Mal Madrigal is a rotating group of musicians from Omaha, Nebraska who perform songs written by Stephen Bartolomei. In its quieter moods, Mal Madrigal is sparse and haunting, stripped down to Stephen’s fingerpicked guitar and voice. As a band, Mal Madrigal includes drummer and bassist John Kotchian, keys and percussionist Ben Brodin, guitarist Mike Saklar, and multi-instrumentalists Dan McCarthy and Ryan Fox. Framed by a collection of unique instruments and homemade electronics, Mal Madrigal performances unfold like cinema, weaving stories of wanderers and the dispossessed within an echoing and plaintive soundscape.
In 2007 Mal Madrigal released two full-length records simultaneously. “Life Among the Animals†and “The Road Is Glue†paired the bands darker, more experimental sound with a time honored songwriting style. The albums are available exclusively on 180gram high quality vinyl. The LPs are hand silk-screened and numbered. Both records include a CD copy for those who do not own a turntable. Mal Madrigal will release its third full-length album in the fall of 2009.
Mal Madrigal has performed with Calexico, Destroyer, Centro-Matic, Nina Nastasia, Vic Chesnut, Conor Oberst, the Good Life, Art In Manila, Shiny Around the Edges, Neva Dinova, the Medications, Scout Niblett, Edith Frost, Simon Joyner, the Bruces, David Dondero, Orenda Fink, Ladyfinger, Richard Buckner, Eric Bachmann, and many others.
