RELENTLESS 7

Some people might quibble with including this band
in a "faces to watch" roundup. Ben Harper, its
frontman, has been highly visible on the rock
scene for more than a decade; his slide guitar
playing and bubbling-up blues songs have made him
a favorite on the festival circuit, while his
marriage to Laura Dern has put him on Hollywood's
radar. But Relentless 7 is a band, and it takes
Harper into promising new territory.

The group has been brewing for a while. Guitarist
Jason Mozersky forced a demo into Harper's hands
during a tour 10 years ago. Harper was impressed,
and the two became fast friends. Mozersky
introduced Harper to bassist Jesse Ingalls and
drummer Jordan Richardson, who also play in the
band Oliver Future.

The quartet has found a groove that's heavier and
more teeth-baring than Harper's usual mellowish
approach -- a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Good Times
Bad Times" appears on its MySpace page. But then,
so does a version of "Purple Rain." Harper is
clearly hoping to buy property at the very active
intersection of rock and soul, perhaps catching
some of the excitement that's been propelling
bands like TV on the Radio.

Look for plenty of dates from this road dog and
his new crew in the new year, and an album, "White
Lies for Dark Times," in late spring on Virgin.

-- Ann Powers