Posts Tagged ‘The Invention Of Everything Else’
Announcing The Authentic Records’ Unsanctioned & Uncensored Triathlon After Party & Benefit
I got it into my head a few months ago that it would be a good idea to run the Hy-Vee Triathlon, and then play a rock show afterwards. And who were my Authentic Records label mates to disagree? Little did we know that our beloved Hawkeye State would be submerged beneath one of the…
Read MoreBurger, Shot, Beer (Repeat)
Rare is the rehearsal when the band doesn’t spend as much time hanging out, drinking beers and talking for as long (or usually longer) than we do playing music. Which, at this point in my musical career, is alright by me. Thursday night, however, was one for the record books. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Abad, bassist Tony…
Read MoreShades Of Life Ringing Through My Open Ears
The band was recorded in Soho, overdubbed in Hell’s Kitchen, then mixed in Des Moines via Hollywood. Let me explain. That photo of me pointing to my laptop? That’s Jon Locker and me recording Patrick Riley and Cecile Forsberg’s string parts for “The Invention Of Everything Else” — despite 1,689 miles in between the four…
Read MorePreview & Download Entire New Benjamin Wagner Album Today!
My brand-new, ten-track CD, “The Invention Of Everything Else,” is now available for preview at iLike.com and exclusive download at Authentic Records Online. For one week only (June 11-18), download the entire album plus two online-only bonus tracks at Authentic Records Online. We’ll ship your signed, limited-edition CD plus autographed poster and 1″ collector’s buttons…
Read MoreThe Re-Invention Of Monday Night
If you asked me to script a better preamble for the release of “The Invention Of Everything Else,” I’d be hard pressed. I dropped the album art (created, like most things, in that three-hour zone of sleeplessness that strikes me most nights) onto Engine Room Audio’s FTP, dashed off an email (“Leaving Now!”) and raced…
Read MoreBehind The Music: “Giving Up The Ghost”
I was standing on the 79th Street subway station just a few days prior to the release of “Heartland” in November, 2005, when the phrase “giving up the ghost” came to me. “Somehow,” as I wrote a few years later, “It summarized everything that I was (and still am) going through, specifically, letting go of…
Read More“The Invention Of Everything Else” Track Listing
My brand-new CD, “The Invention Of Everything Else,” will be released on Authentic Records on June 18th. The ten track collection (my first LP since 2005’s “Heartland”) is a full-band, mostly-acoustic release, featuring guitarist Chris Abad, bassist Tony Maceli and drummer Ryan Vaughn, plus The Nadas’ guitarist Ross VanderWerf, guest vocalists Jamie Leonhart, Stephanie Walsmith,…
Read MoreIt Never Rains In California (It Pours)
True, my life has unfolded differently than I might have planned (or dreamed). Tonight finds me at Universal Studios Hollywood (more Burbank than Hollywood, really), not on the road like my pals The Nadas or Raining Jane. Fortunately, though, I receive the occasional email from my rock ‘n roll pals. In fact, Raining Jane cellist,…
Read MoreSing To Keep Your Demons At Bay
Good thing Jamie Leonhart told me she taught voice after I roped her into singing a few songs with me for “The Invention Of Everything Else” (due June 18th from Authentic Records!); had I known in advance, I might not have had the nerve to ask. I first came to know of Miss Leonhart as…
Read MoreMixing “The Invention Of Everything Else”
Jon Locker, bless his heart, seems to be remaining calm. The Nadas’ bassist (and bonafide producer) is mixing my new record, “The Invention Of Everything Else” (due June 18th from Authentic Records!) at his Sonic Factory Studios in Des Moines. As you might guess, it’s a not an assignment to be taken lightly, as my…
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