MAKE A RISING

I hopped on the free music bandwagon to hear this excellent and quirky group some months ago. I've probably listened to this album 50 times and I've had mixed feelings about the album. Initially pleasantly impressed, then drifting toward "meh" and then as I really sunk my ears into the album for this review, I'm back to being truly impressed. I suppose my time here on PA has changed my ears, for I did not expect this band to be Avant / RIO. Instead, this is a truly eclectic band that gives nods to classics like Yes and Genesis, and major kudos to Frank Zappa and Gentle Giant. However, the band also utilizes very modern sounds such as electronic textures a la math masters Battles and nu-folk / pop groups like Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend. The closest band to this I've heard is Frogg Cafe, but this is crazier.

If this sounds like a lot of material to bite off in a 3 song, 19 minute EP, it is. Though the musicianship is superb and the execution brilliant, there is a little lack of focus. Rather than having a coherent package to communicate to the listener, this band is simply delighting in the pure pleasure of making complex, quirky music. Since I too consider this one of life's great pleasures, I really like this album. But it's not for everyone and specifically it's not for background listening. It just won't make sense.

1. Don't Don't Don't - The EP and song begins with a sad, almost Beach Boys styled harmony section which then yields to a Sergeant Pepper oompah section. These are a bit odd and hurky-jerky, but work well enough. This is repeated a second time before the song takes off with the band's signature blend of math rock and Gentle Giant composition that to me is modern prog at its best.

2. Flux Dogs - This songs begins with a guitar flourish clearly meant as an homage to Steve Howe. The main vocal line is nicely done, though is a bit limited by the singers' very non-distinctive vocal timbres. There is a fun trippy free form instrumental section in the middle, and finishes with a choral flourish.

3. Nommo Days - An angular odd rhythm song with the annoying nu-folk echo on the vocals. Some allusions to nu-folk master Sufjan Stevens. Once again, once the first instrumental section comes in, we get modern prog at its best. Just wonderful chamber rock styled composition. The song move through a pastoral bridge section and climbs to a GG-esque climax.

There are sections of this album that are just brilliant. And absolutely all of it is good, interesting. To me, this is what modern prog is. (Not another neo- rehash.) A very solid 4 star effort. Looking forward to future releases.

(Hey, you in the corner - yeah, you the guy looking confused. Are you telling me you haven't heard New I Fealing yet? Let me help ya out - go download that and give it a spin. If you like it even a little bit, direct your credit card to the nearest online retailer carrying this album.)

Infinite Ellipse and Head With Open Fontanel, despite having a name you will likely never remember, is an utterly superb piece of avant garde music, full of wonderful melodies, odd sounds, freakouts, weird lyrics, and songs with names like "Sneffels Yokul" and "Look, I'm Almost Dead". The cover art is laid out like all those Pendragon album covers - with all the little details and sub-stories going on - except it's a photograph instead of a painting, so they had to actually make all the weird stuff, not just imagine it. Yep, this is a weird band, thank goodness!

They can be strikingly sparse and emotional at times - Woodsong (parts 1 and 2) is a superb example of this, being carried pretty much completely by the quiet piano and the mournful horns. And they can also rock out and pound your ears with glorious, glorious sound and melody, as they demonstrate in pretty much every song. They've mastered the art of introducing a new melody or idea with a bang. Contrast is the name of the game here, and a quiet section may be interrupted by the introduction of an energetic theme on the trombone.

Seven vocalists, a marimba, trombone, cello, saxophone, flute, and the only traditional rock instrument in sight is a doublebass. And yet these guys rock pretty hard from time to time, and their music has an undeniable energy about it.

For sure, one of the better albums I have discovered in the past months. Oh, and I'm going to say this - this is better than New I Fealing. It's complex, it's fun, it's bizarre. And it's not a matter of quantity over quality - the highest moments here easily surpass the highest moments of New I Fealing. (And that's something that I never would have thought would be easy!)

Why did I rate it 5 stars? Because it's excelent. I might have been biased by free downloads (damn you Part the Second for being so good and free) but these 3 songs are just what I needed to hear.

DON'T DON'T DON'T: reminds me a lot of Slapp Happy/Art Bears, with the slightly dissonant vocal harmonies and funny woodwinds. Quite enjoyable, although the silence in the middle of the song is a bit unsettling. By the time the first part ends, a nice piano riff starts, along with a somewhat cheesy little sax solo. The chorus is wonderful; the female vocals add a bit of magic to the song. The next riff is very good; sounds quite like symphonic prog and even indie rock. 5/5

FLUX DOGS: starts with a Henry Cow-like unison section. Then there's a short part with lovely fast vocals; the chorus begins with again slightly dissonant vocal harmonies. Then the guitar kicks in the chorus; the drums go crazy but then subside to an ambient section. The band paints an impressionist sound spectrum with their instruments just until the guitars play a taste of the next motif.

All instruments kick back to a lovely riff in 7/8, until the riff in the chorus appears again (this time in full strength; there's even some piano/harp flourishes now). The chorus returns with just vocals, piano and keyboards before the song ends. 4.5/5

NOMMO DAYS: starts with a nice riff accompanied by circus like voices; the next section is ethereal; the singer sounds like he's on the moon. The violins are nice; acoustic guitars kick in with the singing grabbing your attention. A dissonant riff, very reminiscent of RIO, adds drama to the song. The Cardiacs-like lyrics add more to the crazyness of the music. The ambient section with the brass, acoustic guitar, violin and drums is magical. Vibes kick in, now mirroring the acoustic guitar.

The harp kicks in again, as the vocals start to become more distant from the listener. The second riff appears one more time for a few bars, just to disappear and start the last section of the song, with wild instruments everywhere and embezzling vocals. By this time the music just grabs you and erases everything in your mind. Beautiful ending. 5/5

Overall, a nice 5 stars to this wonderful recording. What are you doing here? Go get it!

Avant-garde anything can be a thin line to walk. With art, it can be a mind-blowing masterpiece or just a weird, seemingly pointless waste of paint. In movies, a movie could either become an instant genre-defying classic, or just a creepy, weird expression of nothingness. The same pertains to music. Avant music can either be infinitely beautiful, breaking down the walls that we call the constraints of music, or could just be obnoxious and over-exerted noise. Make a Rising with their newest EP Now I Fealing walk that that thin line very carefully, teetering on overly weird at times and at others a tasteful and rather interesting output. With some of the music just having outright absurd melodic waste just for the sake of being absurd, some actually has a nice Avant harmony going for it. Overall, although being a bit weird, this EP isn't all that bad.

On tracks such as the intro to "Don't Don't Don't," the music has a nice fun-sounding circus- like quality, with some interesting harmony between vocals and the various instruments used on the EP. Although the vocal style can get a little annoying, it adds a certain dissonant and oftentimes pleasing and humorous quality to the music, especially with the rather ridiculous lyrics. The interesting compositional quality of the music also adds a nice dynamic, with the overall fun atmosphere of all the instruments communicating with one another complimenting the overall interesting melodies and harmonies. The vocal melodies may get harsh at times, and sometimes they don't compliment the interesting instrumentation, but usually they add that unique Avant touch.

One word easily attributable to this album is unique. The quality of the composition is supreme, with some adventurous atmospheres surrounding the sweeping lines of music. The eighteen minutes of music certainly has that unique style of the band too, with the bumbling lines of wind pieces and up-down percussion style. The overall feeling of the album itself is unique, with the peculiar titles and weird jazzy breakdowns dotting the music, even breaking into a classical orchestral kind of feel at times. Of course, this is avant-garde music, how can we expect any less! Overall, the album is good. For a free download, it is certainly recommended for anyone looking for something refreshing to accent their collection. Although the music is not the most remarkable stuff out there, it is an interesting and worthy output by this small, Philadelphia band. 3+ stars.

I've been aware of the band for some time, but what's more easy to acquire than a free download, and less demanding of your time than three tracks? Suffice it to say that there wasn't much thought between when I found out this album existed and when its sweet sounds started to enter my brain. It did take a while before the music really started to penetrate - there's a lot of odd stuff going on in here, including: vocals that combine male and female vocals into really dreamy soundscapes, loosely formed instrumental sections that could also be described as dreamy soundscapes, odd rhythms, lots of starts and stops, and underneath it all, a lot of lovely, hidden melodies.

Second track Flux Dogs is the least composed-sounding of all the tracks, being dominated by a long instrumental section in the middle, that makes me think of Moonchild but less likely to just be pointless noddling than difficult to understand. Regardless, it's the first track (Don't Don't Don't) and the last track that really have me excited for this band. Don't Don't Don't features great vocal interplay, and a catchy chorus. But Nommo Days quickly became my favorite, due to the combination of the slower instrumental sections and the vocals after the halfway point, which may be one of the oddest, most unexpectedly beautiful moments in music I've heard in a long time.

Definitely worth your time.

My knowledge regarding this US band is limited, I actually didn't know about them until someone posted that this EP was free-to-download from their website, so I went there and of course, took advantage of the internet facility. It is always helpful for a band to share music this via, I believe they can reach a higher amount of listeners and of course get new followers.

This EP entitled "New I Fealing" consists of three tracks of avant-garde music that will attract any RIO fan. Three songs may not be enough to introduce a band, but after giving this EP some spins I am really interested in their music, and would be nice to get their previous works (two studio albums, if I am not wrong) it will be worth it, I am sure.

So, this is a glimpse of what this band is capable of. It starts with "Don't Don't Don't", a piano and vocals appear first, then some instruments join and play for a minute. Suddenly it stops, some seconds of silence and then those vocals (both male and female) and the piano return, so the song re-starts. After two minutes and a half it changes its direction, a trumpet enters and the avant-garde music (reminding me a bit to Meredith Monk) is more evident. The last minute is great, the guitar and bass sound pretty cool, and the vocal work amazing.

"Flux Dogs" starts faster and complex. The game that the voices play is crucial to the appreciation of the music. I really like them, they remind me to some acts such as Key Rhone, or Cheer-Accident, for instance. The changes in time and tempo help creating images and atmospheres that the listener will love. There is a moment of stillness where only some noises appear, giving us a saucerful of elements that can be better appreciated with good headphones. After four minutes the tension increases, so the music sounds louder, but later the keyboards make a gentle sound which is completed by the other instruments, and later by vocals.

The third is the longest track, entitled "Nommo Days" starts with a chaos, the first time I listened to it I imagined people fleeing from someone, but a couple of times later I thought about people drunk and happy in a traditional party. Then the music truly starts and gently vocals enter accompanying this sometimes-charming-sound that later turns intriguing and mysterious. After two minutes and a half it changes, slows down, trumpets, flute and violin appears while drums and bass sound as background, there is a beautiful passage where xylophone (I believe) enters and creates a warm and cute atmosphere, which was not enough, so now the harp enters as well and add its grain of sand, making a colorful and rich piece of music.

Sometimes three tracks are enough to captivate you. Twenty minutes of this Make A Rising offering are really worth it, so go and download it. My final grade, three stars.

Enjoy it!

Ignoring familiar song structure, Make A Rising create an infectious sound that is impossible to pigeonhole. A list of what this music is not would be much shorter than a detailed description of the countless influences, instruments and ideas to be heard on their sophomore album. In fact, I probably can't say anything that previous reviewers haven't already stated about the general likability of this album, but I do feel it deserves more attention than it has received to date. I don't recall ever hearing an album (apart from their first) that was so diverse and challenging, yet rediculously fun and catchy. Trying to intelligently describe the music is a fruitless effort for a mind as tiny as mine so I'll throw out some simple adjectives: Fun. Whimsical. Trippy. Careless yet precise. Otherworldly. Nifty. Cheeky. Mesmerizing. Sublime. Unique. Charming.

I am indebted to PA for a few musical discoveries, Make A Rising being high on my list. RIO/Avant isn't my first prog love, or even in my typical top 5, but this band has dug deep into my cerebrum. What they have done is created a grouping of highly palatable melodies and grooves that could easily fit into any pop category while strongly stiff-arming the pop format. The individual songs are more like seperations in direction, if there ever was a destination in the first place. I dare you not to find this interesting.

Infinite Ellipse And Head With Open Fontanel is about as bizarre as the album title would suggest, and without a doubt a splendid experience. Perhaps the albums finest quality is that it is thoroughly enjoyable whether you try to voyage deep into it's layers, or as simple background music. It does not grow stale. Despite being relatively unknown, I truly hope they find success and continue to grow not only for my own selfish desires, but because they deserve it, artistically speaking.

If you've ever enjoyed any music fitting any of the descriptions above, give Make A Rising a solid listen. The production is superb, and the hooks stay with you. I would compare it to a quirky and fantastic party that has no real theme.

4.3333repeating stars.

''Sneffels Yokul'' opens with a bang after an off-key acapella section. Probably one of the jumpiest tunes you'll find in the RIO corner, it quickly sweeps into an ever morphing track (slightly annoying) until it settles into quiet piano music for a few tracks. ''All One or None'' is a particularly moving track. ''Peaceful Paths'' is one of the upper highlights encompassing many facets of the bands sound before giving into a sea shanty in ''Bradford's Big Boatride''.

The second half kicks off with another highlight in ''Transmutation'', one of the louder and more embryonic pieces here. The next three tracks highlight the band's ability to create ethereal soundscapes and psychedelic backdrops before exploding into a big band excursion at the end of ''How's 'Bout a Love Supreme''. The two ''Woodsong'' pieces are more organic and sound like how they're named.

If you really want a unique listening experience, then lend your ears to Make a Rising; you'll find nothing else like it, and it's worth the investigation.

This is a sentence I come across often when listening, writing or talking about the bands and musicians I listen to. Not only is it hard (or almost impossible) to pinpoint then into specific genres (one will almost always not be enough) but to actually describe what they play is a daunting task for me. And this is before I said anything about it being good or bad. In this case, it's very good. It's even brilliant! This album has many of what I adore about music. It's refreshing, original, varied, interchanging, dynamic, explorative and experimental. It's all that, plus well played, well structured and appealing melodies. That's it, you can stop reading here and go listen to their music on their website and myspace and listen for yourselves. Or you can continue to read on if you want to know more.

But to come back to the issue, if there ever was a band I couldn't write easily about, describing their sound and style, Make A Rising would be it. A band that has come to create a sound of their own, which while making some references to other bands, is quite unique and very original in their approach and in their musical output. Filled with contrasts and twists, it is music that I love to listen to as it's filled with fun - not fun in the sense of goofy or humoristic music but fun in the sense that I feel uplifted listening to it. I am at a loss for words to describe their music; it is music to nicely fit under one tag, no style to apply to describe the myriad of sounds that appear in their albums. Make A Rising create not only a cross- genre approach, but also a great mixing of all of those into something that is rarely, if at all heard.

If asked what other bands come in mind when listening to them, again I find myself at odds; there are no immediate comparisons, but there are certain smaller pieces that I can find similarities to the likes of Time Of Orchis (vocals), Pochakaite Malko (use of folkish-elements and the building of an original and quirky style), Kayo Dot (the atmosphere on some of the songs), Cerebus Shoal (in the oddness and quirkiness of other songs) and even Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (some more theatrical side and also heavy riffing parts). There are other comparisons to be made, but the main point would be that all those references are for specific smaller parts in their music and when looking at it as a whole, they have a great sound of their own.

This being their second album, Make A Rising progresses on from their previous album both in production and in compositional style; the latter is built on what was done in the first album and going on from that point onwards. This album, much like the previous one is made up of songs which flow naturally one to the next, while each one has its own distinct identity. The style and rhythm varies between each song and also within the songs. Not only are those different styles mixing together wonderfully, but they're done very well. The variety also comes into play in the instrumentation that includes apart from the usual rock repertoire, piano, accordion, saxflute, trumpet, cello, marimba, flute, clarinet and violin. This is well heard in the special theatrical and, for lack of a better word, ethnic sound. There are songs, like "Woodsong Pt. 1", that have the classical instruments playing alone, adding another great facet to their sound repertoire. The continuation of this track in "Bradford's Big Boatride" is even better as they electrify the previous part, achieving what is to me their best song here; here they create what is a fascinating and excellent mix of most of the sounds appearing on their album, vocals harmonies, great guitar riffing, classical instruments giving their emphasis, brilliant and catchy chorus, fantastic composition overall combining the best of all they do throughout the album. There is so much going on this a bit longer than 4 minute song that it's such a joy to listen to. They could practically build a small concept on those 4 minutes alone.

What I particularly like is the contradiction they create with their heavy and complex parts and the quieter parts. It is less used here than their previous album. Their use of the classical instruments in both placements and making them suited to those is also very well done. Listen to how the violin is used in both settings. I also am in love with the complex and abrupt changes of rhythm and style, combining them effortlessly. This album also sees them showing their noise-making and improvisation skills ("How's 'bout A Love Supreme"), very well done, and I think they should expand on that as well in the future releases.

The band here shows how skilled they are, and how varied are their influences. They also show that they know how to take a previous achievement (their first release) and improve on it. I have great expectations from their next release based on this.

I feel I haven't done justice to this wonderful album in my review. If at all I feel I've diminished their achievement with my mumblings. This is a fabulous album, one that is already on the top of my favourite albums for this year and is quickly becoming a personal favourite, regardless f year.

More than just 4 stars.

The album begins (Sneffels Yokul), like their debut, with harmonic a capella, then breaking off into an amusing rhythm (amusing rhythms can be found all throughout the album, some really great percussion here) accompanied with an organic, colorful bass melody. It keeps at a nice pace and then suddenly pulls out the butcher's knife to show off the band's more aggressive tendencies. As quickly and as chillingly as the crescendo arrived, it disappears into the former world-music-esque visage... and then that disappears as well and introduces a solo piano (not solo-ING, just alone) playing one of the many hair-raising bittersweet melodies from this extraordinarily SYMBOLIC album (pun intended-- as the album title is really only two symbols).

From there, All One or None continues with haunting piano and a mixture of falsetto and baritone singing. The song is divided mostly in two sections, the first that I already mentioned, and then changing again adding melodic percussion along with the final words that really got to me: All my friends are here--they shouldn't move away, providing some daunting, dramatic irony. This is a slower, shorter ditty with a lasting impression on the album, especially with it's placement right after the upbeat and angry Snuffels Yokul.

Peaceful Paths begins thereafter with more of that disturbing lonely piano and tears open into an overwhelming, BIG-sounding chamber arrangement. After flirting with some pop-influence of repeating, Peaceful paths don't lead astray, it returns to chamber slowly building up and down through whooshes of rapid drumming and beautiful violin. Then as the chamber-music character walks, he falls into a cleverly-built trap!--a nightmarish and dissonant climax, falling back to a soft death including what I think is an accordion to end the violent and deadly rollercoaster.

The penultimate song on the album is the epic and wandering How's 'Bout a Love Supreme, which introduces itself calmly with piano and vocals. Within the next minute, the song evaporates in an ambient solution of animal noises, drones, echoes, and percussion, seemingly never to take its former state again. But it does for a short while. After this short lapse of harmony, jarring dissonance erupts out of the song's previous calm confines and soon resembles the soundtrack of some insane movie. Somewhat of a distraught and depressing happiness (similar to the crescendos of Peaceful Paths and Bradford Big Boatride). Woodsong Part Two comes afterward, following suit to Woodsong Part One's quirky, classical method. Trumpet succeeds and the album closes. Somewhat. Not really. You'll see.

Anyways, like I said, this is an amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing album. It's a beautiful patchwork of different sounds and textures. More energy than their debut, and many gentle and soft points in the album that give me goosebumps. You'll find tons of amazing orchestration including an array of many, many instruments. Highly recommended.

What do I know? What do I know?

Nothing. Nothing.

P.S. Buy this album when it comes out April 8th, this year!