A Brief Bio of Bipolar Ben and His Band

"Bipolar" Ben Spangler died in the small town of Bozeman on June 22, 2007. That name only holds weight for certain circles, but anywhere that weight had worth revered the musician with an almost ominous clout. Ben was a musician, with a unique voice and an inimitable style all his own.

Once upon a time in Montana, there was a band called the Touchers: a collective of many musical misfits under the moniker and leadership of Ben (also known colloquially as Bipolar Ben as well as by the alias Ben Brisini) that ripped and roared through their unique blend of surf-rockin' cowpunk, creating a sonic force that could have only come from people who grew up when grunge went from inside joke to international phenomenon.

Suffering from bipolar disorder, and carrying the weight of what can charitably described as a difficult childhood, did not stop Ben from culling his vision from the ether into our ear holes. Whether alone on his guitar, or with his band of mischievous music makers, Ben was always creating his own worlds and presenting them like it was effortless.

Pinning down a description of "the Touchers sound" is as fraught as it is fruitless, but the most succinct combination of words might be "happy sadness indie rock honky tonk surf punk." Their website described them as "dedicated to the demise of sexist, homophobic, unoriginal rock and roll." But no combination of words can compare to hearing Ben strum and shriek like his very soul depended on every sound.

Hear for yourself the unknown pleasures of a damn fine songwriter who was able to capture a lot of his brand of cacophony before his time was up, then dive a little deeper into the legacy of a truly original craftsman's work.