subvocal to Release New Live CD; New Studio Album Due This Fall

subvocal will release their 2nd CD, “subvocal LIVE,” on July 30, 2010. This five-song EP includes four live tracks recorded at the Brink Lounge during an appearance on the  Mad Toast Live! show hosted by Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines  in June of 2009.
The show was recorded by Andrew LaValley of Bear Sound . Also included is a  bonus track, a studio recording of ”Esoterica.”

This CD is a precursor to the long overdue second full length studio release coming this fall.

subvocal’s first release, Nikkis Room,  won Unique CD of the Year at the 2005 Madison Area Music Awards.

subvocal LIVE will be available online at most digital retailers including CD Baby and Amazon.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Union Cab of Madison Presents: Rearview Visionaries Vol. 2.0

As people buy fewer and fewer CDs, and the “art of music” quietly and quickly fades into obscurity, compilation CDs become more scarce – less likely to achieve their purpose, which is usually to raise money for some cause. But for Union Cab, the Review Visionaries series is purely an opportunity to celebrate their diverse membership, a large portion of which have been, or are still, musicians. Forget marketing – these folks sell these things right out of the cabs.

There is a lot of variation in the music to celebrate on Rearview Visionaries Vol. 2.0. The power and elegance of Sensuous Enemy’s “Whispers”, featuring the spectacular voice of Jai Ingersoll, gives way to the swingy and wistful folk ditty “Madison Boogie” from Maggie “Catfish” Siegfried and the countrified “Lights Play Tricks” by Aaron Scholz, who succeeds in single-handedly resurrecting the sound of the Flying Burrito Brothers.  

On the jazzier side, The Stellanovas’ “Tin Tile” showcases Chris Wagoner’s violin and mate Mary Gaines’ whistling talents and stellar cello solo. Ingrid Frances Stark turns in “Cab Drivin’ Mama” and what could be a Union Cab theme song. Tony Castaneda and the Latin Jazz Sextet get in on the act with the finale “Volcano Alto”, which clocks in at over nine minutes.  The tune never departs from or drops its beat.

There is a sampling of noise rock, too.  Tribal Call belts out “Suck This” and though the song stumbles rhythmically it makes up for it in sheer tribalism. Auto Chaotic contributes the metal growler “Karma.”  On the harder rock side, “Too Drunk to Fish” is a hilarious getup, melding Lynyrd Skynyrd swagger with George Thorogood-like debauchery.  Excellent mix on this one, too. 

Subvocal’s “Judi” remains majestic and haunting, Mark Adkins’ ode to environmental activist Judi Bari sounding still fresh nearly five years after its original release.  

It wouldn’t be apropos for me to judge “The Prophet’s Trail” as it’s performed by the Sled Dogs and penned by yours truly (I also play the guitars). Let me just say that for a demo version, I’m pretty damn pleased with the results. The song is part of a cycle based on Blackhawk, hence the Native American overtones.

The surprise tune that caught me most off-guard is the Getaway Drivers’ excellent “Honey on a Razor.” I was not fully prepared for the giant leap that Bob Manor has taken with his band. The addition of Barb Chusid on keyboards and Dan Kennedy on electric guitar takes the Getaway Drivers to a new level. Manor recently dropped off his new album, the six-song The Truth is Where It’s Always Been… so I’m looking forward to reviewing that real soon.

Rearview Visionaries Vol. 2 was mastered by Mike Zirkel at Smart Studios so you know it sounds good. It also could be the last local release from the fabled, world-class studio.

subvocal and Moira Smiley & VOCO @ The Brink Lounge – October 21, 2009

Photos by Karl Tollefson

 It was an unusually warm fall night and quite a large crowd showed up to see Moira Smiley & VOCO and Madison’s subvocal, who first brought the all-female quartet to the city a few years ago.

Subvocal treated the audience to a generously long set, due in part to one of VOCO’s members being stranded in a snow storm in Minneapolis. Subvocal is not just music you listen to, it washes over and envelops you in large waves of sound. Even more remarkable is that all that sound is generated from two instruments and two vocalists.

Over time, subvocal’s live shows have really evened out. Guitarist Mark Adkins now has full command over the complex series of delays and reverbs that give subvocal it’s signature sound. Cellist Steve Pingry summons deep, full tones, no easy feat for an instrument that’s difficult to pick up electronically. Adding rich colorizations to Adkins, and using ample amounts of reverb and delay himself, Pingry often grins like a prankster who knows you’re about to discover his secret. Vocalist Vanessa Tortolano adds ethereal and sensuous harmonies, often singing in syllabic tones and becoming another instrument altogether, seducing  listeners and drawing them into the subvocal shrine of dark sonic beauty.

“Ghost” is still a standout, the one track featuring Tortolano on lead vocals. It has such a beautiful melody to match Adkins’ moody guitar figure. The real treat is when they pull out their rendition of Peter Gabriel’s “Here Comes the Flood,” which they seldom do. I have seen them perform this song several times and each time it’s brought a tear to my eye. They really capture the essence of the lyrics, dramatizing it and making it their own. It’s one of the pinnacle moments of local music, or any music for that matter, that I have experienced.

Subvocal recorded this show and a few others, I believe, and plan on releasing a live CD. They are also at work on a new studio CD, the first one in several years. One reason for that is that it’s difficult for a band like this to get notice because there are few suitable venues. The Brink Lounge has proven to be one place where people come to listen intently, the closeness of the stage to the seats heightening the intimacy. It’s hard to imagine Madison without the Brink Lounge now as it definitely has its niche.

The crowd was equally receptive to Moira Smiley and VOCO who soldiered through the first half of their set without a member and with a new cellist/vocalist playing only her fourth show with them. They are on a Midwestern tour and their set was fairly spontaneous, drawing from old East European staples and songs of their own. They too, had sparse instrumentation, Smiley donning a banjo or an accordion, but mostly just singing. They also do body percussion, where they slap parts of their body, creating a percussive ensemble. It’s amazing that, with so little instrumentation, that they sing so flawlessly in tune. Never was there a harmonic waver that my ears could detect. They made it look easy, singing complex, four-part vocals in perfect time. I highly reccomend them next time they pass through.