Benjamin Goldwasser
Benjamin Goldwasser | |
|---|---|
 Goldwasser playing keyboards in Denver, Colorado, in 2008. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Benjamin Nicholas Hunter Goldwasser |
| Genres | Neo-psychedelia, new wave, synthpop, art rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, keyboard, synthesizer, guitar, drums, percussion, omnichord, organ, lute, computer |
| Years active | 2002-Present |
| Labels | Columbia Records, Red Ink Records (an imprint of Columbia Records), Cantora Records |
Benjamin Nicholas Hunter Goldwasser[1] (born December 17, 1982) is a lyricist and musician in the psychedelic rock band MGMT, for which he primarily plays keyboards and sings. In 2009, his song "Electric Feel" (co-written with bandmate Andrew VanWyngarden), remixed by Justice, won a Grammy Award in the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category.[2] In 2010, his band was nominated for a Grammy as Best New Artist and Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.[3]
Life and career
Goldwasser was born in Mishawaka, Indiana,[4] but was raised in Westport, New York.[2][5] He is the son of Rachel Hunter and David Goldwasser.[6][7] When he was 11 years old, he saw Adrian Belew live in concert, and met guitarist Rob Fetters backstage.[5] He began piano lessons with his Grandmother and Mother and continued with innovative teacher and pianist, Jessica Roemischer while growing up, played in his high school's jazz band, and attended a "rock and roll camp" in Montpelier, Vermont.[5] One of his musical influences in high school was the electronic protopunk band Suicide.[8]
MGMT: 2004 - present
Goldwasser met Andrew VanWyngarden, the other half of MGMT, in his freshman year at Wesleyan University.[9] Goldwasser was studying Music at the time.[10] While in college, he was a member of the Eclectic Society, a college fraternity.[11] He helped run the fraternity's music venue (a room in the house).[11] Goldwasser, already a keyboardist, took experimental music classes from composer Ron Kuivila with VanWyngarden which exposed them to progressive musical ideas.[12] They made their debut as MGMT at a party in a college dormitory (playing the theme to the motion picture Ghostbusters over and over for hours).[13] The duo would email one another and sign the emails "The MGMT" as a way of satirizing corporate culture.[9][14] They chose this email signature line as the name of their new band.[14]
After graduating from college in 2005,[4] Goldwasser and VanWyngarden moved to New York City, experimenting with music and building a band.[12] They immediately went on tour, starting out in Montreal.[4] But no record deal came, and the band was on hiatus by 2006.[15] Goldwasser began working on a farm and was intending to move to California when the duo was signed by Columbia Records.[14] The band's 2008 release for the label, Oracular Spectacular, was a major success.[16] However, the band's sudden success, Goldwasser says, put a serious strain on his friendship with VanWyngarden for a time.[17] The band released its second album, Congratulations, in April 2010 to generally positive reviews.[18]
Footnotes
- ^ http://www.sesac.com/repertory/SongsByWriter.aspx?affilNum=377855
- ^ a b "What's News." Burlington Free Press. February 10, 2009.
- ^ Sisario, Ben. "Grammys' Weight Is Now Measured In Face Time." New York Times. January 29, 2010; Peerless, Beth. "Neo-Psychedelic/Alternative Pop Band MGMT Plays Santa Cruz on May 29." Monterey County Herald. April 22, 2010.
- ^ a b c Couch, Rachel. "MGMT Brings the Quirks on 'Oracular'." Daily Cavalier. January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b c Pollak, Sally. "A Spectacular Show." Burlington Free Press. April 12, 2008.
- ^ http://www.uni.illinois.edu/og/arts-entertainment/2009/05/paternal-spectacular-mg
- ^ http://pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x155029758/Local-musician-to-appear-on-Letterman
- ^ Davis, Hays. "On Time With MGMT." Richmond Times Dispatch. July 26, 2008.
- ^ a b Perry, Jonathan. "Year of the Brats." Boston Globe. February 8, 2008.
- ^ Powell, Austin. "MGMT, Yeasayer." Houston Press. January 17, 2008.
- ^ a b Black, Cristina. "The Wesleyan Mafia: MGMT, Boy Crisis, Amazing Baby." Village Voice. August 4, 2009.
- ^ a b Lanham, Tom. "MGMT Gets Down to Business at Bottom of the Hill." Inside Bay Area. January 25, 2008.
- ^ Danton, Eric R. "Ambitious, Ambiguous Duo." Hartford Courant. January 3, 2008.
- ^ a b c Donahue, Michael. "Messin' With People's Heads." The Commercial Appeal. January 11, 2008.
- ^ Gottlieb, Jed. "MGMT Training." Boston Herald. February 7, 2008.
- ^ Caballero, Martin. "MGMT's Free Online Offer Worthy of 'Congratulations'." Boston Herald. March 25, 2010.
- ^ Evan Haga (August 12, 2010). "MGMT summons the '60s". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
- ^ http://www.metacritic.com/music/congratulations