Ben Jelen

Ben Jelen Gigs To Benefit Wildlife Benefactor

24 Jun 2004 03:56:00 EDT

Singer playing pair of shows in New York, San Francisco.
By Alyssa Rashbaum

Ben Jelen (file)
Photo: Candace Lawler

True to the title of his debut album, Ben Jelen is going to help a wildlife-preservation organization Give It All Away.

The singer/songwriter will perform at two upcoming awareness-raising events for Wildlife Works, a company that manufactures clothing, accessories and home products and uses the proceeds to help protect endangered and threatened wildlife. The two Concert for Conservation shows will take place Friday in San Francisco and July 1 in New York at Virgin Megastores.

The shows are being staged to raise awareness about Wildlife Works' mission and its Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary in Kenya, which focuses on protecting animals, rebuilding schools and supplying fresh water to people who share their land and resources with wildlife. The organization sells clothing emblazoned with phrases like "Extinction Sucks" and "Property of Elephant," with the proceeds benefiting the 100,000-acre Rukinga sanctuary and other projects.

"I like their theory of 'consumer-powered conservation,' " said Jelen. Wildlife Works also names Britney Spears, Charlize Theron, Paris Hilton, Alicia Silverstone and Robert Downey Jr. as some of its biggest celebrity supporters.

At both performances, Jelen will sign a "Committed to Conservation" pledge board and ask attendees to add their signatures as well. Jelen has also worked with the Natural Resource Defense Council and Rock the Vote, which hosted his April 2004 concert at the Knitting Factory in New York.

Jelen will also head out on the Rock the Vote bus tour (see "Snoop Dogg, 'O.C.' Stars Kick Off Rock The Vote Bus Tour") this fall after touring with Hanson from July 10 through July 31 and supporting Clay Aiken on his tour in August.

For more on Wildlife Works and the concerts, visit wildlifeworks.com.

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Ben Jelen

Usher #1 For Fourth Straight Week, Hoobastank Take Big Leap

21 Apr 2004 12:17:00 EDT

R&B sensation moves additional 302,000 copies of Confessions.
By Robert Mancini

Usher (File)
Photo: Gregg Delman

Once again, Usher is the only one making any noise on the Billboard albums chart, as the R&B sensation will maintain his stranglehold at the top of the album heap next week.

Mr. Entertainment's Confessions is losing a bit of steam, selling 34 percent fewer records last week than the week before, but he still managed to best the rest after moving an additional 302,000 copies of his latest effort, according to SoundScan. The hefty sales will put Usher in the top slot for the fourth straight week.

Frankly, Usher didn't face much in the way of competition for the #1 spot. Sales were sluggish, with 47 of the top 50 albums pushing fewer copies than they did the week before. Once again, the latest Now That's What I Call Music! compilation plays runner-up, while the week's biggest gainer, Hoobastank's The Reason, leaps from #18 to #3 on next week's chart.

As far as new blood, the week's biggest debut comes courtesy of Sugarcult, who break into the chart at #46 after selling just under 22,000 copies of their Palm Trees and Power Lines. The "Kill Bill Vol. 2" soundtrack cracks the chart at #58, Joe Satriani's Is There Love in Space? debuts at #80 and Ben Jelen's Give It All Away crashes the chart at #112.

Next week should present a bigger challenge for Usher and shake up the top 10 a bit, as high-profile releases from Prince, Mario Winans, Hanson and Drowning Pool hit shelves this week (see "New Releases: Prince, Mario Winans, Afroman, Drowning Pool, Hanson, Ghostface, The Alarm & More").

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New Releases: Ben Jelen, 'Kill Bill Vol. 2' Soundtrack, Danger Mouse, Sugarcult, Satyricon & More

12 Apr 2004 09:13:00 EDT

Ben Jelen (file)
Photo: Candace Lawler

Ben Jelen is just releasing his first album this week, but he's already ready to Give It All Away. His debut features the single "Come On," as well as a little Matrix magic on production.

Sugarcult's ode to love and California, Palm Trees and Power Lines, drops alongside the "Kill Bill Vol. 2" soundtrack, which features "A Few Words From the Bride," a.k.a. Uma Thurman, and music by Johnny Cash.

Autopilot Off's Make a Sound hits this week, as does Danger Mouse — the producer behind the Beatles/ Jay-Z mash-up, The Grey Album — and Jemini's Ghetto Pop Life, featuring guest appearances by the Pharcyde and Tha Liks.

Finally, in DVD news, Cypress Hill release The Ultimate Video Collection and RZA comes to you Live From Germany.

Out Tuesday, April 13:

Rabih Abou-Khalil - Morton's Foot (Justin Time)
Autopilot Off - Make a Sound (Island)
Blackie & the Rodeo Kings - BARK (True North/Rounder)
Blue Rodeo - Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (Rounder)
Gary Burton - Generations (Concord Jazz)
Sam Bush - King of My World (Sugar Hill)
Crossfade - Crossfade (Columbia/Earshot)
Danger Mouse and Jemini - Ghetto Pop Life (Lex)
Dropbox - Dropbox (Realign/UME)
Ex-Girl - Endangered Species (Alternative Tentacles)
Frank Gambale - Raison D'etre (Wombat)
Gutbucket - Dry Humping the American Dream (Cantaloupe)
Ben Jelen - Give It All Away (Maverick)
Buy Now: Give It All Away (Maverick)
Living Things - Resight Your Rights (DreamWorks/Interscope)
Allison Moorer - The Duel (Sugar Hill)
Name Taken - Hold On (Geffen)
The Oxford Collapse - Some Wilderness (Kanine)
Radford - Sleepwalker (Universal)
Joe Satriani - Is There Love in Space? (Epic)
Satyricon - Volcano (Red Ink/eatURmusic)
Bob Schneider - I'm Good Now (Shockorama/Vanguard)
Slow Pain - L.A. Blues (Thump)
Sugarcult - Palm Trees and Power Lines (Fearless/Artemis)
Buy Now: Palm Trees and Power Lines (Fearless/Artemis)
The Tubes - White Punks on Dope (Acadia)
Turbo Tabla - Bellydance Overdrive (Ark 21)
The Vestals - The Vestals (Warming House)
Doc Watson - Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues (Rounder)
Adrienne Young - Plow to the End of the Row (TK)
Various artists - Golden Era of Rock 'N' Roll: 1954-1963 (Hip-O)
Various artists - Jazz Lounge 2 (Water Music)
Various artists - "Kill Bill Volume 2" soundtrack (Maverick)
Various artists - Old Skars & Upstarts 2004 (Disaster)
DVD: Cypress Hill - "The Ultimate Video Collection" (Sony)
DVD: RZA - "Live From Germany" (Nutech)