Craig Bennett

A true Renaissance man — as a filmmaker, painter, and musician — Craig Bennett is a master of Americanized Brit-pop. A singer/songwriter drawing comparisons to Nick Cave and David Bowie, most are surprised to find that Bennett was actually born and raised in Athens, GA. Bearing little to no resemblance to the plethora of throwback pop bands in the Athens musical tradition, his brand of icily layered pop and deadpan delivery place him in a category with few obvious peers in the realms of indie rock. For his debut, 1999's More City Sadness, Bennett enlisted the help of percussionist Diana Hoskins and bassist Daniel DiNardo (both members of Bennett's previous band, Cork), and succeeded in establishing him as a unique presence in the Athens scene. The follow-up, Happy Hollowdays, was released in 2000 to solid reviews, as his intricate arrangements and lyrical complexity heralded the arrival of a very self-assured talent. For 2002's Sweet and Twisted, Bennett further displayed his wit and steady hand in production.