ben cook – Austin Town Hall

Guv Shares Blue Jade Single

January 26, 2026 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

Ben Cook just has hits for days and days, and while the project name has changed, the hits keep coming. I’m really enjoying the Guv stuff this go round, with his newest single almost reminding me of late-era Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The propulsive nature of the rhythm section creates this insane hook that keeps the song running along, setting the entirety of the tune up with this fuel that drives us forward. Cook’s vocals have this softened nature here, taking some of his pop skills and bridging them into fashionable dream pop territory. Warmer Than Gold drops on Friday via Run for Cover!

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Another Young Guv Tune

February 27, 2015 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

I’ve been approaching the new Young Guv effort with a bit of trepidation for some reason; I think the first single caught me off guard, but I can see why the always reliable Slumberland Records grabbed this new LP, especially after jamming this tune all day. There’s a bit of gritty shoegaze in the way the guitars swirl around in the mix, but Ben Cook definitely takes hold of his newer pop-centric aims on his vocal display. This is one of those tracks that could seemingly break through the universe and catch hold of every pop fan out there; it’s that good. Look for Ripe 4 to hit the streets on March 10th.

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The Softer Side of Young Guv

January 14, 2015 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

When you’re working with a band like Fucked Up, people are bound to make assumptions about what your solo work will sound like, right? You’d think Young Guv, the band’s guitarist would bring us some sort of heavy-edged punk, or maybe the power-pop influenced touches he brought on his recent EP with the Scuzz. But, it seems like Ben Cook has some doses of R&B smoothness built into his work; it’s evidenced in this groovy hit he’s just put out in anticipation of his new LP. The title of the record is Ripe 4 Luv, perhaps giving us a hint that we should expect more songs like this; it’ll be released by Slumberland on March 10th.

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Straight Power Pop from The Marvelous Darlings (Ben from Fucked Up)

November 15, 2011 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

Most people associate Ben Cook with Fucked Up and the band’s hardcore roots, but his side project Marvelous Darlings takes on a different light altogether. Throughout the last several years the band has released various singles and are now set to release a compilation of sorts combining all the music from those years. The collection is titled Single Life and will be out on November 22nd via Deranged Records. We’ve got the first track here to offer you, and it’s a solid little boogie through and through. Once those lyrics kick in, you can definitely get ahold of the pop aspect. With Fucked Up‘s future uncertain, I have a feeling we’ll see more from the band coming up.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/01_I_Dont_Wanna_Go_To_The_Party.mp3]

Download: The Marvelous Darlings – I Don’t Wanna Go to the Party [MP3]

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