she also has a clever sense of humor.
My favorite cut on Let it Go is "Goodbye, Pluto", the planet not the dog.
"I choose to refuse to accept your new status/ You'll always be a planet to me.".
Very good stuff - Let it Go is available at CDbaby.com or her myspace site which can be reached via lbcollective.com.
Keep on rockin'.... - Matthew Permar


"Creative Loafing Sound Menu"

LB is Laura Benjamin and the Collective is a cool cooperative combo of skilled musicians. Together, they propel her finely crafted songs into stylized singer/songwriter fare, lightly tinged with likable, streamlined pop, soul and Americana influences. Tonight is the CD-release party for the band's slick debut album Let It Go, produced by busy folk-and-roots authority Don McCollister. Note special early (5 p.m.) showtime. $7, $15 (includes CD). 5 p.m. Red Light Café. 404-874-7828. www.redlightcafe.com. -- Lee Valentine Smith - Lee Valentin Smith


"LB Collective press release "let it go""

LB COLLECTIVE RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM, LET IT GO
CD features innovative, lyrical music by Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Laura Benjamin


September 17, 2007 (Atlanta, GA) – The Atlanta-based pop-americana band, the LB Collective, announces the release of its debut CD, let it go. The album features the intelligent originals of local singer-songwriter Laura Benjamin, whose vocals combine a fusion of Sheryl Crow passion and k.d. lang artistry. Additional band members include A.J. Holz, bass; Steve Mounce, percussion; and Diana Mounce, vocals. The CD also features Doug Kees on guitar and Cameron Hizer on keyboards.

"Love Laura Benjamin's debut CD – mostly because she has the nerve to be unique and write material with content and melody that's memorable", says Jan Smith of Atlanta-based Jan Smith Studios.

"Fitting somewhere between a tamed version of Tori Amos and Laura Nyro revisited, Laura Benjamin's music is lyrically sound, vocally unique, and above the cut of mainstream nonsense."

Quirky and introspective, yet full of catchy melodies and singable refrains, the songs contain an emotional honesty not often found in adult contemporary music. While several of the songs are reflections on love and loss, this album is not fundamentally melancholy, but rather a study in perseverance and optimism with a healthy dose of self-deprecation.

Produced by Don McCollister of Nickel and Dime Studios, let it go can be downloaded via iTunes or purchased at www.cdbaby.com/cd/lbcollective.
- LSM Communications


"CD Baby Fan Comments"

This is a gorgeous collection of music. Simply put, it is the catchiest, funniest, most thrilling album I have bought this year. What a talent!
-Eric

The upbeat are catchy and fun, the mellow are soulful and lyrical. Fear of Dying Alone is my favorite - the lyrics and melody are so meaningful. It's wonderful to have such intelligent poetry supported by perfect melody and backgrounds. Can't wait for the next album!
-Gabi

I loved the album! The artist has a beautiful voice and has done an excellent job in the presentation of her talents- both vocally and in the writing. Highly recommend!
-Esther

Love the CD! Great energy and beautiful voice! Favorite song - Let it go!
-Jennifer

I can't tell you how often we listen to this CD. ....LB has an amazing range,- Oblivion shows the power of her voice in kind of a funky, bluesy way, Let it Go is upbeat and fun, and songs like What Would He Think never fail to bring a tear to my eye. My favorite, though, might be Goodbye Pluto - it's very funny, and oddly touching. I look forward to hearing more from her.
-Alison



- Various


Discography

let it go, July 2007

Photos

Bio

The LB Collective, fronted by New York native and songwriter Laura Benjamin, is a pop-rock band known for innovative and multi-dimensional music. The Atlanta-based band released its debut CD, let it go, in the fall of 2007. Produced by Grammy® award-winner Don McCollister of Nickel and Dime Studios, the album’s “soulful, introspective sounds” are “sure to charm listeners” (James Hester, Southeast Performer). LB’s soulful vocals, innovative lyrics and bluesy style have been compared to musicians ranging from k.d. lang to Fiona Apple.

The LB Collective received top honors from fans at OurStage.com three times in the past year and a half. In November 2008, LB’s song "Oblivion" was given the top prize in the "RedGorilla" category, earning the band a spot in the 2009 RedGorilla Music Fest in Austin, Texas. Two other songs have also earned top awards from the Ourstage fan community in categories as diverse as Alternative Country and Soft Rock.

Says premier vocal producer Jan Smith of Atlanta-based Jan Smith Studios: "Love Laura Benjamin’s debut CD - mostly because she has the nerve to be unique and write material with content and melody that’s memorable. Fitting somewhere between a tamed version of Tori Amos and Laura Nyro revisited, Laura Benjamin’s music is lyrically sound, vocally unique, and above the cut of mainstream nonsense. Be sure to check out my fave-rave - ‘What Would He Think’. It’ll make you think - LOVE that!!”

LB places emotional honesty at the heart of her songwriting; several of her songs are reflections of love and loss. Still other songs capture more whimsical concerns - standing on one’s own, putting down roots in unexpected places, even musing over the fate of no-longer-planet Pluto. Her lyrical style is both quirky and accessible, while her knack for catchy melodic hooks gives the songs a universal appeal. Certain lyrics have been known to make listeners tear up, but fundamentally, the music is about perseverance and optimism, with a healthy dose of self-deprecation.

LB began her full-time music career shortly after graduating from Yale University in 1999. From 2001 - 2004, she and several of her current bandmates performed widely around the southeast as members of the swing band The Zoots, with LB as a lead vocalist and keyboard player. Since then, she has also performed extensively as a solo artist, been a featured member of a musical satire troupe, and been involved in several other bands. The LB Collective is currently in pre-production for its sophomore album, to be released in 2010.