The Little Wretches

Click Here to the DASH IT OUT conversation between VIK - TOR and Robert

VIK - TOR and I had quite a conversation for his DASH IT OUT podcast. I repped Pittsburgh, of course, talked some Hill District and August Wilson, some shoplifting and survival skills, some Jonathan Richman and Michelle Shocked, and marveled at how he and I, though superficially different, share the same mission, the same positive attitude, resilience and faithfulness. If you never listen to another of my interviews, I hope you’ll give…

A few years ago, I was in the coffee shop at the main branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, eavesdropping on a conversation between the barista and a tattooed hipster revolutionary as they discussed a book one of them had read about Pirate Democracy. There is something romantic about the thought of living outside of society, preying on merchant vessels loaded with some king's treasures, taking as your own as much as you can carry of the conquered ships's cargo.  

Imagine, these collegiate dandies…

Click here to see the BEACH SLOTH review.

" Little Wretches offers a poignant piece of beautiful balladry on the bombastic “All My Friends”. Giddy with energy they race through the track length with gleeful abandon. Instrumentally dense they incorporate so much into the mix..."

I dunno. My first poetry mentor at the University of Pittsburgh taught me that if you want to publish in small magazines, you should READ small magazines; It is your responsibility to support the community you hope to be a part of…

Click HERE to read the interview with Robert of The Little Wretches at Billboard World Music

Billboard, huh?

Isn't Billboard some kind of big deal in the entertainment business?

Whatever it is, I like what I said in this interview. Given that a lot of interviews involve questions answered previously, often and elsewhere, I try to refrain from lapsing into schtick and always try to say something I haven't said before or, at least, to say it differently.

This interview is pretty cool. Or maybe I just like…

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT BIZCATALYST 360's piece on one of our best songs.

BORN WITH A GIFT maybe the cornerstone of the entire LITTLE WRETCHES' catalogue. It means a lot to me, and a few people have let me know that it mean a lot to them, too. 

CLICK HERE to go to the episode of CONVO EX NIHILO featuring a conversation with Robert Andrew Wagner of The Little Wretches

CONVO EX NIHILO is a very cool podcast: 

“Robert Wagner is a musician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His band The Little Wretches is a folk act with a punk rock spirit. Their 2020 album Undesirables and Anarchists gives soulful life to the stories of the songs' protagonists. They are the down-trodden and destitute, the forgotten wretches of society and Robert joins Billy via zoom to…

Click this link to go to THE ARTISTS CENTRAL

Honestly, this looks like the work of our publicist. Propaganda, as they say. Then again, propaganda usually blends a lot of truth with some crucial lies. I don't think this piece contains any falsehoods, but it does feel like a gratuitous piece of self-promotion. Oh, go ahead. Keep that flattery coming!

Click here to go to the episode of CRASH! BANG! WALLOP! The Podcast featuring The Little Wretches

Hi, this is Robert Andrew Wagner of The Little Wretches, and this is CRASH BANG WALLOP, the podcast. 

Anyone who’s familiar with our band knows that THE LITTLE WRETCHES is the perfect name for us. I got the idea for the name when I watching a movie with subtitles. The movie was THE 400 BLOWS by Francois Truffaut, a movie about kids—you know, petty delinquency, oblivious and oppressive adults. Right around the…

THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN was a hit on the radio, Joan Baez was the singer, and I wanted to buy the 45 rpm disc. I may have been a kid but recognized a good song. (At that age, I probably would not have appreciated hearing The Band’s version.) Catchy melody. Interesting story. Good singalong part. A hit. Something that should be part of my growing collection, right? 

What would the record have cost, a dollar or thereabouts? Would my mom give me a dollar to buy THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN? 

Mike Madden, John Carson, Rosa and I have been trying to learn the batch of songs I call RED BEETS & HORSERADISH. We've rehearsed in-person five times and via Zoom meetings once or twice a week. We made a commitment to each other to spend an hour a day practicing the songs on our own. I can't speak for the other guys, but I've missed a day or two but made up for it by playing twice as long on other days.

It looks like we'll be committing this stuff to tape (imaginary tape, zeroes and ones in digital…