Ben de la Garza Presents Opium & Absinthe

As if the heart were not enough

2012-02-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

" as if the heart beat wasn't enough
they got us using drum machines now
the hums of the machines
tryin to make our drums humdrums
tryin to ???? our magic
instruments be political prisoners up inside computers
as if the heart were not enough
as if the heart were not enough "
-Saul Williams

My New Cover Song - Beyonce - Disappear

2012-02-21T20:45:00.001-08:00

Jaco Pastorius

2012-02-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

Doing Looping in the 70s!!!!!

words today

2012-02-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

Based upon several online "conversations" I had over the course of the last week, it's becoming more and more clear to me that people misread each other all the time. Everyone has their own unique way of writing. There's really no preferred style anymore, which is interesting but leads to quite a few misunderstandings.
Music may be one of the last pure forms of communication. You either communicate your raw emotion to someone, or you don't. If you hit a nerve, then there's no gray area.
So I'll stick to making music.

Feb 18 show

2012-02-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

Playing some lead guitar with Colleen Kattau at this concert on 2/18 in Ithaca. Just doing one or two songs. There are a lot of acts on the bill.

http://jonimitchell.com/csma3.pdf

Opium

2012-02-13T13:19:00.001-08:00

"Contrary to general belief, there is no federal law against growing P. somniferum."—Martha Stewart Living

"Regarded as 'God's own medicine,' preparations of opium were as common in the Victorian medicine cabinet as aspirin is in ours. As late as 1915, pamphlets issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture were still mentioning opium poppies as a good cash crop for northern farmers. Well into this century, Russian, Greek, and Arab immigrants in America have used poppy-head tea as a mild sedative and a remedy for headaches, muscle pain, cough, and diarrhea. During the Civil War, gardeners in the South were encouraged to plant opium for the war effort, in order to ensure a supply of painkillers for the Confederate Army."— Michael Pollan

jig saw puzzles

2012-02-13T07:51:00.001-08:00

currently training my brain to do some new things. Nothing is impossible.

heart problems

2012-02-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

it's a bit of a dilemma when your greatest strength as a musician is writing love songs, and love is also your greatest fear.

New Song with Words

2012-01-29T15:42:00.000-08:00

Eternal Levitation

2011-12-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

One video off of the DVD. See 3 more at my Youtube page.

the painting

2011-12-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

The lovely painting of the two nude women is by Janae Corrado who I commissioned to paint two characters of her choosing for Opium & Absinthe. Janae Corrado Art

Coming extremely Soon

2011-12-14T07:54:00.000-08:00

Opium & Absinthe

releasing a record is expensive

2011-11-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

An album release date isn't just decided by when the music is done.
For those of us without record label backing, releasing an album requires a lot of our own money. Which means sacrifice on many levels.
Keep that in mind when you listen to independent artists.
Thanks.

swimming, album

2011-09-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'm an avid swimmer, and one of the things I live for is swimming in fresh water lakes/ponds. I just got back from a swim at Snook's Pond in invigorating 55 degree water. The mild current set sun beams off the floor of the pond in strobe patterns that elevated my mind as I swam.
It's probably safe to say that there aren't many, if any, other swimmers out in mid-September in Syracuse, and the solitude enhances my peaceful feelings. It may not be for everyone, but this experience is what keeps me sane.

I have one tune to go on my album, and then I'll proceed to mixing and mastering.
This album is a true summary of who I am, in all of my weirdness. I've released a lot of albums, but this may be the first to capture that.
Look forward to sharing that with you, whoever you may be.

no shortcuts

2011-08-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful thing to still have your integrity intact. I feel pretty good.

Halfway there

2011-08-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

I've reached the mid-way point of my upcoming album. Things are going remarkably well and hopefully the end product will be something that no one could have predicted...like a good magic trick.

What a different place the internet was in 1999

2011-07-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

So I was looking for the best possible way to remove hissing noise from a song I recorded, and I came across this discussion board from 1999. All of my questions were answered. This type of discussion is rarely seen on today's internet. Folks, this is what the web used to be like: http://orf5.com/tape_hiss_nr.html
-Ben

New York's bats are dying

2011-07-25T06:19:00.001-07:00

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45088.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/02/100216-bats-white-nose-fungus-tennessee/

The Best Summary of Today's Mainstream Music that I've read

2011-07-17T08:25:00.001-07:00

from today's NY Times...by Simon Reynolds
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/arts/music/new-pop-music-sounds-like-its-predecessors.html

hard work ahead

2011-07-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

finished stringing my mandolin harp and now can get to work on my magnum opus.

Restringing a Mandolin Harp is rather hard

2011-06-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

For the last couple weeks I've been trying to restring my mandolin harp (also called Fretless Zither). In my next recordings this instrument will be a central focus, so I'm trying to get it in tip-top shape.
One major obstacle: Mandolin Harp strings do not exist since Mandolin Harps are no longer being built (and haven't been for quite some time). So I've been forced to mix and match guitar, auto-harp and other miscellaneous strings to get this thing sounding great. I've even considered using piano wire at times.
It's a good thing I have no social life right now because this is taking up a great deal of time and effort, not to mention money. When I am finished stringing the Mandolin Harp, I'll be an authority on the subject.

Show with Hammell on Trial- my only solo show for several months so check it.

2011-06-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am one of 3 opening acts for Hammell on Trial at the Lost Horizon in Syracuse, NY. Hammell on Trial
Friday, June 24, 2011 @ 8 pm.
http://www.thelosthorizon.com/events/hamell-on-trial-2/

I will be playing some never before heard or seen music. Consider this show a sneak preview.

Ben

Gil Scott Heron

2011-06-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

I just learned that he passed away May 27th. I saw him perform live just last year, and he was phenomenal. To my ears, he stole the show at the Syracuse Jazz Fest. The guy came out and jammed solo on a Fender Rhodes Organ, and he had one of those gravelly blues voices that helped me recall a past that I didn't live through. I can honestly say that he was one of the coolest and most humble performers I've ever seen. Hats off to a master.

respect what you're playing with

2011-05-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

i've been contemplating why I like electronic music from a decade ago better than what I hear now. The reason is not nostalgia. I think the obvious difference is in sound and substance.
Just a short while ago people were respectful of technology because the capabilities were so new. People who made music with computers were even a little intimidated by the tools they were using. So they were sure to tread carefully.
Now technology is so passe, and everything is taken for granted. So to me, you're not going to have a great influx of new music until people respect the tools they are using.
So maybe people need new tools.

Interdimensional Vortex

2011-05-26T12:29:00.001-07:00

sorry folks

2011-05-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

I'll get back to blogging about music real soon.
I am about to start working on a MAJOR Music project.
It's gonna be a tough one to pull off, but it should be a fun ride. Gimme a few months to assemble things, and I'll be good to go.
peace friends
5/6/11

Landfill Gas

2011-05-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

After many weeks of researching alternative energy, I have stumbled upon this very promising solution. One that has already been put into action by Waste Management. This is the use of Landfill Gas
a fuel that is composed of garbage from landfills.
This gas is still found to have air contaminants. But I find it to be a hopeful solution due to the endless trash that we humans produce.
Turbines using Landfill Gas

Energy from Sound

2011-05-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking so much about the energy crisis and depleted natural resources. As our Earth's population increases, noise levels have increased considerably. More people=more sound. If you know anything about the physics of sound, then you know that all sound consists of waves of different sizes. Waves vibrate, they have energy.These waves vibrate our ear drums and our brain interprets the vibration as sound.
I am now pondering why sound has not been used as a source of energy. There is no doubt that these vibrations can be gathered. For example, in a big city there is a great amount of sound which could be collected to power generators. Or in a factory much of the noise from machinery could be collected. Please let me know if there is any reason why sound cannot be utilized as an energy source.
Thank you.
Ben

Social Networking

2011-04-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

At this point in my life there is a whole bunch of shit I want to get accomplished and most of it doesn't involve social networking. That said, anyone who wants to get a hold of me can email me at bendelagarzaguitar@gmail.com . You can also hit me up on youtube, which I still check on pretty regularly.
Thanks much.
-Ben

Matamoros update

2011-04-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

Mexico has a culture that has been scarred by the drug trade, intimidation, rampant murder and brutality.
And if the people want to turn things around, a good start would be to change the names of some of the towns. Right across the border lies Matamoros, a poverty-stricken town that I visited in 2007. It is also home to the many atrocities I mentioned. The name "Matamoros" means literally: Kill the Moors. The Moors were a religious group, an Islamist sect, that the Catholic Church attempted to eradicate during the Inquisition. Can you imagine if there were a town in the US called "Kill the (fill in blank here)". That's the kind of label that promotes a violent culture. Would changing the name of a town stop the murder? Probably not. But it would be a good start.

*update*

I thought that the US would never name a town after the murder of a group of people.
Well, I was wrong. In fact, there is a town with nearly the same name and meaing in Pennsylvania. It was actually named after the town in Mexico:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matamoras,_Pennsylvania
The fact that it's in Spanish doesn't change the fact that it means: "Kill the Moors".

"Naila" performed by Colleen Kattau

2011-04-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

I'm hidden for much of the song, but I have a solo at 2:57.

NYC Show

2011-04-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks to any and all who came out to hear me and Colleen last night at El Taller Latino Americano in the Bronx. It was a blast, with many talented musicians on the roster. I did the NYC 180 where I drove to the city, played the gig, and immediately drove back to Syracuse after the show. My brother Dave came along for the ride, and for once we encountered worse weather Downstate than Up. Thankfully no snow back home.

I look forward to future trips to the Big Apple. Great city and people. Muchas gracias a todos presente anoche.

frigging OIL

2011-03-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

the root of so many problems: the US addiction to OIL.
Rising gas prices= inflated prices on everything else...raise the price on gas that drives the milk to the store, and you have to raise the price of milk. and that carries over to all the other products.
You have the top 1% of the wealthy elite in the world with their oil interests, and they are willing to take whole countries to war keep their wallets fat.
We need to STOP making cars that are powered by GASOLINE. Keep the ones that people own now, but just stop building these environment-destroying vehicles. There are ingenius methods of renewable energy. We have the ABILITY to power cars with just about anything. Solar power, vegetable oil, Dirt for God's sake.
The reason we are NOT doing this is because the wealthy elites don't want to see change. Because it challenges the infrastructure that has fueled their undeserved financial superiority.

Okay, that's my rant. Man, do I get pissed sometimes.

from where i'm standing, things don't seem to be improving

2011-03-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

maybe you already noticed this. But the music industry has been doomed since the dawn of the millenium. And as image keeps trumping substance more and more, the scale keeps tipping further and further away from quality. Musicians exploiting themselves, the industry exploiting musicians, society exploiting itself. When will the end come to the downward spiral?

Driving

2011-02-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

The only place that I can truly listen to music is in my car. The internet is not the place for uncorrupted listening...too much noise and chatter. I have some revelatory moments listening to music while I'm driving. peaceful time to myself and never had a case of road rage. I just wish someone would build a good solar-powered car so I could drive around guilt-free. Not that there's really any sun in Syracuse...

kind of depressing, but for the most part true

2011-02-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

Just googled "Syracuse Music Scene" and came up with this article by a woman who wrote an article on me for the City Eagle in 2007. This blog was written a while ago, but it remains relevant.

The Syracuse Music Scene

a classic review of my former band

2011-02-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

An oldie, but goodie. 2002 review of my former band, Ownership of the Head:
Ownership on Jambands.com

The Mandolin Harp

2011-01-25T10:39:00.000-08:00

The instrument which I have been calling the fretless zither is also called the mandolin harp. I don't know which name is more prevalent, but I think I prefer calling it a harp since it sounds more like that instrument than a traditional zither. The beauty of playing such a rarely touched upon instrument is that you can call it whatever you want!

Show with Harry Belafonte

2011-01-24T16:26:00.000-08:00

Hi-
I am playing a set with Colleen Kattau at the Syracuse Stage. This is a Harry Belafonte concert, though he does mostly spoken word and not singing now (he is rather old). Here is a link to his wikipedia entry:
Harry Belafonte
And an article regarding the concert:
Syracuse Concert

Zither joined by Guitar

2011-01-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

My most recent composition with many, many steel strings at the tips of my fingers.

the band I'm in

2011-01-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

Just so you all know, I play in Colleen Kattau's band. We are named simply "Some Guys" by Colleen. Members of the group can vary from show to show, but lately it's been Jamie Yaman on sax, Mike Brandt on bass, and me playing lead guitar. Colleen is a long-time activist and free spirit with a spectacular voice. Come check a show. We've been lighting up the stage lately.

Fading Galaxy (fretless zither)

2010-12-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

One of my earliest music performance memories is from my 2nd grade music class. They brought out auto-harps for all of the kids and handed us a pick to strum along to whatever children's folk song the teacher had picked out. And I remember thinking how much I liked the tone of the instrument: celestial and harp-like. But I was simultaneously getting very mad. After all, here was a beautiful harp instrument that you could only strum chords on. And you couldn't even make the chords yourself. Pressing a button was all that was necessary. I truly felt that the strings of this instrument were wrongly imprisoned. The auto-harp was made conventional by the trappings that made it so user-friendly.

Flash forward twenty something odd years and I find myself combing craigslist for strange instruments. I come across a harp-like instrument. The seller had no idea what it was, only that it was gathering dust in his house. He sold the instrument for a meager sum of cash, and I headed on my way. I bought a couple new strings where it was missing them, and I installed a pick-up on it with the help of Terry from Beat Street Music in Manlius, NY. Then I set about figuring out some ways to play the thing.

In the mean time I'd figured out that this instrument was a Fretless American Zither, also known as The Mandolin Harp. This particular one was made in Brooklyn. I researched all kinds of zithers, and there certainly is quite a range of these instruments...not to mention styles in which they're played. Well, having had no lessons on the instrument, I came up with some strange ways of playing it myself. I use a guitar slide on it and a number of percussive techniques.

In the video below are two short songs off of "For the Unforeseeable Future", both played on the fretless zither.

Album Credits

2010-12-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a track list and some info about my new album: "For the Unforeseeable Future"
All songs were recorded on a single Stereo Track: one microphone and one instrument input run direct into a USB Mixer and onto my laptop. I took care of all recording, mixing and mastering duties myself.

Acoustic guitar, tracks 1-7.
Fretless American Zither, tracks 8, 10, 11
Acoustic guitar and Piano, track 9 (Piano played by Benjamin Shearer)
All of the songs were recorded at my godparents' house on the Westside of Syracuse.
All songs were named by my mother, Silvia de la Garza.

1. Chorus for the Dawn of Time
2. The Invention of a Story
3. Daylight Rippling
4. Ballad for an Undecided Sky
5. Are You Listening?
6. Horseback Dreams
7. Rushing to Revelation
8. Intermezzo
9. Following Constellations
10. The Importance of the Dream
11. Fading Galaxy

Video for "Chorus for the Dawn of Time"

2010-12-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

I tried my hand at video-editing and really liked this result. Nature sometimes works in harmony with music produced by humans, and I felt some synergy with this creature.This is Track One off of "For the Unforeseeable Future".

Full Album Preview

2010-12-07T11:18:00.000-08:00

Soon to be available on itunes worldwide and amazon mp3.