Ben McCombs (b. October 2, 1977), former guitarist for the rock group Outside, and singer, songwriter, guitarist, mandolinist and keyboardist for Uma Floresta, a group with one permanent member (McCombs) and two regular contributors (Justin O'Neill and Devin Anderson) [1]. As a composer, McCombs has dabbled in a variety of popular styles. In Outside, he experimented with synthpop, blues and industrials noise conventions, creating a sound that was dense, oppressive and at times dissonant and shapeless. In Uma Floresta, McCombs has all but abandoned the heavy, plodding atmospheres in favor of simple, acoustic pop songs, mandolin-laden bossa nova, layered acoustic ambient pieces and quirky indie rock.
