Finding Different Voices

The Insomniac

2010-02-26T04:53:00.000-08:00

While you slip into a soothing slumber, I lay here, tripping on anxieties. Watching the hours go round, contemplating the uncontrollable. Sleep on, people. I'll do the worrying for you.
Love,
The Insomniac

No need for a mic check right now

2010-01-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine said to me not so long ago, "Ben, you are a decent singer. But you are a great guitarist."
This stuck with me more than he had probably intended. It got me thinking of what could be if I focused solely on guitar for a while. That line of thinking has coincided with my layman's attempt at being a classical guitarist and a newly heightened interest in classical music.

So about three months ago I started composing for the guitar. Without the addition of vocal parts, the need for all of the parts to come out of one instrument has led me to brainstorm new approaches to the instrument. Not just new to me- but I think new to the guitar altogether. One thing folks who know my performances may notice is that I'll be sitting down while I play the pieces. I don't know why I've always felt like I had to stand. I'm tall enough sitting in a chair. But the real reason behind this is that my leg stabilizes the guitar. And these new pieces do require a very steady guitar.

I mentioned my budding interest in classical. This isn't to say I wasn't familiar with some of the classical repertoire to begin with. I played trombone in the orchestra in high school, and I've flirted with the classical guitar since my youth.
This new music is by no means classical. But the ornate nature of that music is applied. I continue to delve deeper into composition for the guitar, and I am becoming a better guitarist in the process.

I have 8 new instrumentals to date. I'll need a few more for an album, but I am beginning recording this week so I don't forget the pieces bouncing around in my head as I type this. Sooner or later I'll probably get around to transcribing the pieces, but right now they live only as sound and fingerings committed to memory.

Anyone who happens to read this, please let me know what format you would like my next album to be in. I've heard there is a resurgence of vinyl, so I was considering that.
Thanks for reading.

and in the new year

2010-01-01T05:39:00.000-08:00

all I ask is that my heart be cleansed, washed anew.

Before Atlanta went Crunk

2009-09-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

There was Goodie MOB. And they were good.
Then the whole world fell off.

FREE ALBUM

2009-09-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

Check out the fruits of my labor at
Bendelagarza.com
I hope all are well

Whirlwind

2009-08-25T06:05:00.000-07:00

So usually it takes me two years to make an album.
Well, apparently not this time. I went into a hyper-efficient Zen mode of recording, mixing and mastering and made a very polished record in a matter of weeks.
I do vocals, play guitar, trombone, harmonica, thumb piano and a drum that I made myself on the album. It's quite a melee. And it's free!
Check http://bendelagarza.com about midway through September, and you'll find the free download. It's free, and it's actually good! (at least it sounds that way to my refined and completely unbiased ears) How bout that shit?

The internet can breed anger

2009-08-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's better to let a thought gestate before reacting to it. Take a walk, a run, talk to people to get perspective.

Anger is an impulse emotion. If you see something that goes against your belief system, you feel threatened and lash out. With online comments, the internet provides a stage for first reactions: posted without deliberation. Youtube is a prime example of this. The littany of hate-filled remarks show little sign of people weighing over what they say before posting it. Even positive first reactions are sometimes not intelligent ones. One might compliment a singer's writing process only to find out minutes or months later that someone else wrote the song.

People should make a conscious effort to think things through deeply before making those knee-jerk reactions that are creating what seems to be a more angry society.

Bela Flek, Victor Wooten and Futureman do battle

2009-08-05T09:46:00.001-07:00

news and such

2009-06-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

well folks, I'm back to using this blog page as a place to post about my recording status. I usually end up releasing albums two years apart, but I really want to try to do two in 2009. I'm not sure if I'll complete this one in time. The songs are ready, but getting them recorded can be a big task.

Last time around I recorded everything to tape, almost entirely bypassing the computer. That worked out pretty well, but I have to say that I have relapsed into using the computer again for recording purposes.

Speaking of computers, I've just about had it with social networking sites. People need to get out and talk to their neighbors, make some real friends etc. Now it seems like the older people (baby boomers primarily) are really latching onto this twitter thing. I guess they figure that since they missed the boat on myspace years ago, this is their gig. It seems to me like a huge waste of time. I guess they have nothing better to do (sad indeed).

oh well, talk to you later..

oops

2009-05-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

That last video sucked. Here's a good one.

good showmanship

2009-04-30T06:16:00.001-07:00

oh...that's who god is

2009-04-10T13:08:00.001-07:00

Tom Waits on God

guess what?

2009-03-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

I don't know who God is...But I'd be awfully surprised if he/she is cooler than Jimi Hendrix.

ruminations

2009-03-06T08:04:00.001-08:00

Cage

grammys

2009-02-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

I didn't watch the Grammys, but I had to check what Radiohead did. And as usual, they did something totally unpredictable. They played with the USC marching band.

invisible Jimi

2009-02-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

an amazing live rendition of "Little Wing" in 69 at Royal Albert Hall. terrible picture, but maybe that's how god intended it.

live at Sing Sing Prison

2009-01-27T17:48:00.001-08:00

BB King! the man!

pretty awesome

2009-01-25T17:22:00.000-08:00

Can't believe I never listened to They Might Be Giants. My friend Karen just enlightened me.

The Staple Singers

2009-01-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

love the female lead. and everything else

James Brown and Luciano Pavarotti

2009-01-14T07:33:00.000-08:00

are you kidding me!?

just say yooooouu will !!!

2009-01-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

Jackie Wilson

2009-01-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

This is a good one. Carl Perkins, Eric Clapton and Johnny Cash a little after the halfway point of the video. make sure you watch til that part because it rocks.

Gyuto Monks- Tantric chanting

2008-12-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

Toots Thielmans

2008-12-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

The End of the World

2008-12-11T11:20:00.001-08:00

Aphrodite's Child. good stuff. Never mind that they are completely insane and the lyrics make no sense. "Come with me to the end of the world"? No idea.

I need some depressing music

2008-12-10T08:30:00.001-08:00

this will do for now.

see if you can jam to this one

2008-11-29T12:16:00.001-08:00

Santana with Los Lobos- Soul Sacrifice

a great cover

2008-11-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

Michael Hedges does 'She Drives me Crazy' by the Fine Young Cannibals. and who can't relate at one point or another to the theme of that song?

totally mainstream

2008-11-16T17:52:00.001-08:00

but awesome nonetheless. nice dancing Beyonce and friends. holy shit

the shit

2008-11-14T18:12:00.000-08:00

aah yes. my bro Jeru turned me onto this stuff back around '03. real underground UK hip hop. recognize.

Joan as Policewoman

2008-11-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

What a bad ass lady. live in London "Save Me".

My New Favorite Video on the Internet

2008-11-01T08:16:00.001-07:00

My Carter Family Curiosity

2008-10-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

It would be cool to see another group like this get big. Not every band has a female upright bass player who also sings.

and another vid in more advanced years:

Going to Carolina in my Mind

2008-10-23T18:43:00.001-07:00

Allison Krauss

My Bloody Valentine

2008-10-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

I like the camera work. I want any video of me to be in slow motion and taken through a white veil of fog.

a woman

2008-10-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

anyone who has looked at my video blog would probably notice that there aren't many videos from female artists. yes, that is a problem.
it may be that as a male musician, I identify more with male artists. But I'm not going to psycho-analyze myself.
The fact is I love many female artists.
so I now begin my new installments featuring women.

Mr. Leo Kottke!

2008-10-17T09:27:00.001-07:00

johnnie taylor

2008-10-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

man, you know you wish you were there.

Dvorak's Symphony from The New World- 4th movement

2008-10-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

Used to play this one in high school. trombone section.
It's amazing. Dvorak is amazing.

and now a taste of...

2008-10-02T17:33:00.001-07:00

if you don't know of Cage, he's a reformed battle rapper. now he talks about mental illness recovery, pain and tumult. but still..this was sick, and you don't have to read too deep. the pain was and is there. wait for the second verse.

muppets do coldplay

2008-09-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

brutal and beautiful

2008-09-12T06:08:00.000-07:00

probably the most potent music video ever made, in my opinion

2008-09-10T12:55:00.001-07:00

high pressure lessons with Segovia

2008-09-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Can't find any 2008 classics

2008-08-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

So here's some Beachboys. This song is the best.

Rage covers Ghost of Tom Joad

2008-08-08T06:47:00.001-07:00

I just saw Rage Against the Machine in Chicago. They are still as vital as they were when I first bought their debut album on cassette in middle school. I knew the world was a messed up place then, as I know it now..But I am a bit more optimistic in my outlook. This is a Bruce Springsteen song. Tom Joad is a character from the book "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck.

nice. the two man guitar

2008-08-04T09:39:00.001-07:00

Philadelphia

2008-07-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

Check out the link to the video below. It's an interesting pairing, Notorious BIG and Bruce Springsteen. kudos to this deejay Rufus for the effort.

Biggie and Springsteen

happy 4th

2008-07-04T19:09:00.001-07:00

sorry for that last post

2008-06-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

redemption

best audience ever

2008-06-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Dolly Parton and friends.

worst audience ever

2008-06-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

painful, what a bunch of assholes. Tom Waits plays to a room of shits in his less well-known days.

good beats

2008-06-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Love the drummer from The Band. This may be good ol' boy music, but the drummer is straight hip hop. or maybe some hip hop producers are influenced by The Band, and they don't even know it? food for thought

Sip the Juice

2008-06-20T06:06:00.001-07:00

all-time get your self worked into a frenzy song. Eric B and Rakim. put this song in your head if you're ever being chased by folks with guns.

Los Lobos play Sesame Street

2008-06-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bands plays one of my favorite shows.

Modeselektor

2008-06-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

Beat art synchronization

palindromes!

2008-06-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

Weird Al's intelligence continues to be underrated.

Keyboard Demo by Vangelis

2008-06-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

shit, with synths it don't get much better sonically.

Communion- theme music

2008-06-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite thing by Eric Clapton that ALMOST NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT. The rest of the clip is fairly inconsequential, though it is always fun to watch Christopher Walken go bonkers.

The Big Bopper gets the ladies

2008-06-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

more classic stuff. I don't know who's on the other end of the phone, but she's falling for him!

people in the 50s and early 60s were pumped

2008-06-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

how high can you raise your hands off a piano while playing?

Tobacco- 80s porn and beats

2008-06-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

guitar man

2008-06-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

Brothers in Arms

2008-05-24T11:39:00.001-07:00

Beatboxing

2008-02-09T20:15:00.001-08:00

bush the beatboxer

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Two Things

2007-09-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

Since, as a musician, I could either be considered a perfectionist or anal retentive, or both (and frankly, I don't care either way), here are my recent revelations:

1. If it ain't broke, don't fix it

and my friend Dan always says:

2. Sometimes you've got to do it yourself, if you want it done right.

enough said.

for better or for worse....

2007-09-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

I am back on myspace:
myspace.com/bendelagarza

actually...

2007-08-23T21:43:00.001-07:00

oh shit, so i guess I actually wasn't done. I just threw down some vocals after hearing a part that needed a lift.
yes, we all need a lift sometimes. music is my lift. my emotional face lift, the fork lift that carries my heart around. oh, terrible metaphors. english lanuage, why have you forsaken me?
I'm out-

Recording Done

2007-08-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

well, the final recordings were done last night in beautiful Aurora, NY. I drove along Cayuga Lake on the way out there with the fading sun glistening off the waves.

Victor did a bang-up job hammering out a few amazing tracks with his viola de gamba. And I redid a bit of guitar in his first-rate home studio.

So now I'm in my final stages of mixing. I've done the majority of the mixing already, but there are some kinks to work out.
I believe Victor will be mastering the album, but that remains to be seen.

can't wait to share the finsihed product and get out there for some gigs. It's been a while!
-Ben

upcoming gig

2007-08-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

Thunderkids and Fun Machine, two bands out of New Jersey who are currently touring, will be playing in Syracuse with me at the Dinosaur Barbecue on Monday, August 13th.
My friend and old housemate, Mike Liska, is in the band Thunderkids. They do a lot of avante garde, textural music. Fun Machine sounds pretty crazy too. Frankly, I'm not sure how Syracuse will react. hopefully people won't throw bottles at the stage.

Divas Festival

2007-08-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

I was at an open mic in Hanover Square last week and asked the girl hosting it, Lisa Gentile, if she wanted to try playing together that night. She seemed very hesitant at first, but decided she liked what she heard when I figured the songs out on the spot. I've got a good ear. That's probably my best musical attribute. If you play something, complicated or simple, chances are I can pick it up quickly.

So Lisa asked me to play with her at the Diva's Festival this Saturday Night. I won't be playing any of my own material. I am backing up Lisa for her set at 8 PM. This show (obviously) features all women who are notable CNY artists. Jessie Chick is playing, and she's really great. There are a few others, but Lisa and I will be first I think.

It's at the Syracuse Center for the Performing Arts at 728 E. Genesee St Syracuse, NY. It costs 15 bucks to get in, but this is a pretty major venue and there are a lot of artists, so the money hopefully isn't an issue.

peace
-Ben

TV Show appearance 7-31

2007-07-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

I will be featured in a brief segment during an hourlong special on WCNY tv. The show is called "My So-Called Disability". I believe the program will look at mental illness as more of a divergence of thought than as a disability. Anyway, that is how I look at it.
It will be on channel 24 (WCNY) at 9 pm on Tuesday, July 31st. Be sure to check your tv listings to make sure the channel you watch is the right one. Here is a link to the television website:

WCNY tv shedule

A Lingering melody

2007-07-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

I wrote an Irish folk song last night.
But I have to admit it was mainly just a melody I heard in my dream. I woke up with the tune still echoing in my head.
I wish I could live in a small Irish village for a while, so I could share my song in the local pub.
I think American bars should do away with stereos and live music, so a bunch of jolly drunks would have to improvise the music (I'm sort of kidding, but sort of not).
Here are the lyrics.

I keep on thinking you were the last one I loved
My prides's a sunken ship
There are those who pass on, and lovers make new
The firelight reminds my heart
But an echoing chime in the back of my mind
searches the skies for truth
The people hold hands as they sway like the tide
singing 'you were the last one I loved'

-Ben

i remember this. I swear youtube has everything

2007-07-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

the guest roster

2007-07-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

Thad Raczkowski
Elena dlg B
Forsides
Jeremy Fogel
Victor Penniman
?

some things about pleasure and memory

2007-07-08T17:06:00.001-07:00

There is far more seratonin in your intestines than there is in your brain (about 70% of the body's). That is why we feel emotions so strongly in our guts (i.e. butterflies in your stomach).

The part of the brain that forms a memory is not the same part of the brain used to recall that memory. Since a "new" part of the brain is formed to remember, memories are never true to their originality. So all miscommunications aside, no one remembers the absolute truth.

Adrenaline is not the main chemical in the body that causes the feeling of a "rush". It isn't epenephrine either. I'd tell you what it is, but I can't remember.

truthful talk

2007-07-03T18:35:00.001-07:00

Thom Yorke on the abuse of songs. Notice the E entertainment logo at the end of the clip. That robbed me of purely experiencing this video.

track listing

2007-07-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

should be a fall 2007 release. I'm tying loose ends.

Ben de la Garza Bassett
"Listening to Ghosts"

1. Not my Problem
2. A Billion Tragic
3. Running on Water
4. Illegitimate Question
5. 13 Ways
6. Kick the Habit
7. Before Bermuda Froze Over
8. Second Instinct
9. Your World, My Axis
10. The Red Tide
11. Mellow Heart

some old cats who've still got it

2007-07-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

I went to the Syracuse jazz fest last night to see Toots Thielmans and Dave Brubeck (they were separate acts). They are both in their late 80s and playing beautiful, soulful and deeply inspiring music.
Brubeck cut an interesting figure, and I sat at his back, about 50 feet removed from the stage. The old man would lay his hands on his lap in an easy and experienced manner, while the rest of his outfit played wildly energetic music. His hands would stay poised there before jumping in to the tune with an enviable melodic line. His triumphant rhythm style celebrated every song.
Toots, for those who do not know, was probably the first jazz harmonica player. He's also my favorite. His set was comprised of mostly ballads and tunes suited to French movie scores (one of which actually was a score for one). very lyrical and hypnotic sound.
It was a great night.

mic check

2007-06-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

So I hosted my first ever open mic last night and, aaaah, success. Hands clapping indiscriminately for people of all skill levels and from all walks of life. Blessed encouragement, the foundation of all creativity.

The weather was breezy with a dash of inner warmth. An open mic outdoors was definitely a great idea and one that I'll be pursuing again in the near future (probably July).

bipolar confusion

2007-06-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

nothing makes you more frantic than confusion.

and nothings settles better than acceptance.

It'll be on tv, but I'll probably miss it

2007-06-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't watched tv in about a year. The cancellation of my favorite show, Carnivale, turned into a personal protest, which turned into a genuine distaste for television.
Nonetheless, I will be appearing on WCNY tv on July 31st. Aside from a short showcasing of my music, I'll be talking about mental health (both my own and in general). more details to come.

heart of a genius

2007-06-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

I've been covering some Michael Hedges tunes lately. He was an extremely nice man who was a pure genious musician. Here he is playing at Kent State U. in '85. I saw hime open for Crosby, Stills and Nash when I was a kid. I don't know how he did it, but he spun around and around in circles very fast, all the while playing an insanely beautiful and complex guitar part. He died on the California coast in a car accident after visiting his girlfriend. I don't know how many people know of him, but this was a great loss for the music world. Time and agin, I think about it.

luck, circumstance, timing, all that

2007-06-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

It's difficult to try out a non-practiced genre. It's like starting a totally different religion in the Christian heartland. You've got to sell yourself. But I ain't a salesman, so I'm relying on the music to do that for me. Damn. I hope I hit the nail on the head this time.
peace

the snake in my yard

2007-06-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

This is the snake my brother Dave found in our yard a few years back. It was eating a black squirrel. Our family lives outside Syracuse, NY, where giant snakes are not thought to inhabit. But this monster was as big as a python. It dropped twenty feet out of a tree and we stood around watching it engulf its prey.

the perils of climbing a ladder

2007-06-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

My dad fell off a ladder the other day while chainsawing, and luckily he's pretty much okay healthwise (I won't even go into why a guy in his sixties is chainsawing on a 15 foot ladder).
Anyway, today, while sitting in a doctor's office waiting room, I read a short article about the increasing frequency of ladder-related injuries.
Emergency room visits due to ladder falls are up 50% since 1990. In short, people are falling off ladders...a lot.
I find this very curious. Are peoples' basic balance and motor skills getting worse? Are people climbing on ladders while under the influence? Or are they just chainsawing carelessly?

my sister

2007-06-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

My sister Elena is an excellent singer and is doing all of the female vocal parts on my upcoming album.

Last night she called home from Boston at 2 in the morning ecstatic.
She went to see one of her favorite singers, Ari Hest. She was in the front row watching the concert.
For one of his songs, he let the crowd know that ordinarily Norah Jones sings on it but he would do it alone.
However, my sister's friends screamed up to the stage that Elena should sing it. Before she knew it she was hoisted onto the stage.
She told me that Ari looked at her and said something like "You can actually sing this song?"
Of course, my sister is no joke and was fully ready to perform.
So she blew the crowd away. which surprised many of them. But it's no surprise to me. My little sister kicks ass.

Different Metals

2007-06-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Two days ago I saw silver bullets streak the silver screen.
I saw the silver medal go to all three contenders.
Gold is gloomy and symbolizes too much pain. It uses paper money as its stand-in.
And it hides behind the walls of banks.
Chrome sheens on a new car, but dents too easily.
The gangster's got a mouth full of metal jewelry.
I brush my teeth to avoid getting metal fillings.
My grandma's got titanium hips.
Brass soothes you as you fall asleep on its timeless bed.
Brass horns sing their joy and melancholy.
You may fall asleep kind of blue.
And wake to a solitary bugle.
As one man is laid to rest, trumpets lament in unison.

-Ben

Hasta una hora desconocida

2007-06-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

The weather's nice out, I've got music to play and an album to mix. So I deleted my myspace accounts. The internet is a curse and a blessing, but I'm practicing restraint right now.

alternate venues and Altruism

2007-05-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

I have taken a temporary hiatus from playing the regular old venues (bars, clubs and the like) in favor of shows at different mental health facilities and locations where people have restrictions placed on them that disallow them from going to a "normal" concert. For those who don't know me, I've had some personal experience in the system.

I am playing at an Art and Wellness Festival on June 9th in Fulton, NY at 1:15 pm in Vorhees Park. The whole thing goes from 11am-7pm. This festival promotes mental wellness and supportive arts for those labeled mentally ill. It is put on by Catholic Charities of Oswego County and their offshoot, Step by Step Clubhouse ( a support center). There is food and lots of other good stuff, so check it out if you're in the area. Jamie Notorthomas also plays.

In the near future I will be starting an open mic coffee house at Hutchings State Psychiatric in coordination with their staff. The facility has received some criticism from my peers in the mental health system. However, I have found that mental health providers are usually kind people, but the sense of entitlement that our current health system allows at times makes for an arrogance that can harm patients. I hope to help invigorate things on some level.

I will likely be the headliner for another Wellness Festival in Syracuse, NY, on the Hutchings campus. This won't be until probably late August or September.

I am also in the process of setting up small scale performances at inpatient psych wards around Syracuse.

Basically, I really want to play for a good cause at a time when I feel our country is on a crooked path. peace to you,
Ben

the rhymes they are a changin'

2007-05-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

Hola, soy Benjamin de la Garza, tu presentador modesto.
Yes, friends. I am de la Garza, your humble and most hospitable host (as in you may receive internet hospice on this very page!).

I am here to quietly inform you about my musical endeavors.
And of course I will promote my painstakingly crafted album.
I hope to stand on the shoulders of the great musical spirits, so as to glimpse that coveted musical heaven on earth: those spine tingling, heart warming sensations that captivate, yet free your soul.

Dino BBQ in Syracuse, NY

2007-05-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here I am on a late fall's night at the dino BBQ in 2006. I was sick as a dog, but a nice woman gave me a ginger ale before going on. Maybe it helped. whatever the case, I felt like I was going to fall off stage. But I staggered into this quaint rendition of my song "Mellow Heart", lyrics not yet included here. Here is a quick clip.