Discography

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Available in Red and Black. Small, medium and large. Just indicate your preference on the "notes" when you place your order.

These tracks are part of a larger show called (Not) Another Day, a sung play about process and the ends of things, produced by The Curious Theatre Branch in September/October of 2018 at Prop Thtr in Chicago. In the live performance they were sung by the cast: Paul Brennan, Leo Brun, Brook Celeste, T-Roy Martin, Beau O’Reilly, Vicki Walden, and Julia Williams. These are versions I made to teach the songs to the... [read more]

Showing off their lovely vocal arrangements, the album ranges from REM-like pop to moody, hypnotic rock, a la early Velvet Underground. Beautiful female harmonies often float over crunchy guitars with evocative thoughtful lyrics that feel urgent and politically potent. And catchy. The record is catchy. Even the background vocals will get stuck in your head.

"Madison band Ladyscissors covers a lot of... [read more]

Third release by Chicago's The Crooked Mouth.

Sharp, confident and rollicking. LoveloveloveloveSTOPlovelovelove shows off the band's new line-up to good effect. The songs are focused, intelligent and funny. The musicianship tasteful and just slightly off-kilter. The arrangements show off a playfulness that only comes with the confidence gained from hundreds and hundreds of gigs. As always, Crooked Mouth... [read more]

This 2 Disc album is a live concert from Juicy John Pink's, one of the premier acoustic music venues in the Chicago area during the mid 70's. Susan and RIchard Thomas were a husband and wife duo who were known and loved for the beauty of Susan's singing and songwriting, Richard's exquisite guitar work, and the wonderful way in which their voices blended and harmonized.

This is the second in our "Juicy... [read more]

A return to form. The piano, trumpet and vocals are front and center with the occasional foray into casio and loops.

Combining her classically-tinged piano tendencies with her love of looping Casio beats, trumpets and voice, Rearick exudes confidence and creates a universe of music all her own.

Her soundscape is rich. Cheery, creepy, lush, beautiful and very dreamlike. A gorgeous sorrow. A sublime... [read more]

Channeling the lo-fi garage rock vibe from Velvet Underground to Beat Happening, Ladyscissors mixes in a healthy dose of doo-wop vocals to create their debut album, Glitterbox.

Lorrie Hurckes - guitar, vox
Brent George - guitar
Anne Bull - bass, vox
Stephanie Rearick - drums, vox

Hometown: Madison, WI

This is the 2nd solo release by Barry Bennett.

Tribal/ambient/space/punk! Electro-organic timelines. Outer space haiku. Rock -n- roll howls. Sub woofer mattress pads. A mello-tronic caress. A psychedelic cab ride through Chennai.

Stephanie Rearick Jr. - on casio, voice, loops and trumpet. Stephanie Rearick takes her classical/cabaret/pop in a beatier, bouncier direction.

"Like her previous work, Dreamworld presents colliding genre influences, eclectic covers, and whimsical notions. The difference is that Rearick sticks mostly to voice and cheap keyboards. She revels in the latter's goofy vibrato and tinny percussion sounds,... [read more]

This collection of "Rares" from the Maestro Subgum and the Whole catalog spans their entire run, 1980 - 1995. Consisting of live and studio recordings, the sound quality varies but the creativity, beauty and humor remains high. In choosing the songs we prioritized songs that never made it onto one of the official releases and kept a lookout for the amazing.

Produced by Jon Hain and Beau O'Reilly.

The pinnacle of the band’s recording career was Lost Lost Lost, both because of the variety of writers and singers and the size and tightness of the ensemble. The writing was still strong, but the horn and vocal arrangements had reached a new, fantastically satisfying level.

It was recorded at Acme Studios and mixed at C.M.C. Recorders, where mixer Joe DeLeonardis had a huge influence on the flow of the... [read more]

The touring version of Maestro Subgum and the Whole bopped around the Midwest and the east coast and points in between (and even across the ocean) as the band continued adding to its extensive original catalog. The 8-song EP, Jiggle The Constable, originally released only on vinyl, is a dance album and a fan pleaser. Updated versions of mid-80s stalwarts ‘Life Outa Wack’ and ‘Misty Mountain’ highlight the set,... [read more]

Essentially the soundtrack for one of the first scripted Maestro shows written by Jenny Magnus and Beau O’Reilly, A Soft Fist In A Hard Place features the writers on all the lead vocals with a band lead by pianist Michael Greenberg. Davy, the show’s title song Careening Is A Skill, and Darkness, Darkness are among the most enduring tracks here. Originally released on cassette, it is now available to all a ya’s... [read more]

In the late 80s, after years of gigging, personnel changes, and demo tapes, the Chicago-based, Beau O’Reilly-led Maestro finally recorded a cassette designed for sale to the public. Recorded at James Bond’s home studio, the first official Maestro Subgum and the Whole full-length album, A Diamond In The Dumpster, featured songs and players from all over the Maestro history. Musical guests included youthful... [read more]

The archive contains concerts and un-released studio sessions. We will continue adding material as long as stuff keeps turning up.

Purchase a year long subscription and stream Maestro 24/7.

Recorded live at Sinnissippi Park in Rockford, Illinois, on July 10, 2010.

Personnel:
Chris Ruppenthal: Acoustic Guitar
Ed Fila: Acoustic Guitar
Randal Harrison: Violin
Kevin Tipple: Acoustic Bass
Jim Huwe: Drums and Percussion

We are to pleased present the debut release by The Crooked Mouth. Beau O'Reilly and Jenny Magnus (Maestro Subgum & The Whole) are joined by Matt Test (accordion, banjo, piano, backup vocals), Troy Martin (guitar, banjo, uke, backup vocals) and Vicki Walden (bass, backup vocals, shaky egg.)

The result is a string band cabaret that is folksy, honest and, at times, brutally beautiful.

Notes on The... [read more]

For the last decade Barry Bennett's been best known as leader of the iconic group MiLkBabY, whose alien world music made them a fixture of Chicago's left of center music scene. He's also a frequent creator of soundscapes and scores for Theatre and dance. His music has been heard at The Goodman, 16th Street Theater, CBDC, Chicago Moving Company, Chicago Dramatists, and with his own improvisational performance... [read more]

Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble has always enjoyed live performance. Their second CD release is an inspired live recording titled "An Evening At The Brink Lounge." It features live versions of American and French jazz standards, Django Reinhardt classics, and original music. The CD was recorded in front of an intimate crowd of friends, family, and fans at Madison, WI's The Brink Lounge.

Personnel:

... [read more]

This is Katie Todd's 3rd studio CD. It features a wide array of instrumentation - piano, guitar, horns, strings and extra vocals.

Katie's music has always had a maturity beyond her years, with a voice that has seen the world. Mumbled Speech combines that with a sense of playfulness that comes across as an artist grown comfortable with herself - as a musician, writer and producer.

Residing solidly... [read more]

Jenny Magnus, described by the Chicago Tribune as "Everything a performance artist should be: subversive, personal, stimulating, a little scary and simply amazing," is a Chicago-based performer, writer, director, producer and teacher.

Songs From Shows is a collection of 23 songs written over quite a few years, but used in performances and plays in the last 8 years or so. All the songs were used in ways... [read more]

Ritt Deitz releases his fifth full-length CD of original and traditional songs, Upstream, on Uvulittle Records. Ritt spent the winter in the studio with longtime collaborators bassist Joe Meisel and guitarist / dobro player Craig Totten, sons Wilder (piano, percussion) and Mitch (percussion) and hammered dulcimer player Dave Foss. Singer-songwriter Sara Pace guests on backing vocals on four songs, including a... [read more]

This is the first studio CD by Madison, Wisconsin's authentic gypsy swing band. The recording features an expanded band lineup and includes original music, arrangements of Django Reinhardt classics, jazz standards, and Latin tunes.

Prog-ambient-tribal-rock music.

The latest release from MiLkBabY slices and dices the world of progressive and groove-oriented electronica into slivers of Bjork-laden psychedelica a la key lime pie era Social Distortion.

"...the music of Chicago's Milkbaby is nearly impossible to quantify. The duo of Barry Bennett and Darren Shepherd engage in a bizarre blur of electronics, percussion, brass,... [read more]

This is the first full-length studio album from vocal artist, db pedersen.

The Midwesterners have pulled out all the stops on this one, 12 songs of dancin', drivin', and backyard barbequein' music that's a party from beginning to end!

Call it "Americana" if you need to put a handle on the music, because the songs are certainly steeped in American musical traditions. The Midwesterners have earned a reputation for rollicking, twangy performances, but on this latest album, they pull... [read more]

"spaghetti western slavic mope chamber folk"

Tin can and twine romances in a color of rust with backdrops of long wind swept open roads framed by tangled barbed wire and naked telephone poles. The songs are of ashtray broken hearts and lansdscapes of beauty and sorrow borrowing harmonies from old eastern europe, the desert southwest and the sentiments of working class rust belt americana.

"Singer-guitarist Kari sets the tone with a weathered, raspy trill focused in the same way as Chan Marshall's is in Cat Power. But bleak images cry out for hope through Shane's fluid guitar melodies, and it all turns out to be quite wonderfully heart-wrenching and beautifully melancholy." The Onion

"The recording is noteworthy for the rich sound the duo achieve by weaving together two beautifully played... [read more]

Brilliant vocals and production. This is vibrant, uplifting music. Katie's voice and songwriting are at the forefront. Her piano playing is simple but melodically powerful. The band keeps the energy simmering throughout. All in all, a great followup to Changing Faces.

This is a 'must have' for fans of great sounding pop music.

Acoustic Rock with folk and country flavors thrown in for good measure.

Ghosts of Yesterday features original songs that explore life, love, restlessness, defiance, disillusionment and hope in the backdrop of the American heartland. The music is acoustically driven, featuring mandolin, acoustic guitar, drums, bass and piano.

One can hear influences of rock, country, gospel and folk. The writing... [read more]

No Camouflage is a powerful anti-war cry by many of Madison's top artists. Spearheaded by Wendy Bugatti of Coney Island studio, No Camouflage features original new recordings of an astounding array of music and spoken word pieces, plus US soldier testimonials directly from Iraq. The release of this CD is an event that has brought together Madison artists, members of local peace organizations and political leaders... [read more]

"Rearick's a genre-bounding vocalist, keyboard player and trumpeter who takes great care bringing together things indie with her classical and art-music influences." - The Isthmus

Stephanie Rearick has been performing and recording since 1993, as frontwoman for Your Mom, Your Mom SRO, and the Coma Savants, occasional side-musician, silent film composer and accompanist, and solo artist.

"Star Belly... [read more]

"Taking a more pronounced detour away from the stronger country influences of their debut and moving towards an eclectic indie rock approach, Noahjohn manages to recast both in a startlingly original sound... gloriously unpredictable and occasionally disturbing, Johns toys with the listener, drawing intricately surreal sketches, but pulling them back just before he reveals too much. Equally haunted, Eena Ballard'... [read more]

The Erica MAther Trio's Borderlands is a CD with something for everyone. Styles range from stright-ahead swing to funk to latin to pure art chamber music. Of the disc Mather says, "it is a survey of influences which have manifested themselves in these nine compositions. Emotional sources for the compositions came from many places such as intriguing characters in books (Barbara Kingsolver's Adah), and capturing... [read more]

MiLkBabY returns to the studio with their new line-up to record an amazing new disc. Features Barry Bennett (acoustic and electronic percussion, vocal, keyboard, knobs-n-wires) and Darren Shepherd (electric guitar.) The songs range from quietly meditative to seriously funky and freaky. A must for improv lovers and for those looking for something a little of the beaten path. Full of great musicianship, driving... [read more]

"...pretty much cements
the Boys' reputation as
one of the region's top
bluegrass outfits."
- Wisconsin State Journal

This second release from the NHB came out in 2001 and featured the band as a five-piece unit with the addition of fiddler Paul Kienitz. Three of the Boys contributed original material to this project as well as some unique material from Kilby Snow, Red Sovine and... [read more]

Combining several genres of music, from rock to ragtime, blues to jug band music, jazz to rockabilly, Richard blends them seamlessly into an entertaining album. Taking a cue from Chet Atkins, Doc Watson, and Mississippi John Hurt, Richard plays in the finger-picking style pioneered by these greats. And now his new CD, "Out of the Blue", pays tribute to these men. It's a collection of some of the greatest songs of... [read more]

Ritt Deitz's third CD, PLEASURE ISLE, is a story of pools, sex, trains, rivers, dogs, barges, babies, Moses, small hands, and softball.

Madison's Isthmus calls the release, "well-wrought folk-rock" from a weathered band of old friends, players Ritt has long shared stages and studios with.

Rhythm writes that "Deitz has one of those voices that rings with authenticity..."

This album is... [read more]

"Country Blues" is the first recording by the Nob Hill Boys. Released in 1999, it features the original lineup of the band as a quartet. Len Springer appears as guest fiddler on a number of cuts. The CD has a nice mixture of standards, originals and a few tunes featuring John Fabke's clawhammer banjo playing.

"If you thrill to acoustic
American music that
cuts close to the bone, you
want... [read more]

Pascal was on the very first CD that Uvulittle released, 1996's Live at Mother Fool's so we are extremely excited to be releasing his debut CD. The sound is raw and beautiful -- acoustic punk ballads.

The Nashville Rage says, "...sounds something like Will Oldham and Beck drunk on Robitussin (in other words, dark, weird, creepy and really cool.)"

Sea of Tranquility says, "Take Violent Femmes... [read more]

Katie Todd's debut album.

Katie Todd sets out to impress with a set of smoldering piano based rock songs anchored by her unique voice and powerful lyrics.

How can you go wrong with and album that opens with, "To deviate from the social standard..."

There's huge lots mucho good to say about "Bitches and Machines," the dynamite sophomore effort from Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter Pablo. Pegged by some as a "Folk artist with a post-punk sensibility," I prefer to describe Pablo as "Some guy with a guitar who, lyrically and experimentally, makes the rest of the CD's currently in my CD player sound like shit. And I don't listen to shit." This CD grabbed my... [read more]

Wildly creative!

Michael Brenneis & Geoff Brady present a suite of compositions and improvisations for percussion duet.

The duo perform on a multitude of instruments, including: marimbas, drum kits, prepared drum kit, vessels, pipes, tongue drum, sheet metal, plastics, pans, bells, keg, lids, crank arms, tubes, metal stock, sprocket, cutlery.

Recorded directly to two track digital on the... [read more]

The Long Picnic was recorded in Madison and Chicago using acoustic piano and (sometimes layered) vocals to create a 10-song journey that is by simultaneously engaging, disturbing, and soothing.

"[Rearick] has sharper instrumental skills than most... she's not afraid to shut up and play an instrumental. The Man Who Stole Tomorrow is almost too lovely -- but her writing also displays a grim loopiness she'd... [read more]

Where do even start in trying to describe Ivan Klipstein? The very notion of genre-jumping seems too tame to even begin to talk about Ivan or his new CD, "Lifestyle." It has elements of rock, pop, Brit-rock, rap, gospel, and just about every other musical form of the last 50 years. And, the amazing thing is the grace and excellence that he brings to this highly polished and fully realized project. The CD flows... [read more]

First CD by the talented acoustic folk singer, songwriter Bob Westfall.

Honor Among Thieves guitarist Andy Ewen and cartoonist P.S. Mueller wrote a bunch of songs. Honor Among Thieves, liked them. So Andy, along with bassist Doug DeRosa, drummer Joey B. Banks, violinist Randy Hoecherl and Mueller got together with Steve Gotcher at Audio for the Arts and recorded The Blue God. It's really good. Everyone is very happy with it.
Though there are a couple of words and phrases on The... [read more]

This set of organic tribal trance work-outs is sure to impress both the experimenters and the ravers, as MiLkBabY seems to have a foot firmly in both schools. Primal, lush, evocative, and hypnotic, hUmaN was recorded without any over-dubs and serves as a great representation of the brillance of this Chicago Trio.

The talented Stephanie Rearick is captured her in live concert. A great set of piano and voice compositions that span classical, cabaret, pop and rock.

The debut full-length from the world's most wicked all-female punk metal band. All the rockin' hits that formed a cult, garnished with natural disaster samples and apocalyptic voice-overs.

Recorded at Weedstock 1998.

Features a humurous exchange between Ben Masel and a police officer.

Alt-country at its finest. This collection of songs takes an eerie yet comic plunge into the domestic sphere of rural Indiana, profiles midwestern indigenous persons, and wrestles with the age-old plight of heartache in a tavern.

"There's an effervescent swing about WHOLENESS that recalls the Tristano sound of Konitz & Marsh, especially in the quintet sides featuring the twin reed front-line of Svanoe & Abate... The Ed Anders Quartet achieves fresh levels of intensity in performances that confirm how this band continues to grow as a creative unit. Wholeness is highly recommended."
- David Lewis, Cadence Magazine

EAQ... [read more]

On Christmas Eve 1998, Aaron rode two hours in a cab to his lady's house. It was there in her basement that he fired up the eight-track and began work on a solo album. It was time. Due to the constant unavailability of sober musicians at 4 a.m., he decided to play the instruments himself. In August of the following year, Speakeasy was privileged enough to lay ears upon these recordings. They found them to be some... [read more]

This is the fourth release for Jindra. It shows him in different light than his previous albums in that it is simply guitar and voice. A true artist, Jindra constantly challenges both himself and his listeners. This CD is raw, intelligent and powerful.

File under: Surreal Acoustic Blues
This is Andy Ewen's first solo CD. Andy Ewen is best known as the fiery electric guitarist and vocalist with Honor Among Thieves, one of Madison, Wisconsin's most respected and longest lived bands. Andrando Solo is his first effort completely on his own, and represents a more intimate, though equally intense side of Ewen's music.

Recorded completely live by Wendy... [read more]

Music of Madison's Outdoor Festivals

During the summer of 1997, Studio Earth Remote Recording spent many hours recording as many performances as possible at Madison's outdoor festivals. After many frantic weeks of mixing and re-mixing and gathering imput from bands, the final selections were made. The result is "Under The Sun" a CD sampler that shows off many of the diverse sounds of Madison's music scene... [read more]

Contains three major compositions:
-- Excuses (15:11)
-- Eric's Flip (30:18)
-- Spacesuit Annie (20:32)

These are long and dense testaments, in a concept album spirit.

"The twosome composes collaboratively, often using performance art tactics, sometimes incorporating taped audio-verite soundscapes, additional tracks of music, or brash sound collages, and performing brisk unison... [read more]

This CD best captures Schaefer's vocal delivery and which best accents that delivery with lovely background instrumentation. There are 13 songs (all original) debuted on this CD and there's a flow which strangely compliments the diversity of this unique album

This is a great sampler of the Mother Fool's music scene, circa 1996.

"Smack-dab in the middle of an historic and eclectic Madison, WI neighborhood stands Mother Fool's -- a tiny, intimate, smoke-free coffeehouse that is home to some of the city's most creative and refreshing musicians. But because Mother Fool's holds fewer than 100 people, owners Jon Hain and Stephanie Rearick decided to form their own... [read more]

Debut release from Madisons' Ed Anders Quartet.

An attractive spirit of low-key adventure permeates this music. Recommended. - David Lewis, Cadence Magazine

Marvelous...the EAQ has a unique, musical jazz approach. - Lennie Niehaus, Composer/Saxophonist

An admirable piece of work, announcing the arrival of a new guitar-sax tag team. - Isthmus Newspaper

Matt Moran is a percussionist in New York City who graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music and has worked in a number of interesting groups, including William Parker's big band. Good solid album with focused ensemble work and intense solos.

This collection of improvisations for unaccompanied cello and piano is always striking, sometimes stark, sometimes lush, and sometimes grating. Highly recommended

The first studio release by this eclectic and odd rock/cabaret ensemble. Loose and shambly with a feel similar to the Velvet Underground, Stephanie Rearick and friends conjure up a wild ride.

Great performances of compositions influenced by a combination of methodical explorations of the history of Western tonal systems with an undercurrent of post-modernism.

What do you think of when you think of the Midwest, Wisconsin in particular. Cheese? Frozen tundra? Cornfields? The heartland? Small towns? All these everyday elements go into the songs of The Midwesterners. From the honky tonk story in Dark Tavern Blues, to the resurgence of hope in The Winter of 96', to the joy of rock and roll in Unsafe At Any Speed and Guitar Problem. Everyday life, salt of the earth... [read more]