Ben Lee knows Hollywood firsthand

New listeners are attracted to the artist’s honesty.

By JOHN BENSON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

You get the sense that singer-songwriter Ben Lee doesn’t have to read US Weekly to know what’s going on with Hollywood.

The prodigious Australian artist, who gained notoriety as a teenager when his indie underground band Noise Act received praise from Stateside alternative rock luminaries Sonic Youth and The Beastie Boys, reportedly dated Claire Danes and is now romantically linked to actress Ione Skye.

And then there’s Lee’s latest solo studio effort “Ripe,” which includes guest appearances by Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden, Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins and Mandy Moore.

“It seems like on every record there are guests because I think it would get lonely being a solo artist,” said Lee, calling from San Francisco. “And you can get too in control so you need all of these guests. You need people coming in to kind of change the energy and to create more spontaneity and unpredictability.”

More so, Lee has no problem winking at his audience. For example, how about singing a song titled “Birds and the Bees” with Hollywood starlet Mandy Moore.  

“Exactly,” Lee laughed. “Just kind of part of it is having fun with pop culture. I mean obviously when do you something like that, it’s self-aware.

“That I’m such a fan of pop culture and a fan of all of these pop musicians and part of it is like creating a melting pot where I can sort of direct a movie with all of these people as actors of a movie that I’d want to see.”

Someone else who gets a shout out on “Ripe” is the true American gangster Jay-Z. Even though the song title “What Would Jay-Z Do” sounds like a parody or joke, the lyrics — “I want to look sharp/Be strong, refuse when I know it’s wrong/I want you to know my name/I want the hottest chick in the game/I want a big heart/And I want a big car/I want to be a self-made man/I want to know the things that he understands” — prove Lee’s respect and admiration for Hova.

“I see him as quite a heroic figure,” Lee said. “I honestly asked myself question many times, like how would Jay-Z approach this problem? I think he’s our generation’s Frank Sinatra.

“I think he emanates power without being threatening. Just the way he handles something, he genuinely would never appear to feel his position is under threat. I think people who ooze true confidence, people make way for them.”

What Lee has going for him is a sense of adventure and that aforementioned unpredictability. Known for his laid-back style and adult alternative-friendly tracks, Lee decided to shake things up a bit when this past summer he fell in love with punk rock band Against Me’s latest album “New Wave.” Within a few days, he covered the entire album, posting the acoustic-tracks for free on his Web site.

Fans can expect to hear some of that material, as well as songs from his entire career when Lee performs Nov. 15 at The Agora Ballroom.

Invariably, it’s Lee’s endearing and honest qualities that keep attracting new listeners to his music.

“I think basically my music is just about the joy of living,” Lee said. “It’s the ups and downs, sort of just kind of making the most of life like ringing out every drop of it – the sad experiences, the heartbreaks and the victories.

“I think people like to hear a songwriter that reflects the realness of being a human being and at the end of the day, I leave my audience hopefully with the fact that it’s worth it. And just to keep giving some hope.”