It’s been a hot minute since I’ve had a chance to update. Because, well - frankly there hasn’t been anything worth posting. Though now, there have been some interesting year end developments:

1.) The Robinsons
That is, myself and Anita. When we came off our last tour we started taking shows as ‘The Robinsons’. Shows that wouldn’t be appropriate for Viva Voce to bring the hammer of sound too. Smaller more intimate shows that allow us to play the breadth of our catalog in a more personal manner. It’s gone over like gangbusters and we’ve even started recording an album. Since it’s appro to keep apples and oranges in separate bins, we’ve made yet another cubbyhole:

http:///www.therobinsonsmusic.com

Drop in. Say hello. It’s easy to post music there,…so I’m hoping to keep the mixtape / track love going. (oh, and we have a preemptive mySpace page that has nothing on it for now - but will….once we’ve recorded something.)

2.) Rose City Vinyl
Well this one has been a monster! News from Jealous Butcher is that the test pressings were jacked and that they had to trace the source to be remastered! Yikes. The good news is, that’s how insane JB’s attention to audiophile detail is - because we signed off on the 1st test presssing! “Sounded cool to me”,…I believe was my answer.
But they should be in by December, just in time for the best stocking stuffer money can buy! The extra tracks on the vinyl really did turn out pretty epic & am glad they’re finally going to see the light.

3.) Shows!
I’ve posted all the upcoming shows on our calendar here. We’re staying in the North West til the new year, then plan on hitting the road as soon as possible.

That’s it for now. Stay warm. Stay healthy.
cheers - kevin

That scary looking mo-fo you see over there is ME!

That’s how I look when I blog.

It’s actually a screen capture from our fresh, new video for “Octavio“. The video is rad, very Lynchian - we spent two days breathing the decay of a rotting Masonic Temple to bring you the haunting, stoney vibes. Without doubt the coolest video we’ve ever done! We’ll be screening it May 19th at a free party here in Portland at Mississippi Studios, as well as having the record for sale….a few days before street date.
We’ll be there,…but not performing. CD release shows - for bands - are pretty lame, so we thought this would be a fun night for everyone…including us!!! Come down to Miss studios, have a drink or two with us, watch our new video and maybe give the new record a spin!
Sound cool?
Here’s the facts:
VIVA VOCE  - VIDEO PREMIERE/ALBUM RELEASE PARTY
featuring the World Premiere of the new music video “Octavio” directed by Alicia J. Rose
and Special pre-sale of “Rose City” by Music Millenium
Tuesday May 19
Doors 7:30, Show 8pm **this is not a performance show!**
FREE

…maybe see you there? Or maybe I just keep blogging all pissed-off looking?
cheers - Kevin

So we’re exactly a month away from our new record coming out in the states. Very exciting for us. So much so in fact that our label and we thought it might be cool to give an exclusive little download.

Our good friends at eMusic are releasing the first single from the record called “Octavio” with a few remixes from friends and family. That cover you see up there is the one.  I’m pretty sure you can find it here on Tuesday of this week.

We leave for tour in a few days. Very excited. It’ll be nice to head south on the I5 where it’s a bit warmer than home.  Been getting a bunch of emails about the new record & thought I’d post a few facts about it here:

a) Anita and I built a studio in our backyard. We recorded Rose City in 3 weeks - from pen to paper to final master. This was deliberate.

b) All photos (and cover image) were taken at a show here in town by Megan Holmes ( a pdx photog and general mover and shaker). The guitar on the cover is Anita’s Les Paul Custom Lite, a rare little number.

c) Obviously tried to make a conscious effort to keep all elements of the record based out of Portland. It’s not really a concept record, but it’ll make sense when you hear it.

See you out on the open road. All the venues with pre-sale ticket links are up at our concert page & all of our confirmed SXSW performances are listed.
See you soon.

That cover you see up there is our new record! Today is the big announce. Our new album, Rose City, will be out on Barsuk Records here in the US on May 26th. We’re very excited for this one!
Here’s the track listing:

Viva Voce “Rose City”
1. Devotion
2. Die A Little
3. Octavio
4. Midnight Sun
5. Red Letter Day
6. Good As Gold
7. Rose City
8. Tornado Alley
9. Flora
10. The Slow Fade

Here’s the official press send out!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

VIVA VOCE TO RELEASE ROSE CITY ON MAY 26TH ON BARSUK RECORDS

TOUR DATES AND SXSW SET IN ADVANCE OF THE RELEASE

Since the 2006 release of their Barsuk debut Get Yr Blood Sucked out, Portland, OR duo Viva Voce toured non-stop for nearly 2 years, both as headliners and supporting fellow Portlanders The Shins in the US and abroad.

Band founders Kevin and Anita Robinson took an entire year off from touring (unheard of for them) to finish their hand-built backyard home studio and gig around town with country rock band Blue Giant, and have since become
something of a hub in the Portland music scene:
Kevin has spent time producing and recording bands like Tu Fawning and Thao with The Get Down Stay Down. Anita sang harmonies on The Shins’ Wincing the Night Away album, and performed with them on SNL and on tour. With Blue
Giant, Kevin and Anita made it a habit to incorporate a broad cast of Portland musicians to their live ensemble - and now the Viva Voce band itself has grown, as Kevin and Anita have welcomed Corrina Repp and Evan Railton to the
official line-up.

Now Viva Voce are back with Rose City, an album they wrote, arranged, and recorded themselves all in one furious month - choosing not to deliberate over every little thing but living purely in the moment musically and lyrically. Immersing themselves in sonic experimentation, it was truly spontaneous and cathartic. The result is an angular,
immediate record that pulses with the palpable urgency of a band yearning for a return to the vagabond life of the working, touring musician - a mode in which Viva Voce feels truly at home.

Viva Voce on tour:

March:
12 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
13 Visalia , CA Cellar Door
15 Tucson, AZ Plush
16 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room
18 Austin, TX SXSW
19 Austin, TX SXSW
20 Austin, TX SXSW
22 Denver, CO Hi-Dive
24 Boise, ID Neurolux
28 Portland, OR Aladdin Theatre

April:
10 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
11 Salem, OR Elsinore Theatre

For more information, contact:
Ever Kipp / ever@barsuk.com/ 206-322-7785