Avant-prog binge 2021

[Steve F.]

One of my fave parts from The World Is a Problem is that tiny bit where John Greaves leaves and/or is made to leave the band and stacks up in one of Richard Branson's apartments and enjoys the Brans' bathtub and his expensive wines and pokes his nose at the desolate fate of his ol' comrades eating veggie salad and drinking cucumber-juice in "the band van". I mean, if THIS was the preset for his making of Kew. Rhone it was most certainly worth it.

My fave part is when the band KNOWINGLY use ‘good, ol’, normal guy’ John to lure in his replacement for them, and John knows that he is being used in that way and Georgie retrospectively knows that that is what happened, (‘can you imagine if they’d sent scary Chris’ I believe is her quote! ) and John just wants OUT and doesn’t really care about being used as bait!

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ Ol' scary Chris would probably have downed her with incessive, fast-paced references to the Althusser vs. Gadamer-debate and whether eating meat was actually a morale decode-sense of behaving in a post-philatelic society.

From what I understand, John G. regarded himself as the only "real" working-class geezer in the band and mostly just wanted to enjoy a pint (or eight), a fag and a football-match on occasion.

[Steve F.]

From what I understand, John G. regarded himself as the only "real" working-class geezer in the band and mostly just wanted to enjoy a pint (or eight), a fag and a football-match on occasion.

To make certain that we meet someday, I will promise to tell you the insane ‘Chris and John weekly band-meeting’ story that Maggie Thomas told me when I was 19 and met the band and her.....

But only in person.

[Steve F.]

PS and if I die first, I’m taking it with me.....

[moecurlythanu]

Some bands get along well AND work together sympathetically

Some bands don't get along but generally appreciate what the others do bring to the table and work together sympathetically

Some bands mostly really dislike each other and work together in a way that makes them greater than the sum of their parts because they are all pushing each other specifically because they don't like each other.

Bandz is a tough job. I've worked with all the three above and more.

And then there's Oasis. Or The Kinks. Or Gene Loves Jezebel. Or The Smiths. Or...

[Zappathustra]

^ Regarding these last 20 years, Infinite Ellipse is a top-15 album for me. I bought three copies of that; gave one away and keep the other two in different locations. Hooray.

How come this was never mentioned in all these years I am around these parts? This is fantastic, purely original music that makes for a unique listening experience. I am totally impressed.

[Steve F.]

Big, big thanks to Mike Johnson for giving us these three live performances to put up on the Cuneiform YouTube page!

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ Both Udi and Ian and I kept championing Make a Rising a decade back +, probably before you joined. We had at least a couple of full threads on them.

They were, at the time, the leading lights of the so-called "Philly art-rock scene" which also encompassed artists whose names I cannot recall at all now. But those two full-length MAR records are excellent, Ellipse rising to enormous heights but the debut (Rip Through the Hawk Black Night) not coming too far behind.

One of the interesting things about them is that they play out a theatrical "totale" of recurring musicao themes and motives, executed in varying motions and settings through their performance; somewhat like The Decemberists but way more elaborate. Burlesque, colourful, a bit dark at times, a bit grotesque - and often very dada-beautiful. Surrealist avant-americana rock, I suppose. Add snippets of post-classical. In a sense, if/when you look at it, they kinda don't remind of neither Neal Morse or M.C. Hammer or Michael Bolton or Steven Wilson. Which is absuloot amizzing then yu tink of it.

[neuroticdog]

In a sense, if/when you look at it, they kinda don't remind of neither Neal Morse or M.C. Hammer or Michael Bolton or Steven Wilson.

well fuck it...why bother then?

best
Michael

[NogbadTheBad]

^ Both Udi and Ian and I kept championing Make a Rising a decade back +, probably before you joined. We had at least a couple of full threads on them.

They were, at the time, the leading lights of the so-called "Philly art-rock scene" which also encompassed artists whose names I cannot recall at all now. But those two full-length MAR records are excellent, Ellipse rising to enormous heights but the debut (Rip Through the Hawk Black Night) not coming too far behind.

One of the interesting things about them is that they play out a theatrical "totale" of recurring musicao themes and motives, executed in varying motions and settings through their performance; somewhat like The Decemberists but way more elaborate. Burlesque, colourful, a bit dark at times, a bit grotesque - and often very dada-beautiful. Surrealist avant-americana rock, I suppose. Add snippets of post-classical. In a sense, if/when you look at it, they kinda don't remind of neither Neal Morse or M.C. Hammer or Michael Bolton or Steven Wilson. Which is absuloot amizzing then yu tink

Normal Love were one of the others we were championing.

[JKL2000]

Side A of the original Concerts double album was their Peel session and arguably the single finest recording they ever accomplished.

NP: ^This. (Well, Disk 1.) I felt like some Cow, as Steve put it. LOL

Did Cutler and Frith ever cite Kurt Weill as an influence on the Cow?

[Udi Koomran]

Normal Love were one of the others we were championing.

True but no less Make a Rising
The Wounded Fhealer Series showed they were unpredictable and whetted my appetite but alas they disappeared
btw since then I grew to love the NL debut too

[Zappathustra]

On Spotify there is a 2019 Make a Rising album called Mercy and Severity. So how did they disappear?

[thedunno]

On Spotify there is a 2019 Make a Rising album called Mercy and Severity. So how did they disappear?

Thats weird. I just checked pa, allmusic and discogs. None mention this album.
Then I browsed the bands Instagram account (which is pretty active) and this new album is also not mentioned there.

[thedunno]

Its a solo album of one of the members, Justin Moynihan. Somehow it ended up as a band album on Spotify.

[Udi Koomran]

On Spotify there is a 2019 Make a Rising album called Mercy and Severity. So how did they disappear?

Weird
a cassette release
that t album doesn't appear on their Bandcamp page..
well actually it isn't really MAR but the first solo album from pianist, singer, songwriter M. Justin Moynihan


Recorded in the summers of 2018 and 2019 at the Department of Sound and Magic in Bellingham Washington. Released by Starburns Industries Press.
The album was recorded a few months after an especially difficult break up. The songs swing between empathy, disbelief, and unbridled sadness. At the core Moynihan yearns to understand and be understood.

While all the songs are sad, the tape stacks the more hopeful ones on Side A (Mercy) and slams the listener with the most brutal on Side B (Severity).
Engineer Dave Richards and his wife Kali Tupper support multiple tracks with vocals and mandolin. Justin's brother, Jesse Moynihan of Adventure Time, graciously illustrated the cover art.

M. Justin Moynihan has written songs for Adventure Time, Manly, and a half dozen modern dance performances. His Progressive Rock band Make a Rising rehearses and performs in Los Angeles, CA. When not processing heartache through the piano, Justin writes screenplays and novellas, teaches rock climbing, and skate guards at a roller rink.

[chalkpie]

Those Thinking Plague live clips are absolutely killer. The commitment to learning that material is to be commended. Mike, if you're out there: great, great work man. That ending guitar passage alone in "consolamentum" is absolutely ridiculous! Makes this music really come alive and breathe.

[alanterrill]

Glad to see Make A Rising getting a mention, but what about Cloud Becomes Your Hand? Somewhere in the same area I think:

[Kcrimso]

Np. Chris Cutler & Fred Frith : 2 Gentlemen In Verona (UK, 2000)

Totally bonkers improvisations from these two noisy geniuses. Henry Cow alumni has done lots of improvisational albums. What are some of your favourite ones?

[JKL2000]

NP: The Muffins - 185 (a new, used acquisition)

Since watching that interview on Make Weird Music, Paul Sears is like a genuine celebrity to me, and not just the guy who gets thrown into the pool at Progday! And soundman par excellence!

EDIT: Wow! I just noticed that Fred Frith appears on 185! Paul goes up even higher on the Celeb-O-Meter!

BTW, what is the significance of the number 185, if there is one?

The album is really killer, too! Better than I was expecting, for some reason. Paul is good!

[neuroticdog]

Np. Chris Cutler & Fred Frith : 2 Gentlemen In Verona (UK, 2000)

Totally bonkers improvisations from these two noisy geniuses. Henry Cow alumni has done lots of improvisational albums. What are some of your favourite ones?

This is a great album, but usually, when I want to hear something like this I'll reach for CC/FF collab Live in Moscow, Prague & Washington. There is one piece on this album (sorry, dont remember which one) that has really good live ambience that gives it a little bit of a 3d feel. All three improvs are really good though. Can't go wrong with either of these...thanks for giving me the idea that I need to listen to these soon.

best
Michael

[Kcrimso]

NP: The Muffins - 185 (a new, used acquisition)

Since watching that interview on Make Weird Music, Paul Sears is like a genuine celebrity to me, and not just the guy who gets thrown into the pool at Progday! And soundman par excellence!

EDIT: Wow! I just noticed that Fred Frith appears on 185! Paul goes up even higher on the Celeb-O-Meter!

BTW, what is the significance of the number 185, if there is one?

The album is really killer, too! Better than I was expecting, for some reason. Paul is good!

185 is maybe my favourite The Muffins album. Fred Frith produced that one.

[Udi Koomran]

[auxfnx]

Just sharing the Rascal Reporters album here for my fellow avant-prog adventurers!

[walt]

Been delving into the music of Ashtray Navigations on their 1lp/4 cd set,Greatest Imaginary Hits.The lp has new stuff and each of the 4 cds have older material.Some really fine music here, IMO.

https://vhfrecords.bandcamp.com/albu...imaginary-hits