Make A Rising

Flying the flag of 70s avant rock into the twenty-first century, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Make A Rising combined the influence of Henry Cow and Frank Zappa with the anything-goes ethic of post- Animal Collective indie rock. Formed by Justin Moyinhan (keyboards, accordion, vocals), Jesse Moynihan (guitar, violin, vocals), John Heron (percussion), Brandon Beaver (guitar, vocals), and John Pettit (bass, trumpet), they began stirring a tempestuous cauldron of sounds with the release of Battle For New Planet, sold independently by the band in 2004, but not widely distributed until the following year (slightly altered and with a new title, Rip Through The Hawk Black Night). It showcased a band that leapt fearlessly from one mode and mood to the next within the same song. Classic 70s prog rock, the late 60s art-pop suites of Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, the contemporary classical sounds of Charles Ives, the aforementioned art-rock influences, all took a place in Make A Rising's constantly shifting maelstrom of sound. The expansive attitude that prevailed in US indie rock when the band emerged (via groups such as Animal Collective and Yeasayer) made their challenging, technically adept work as close to ‘cool’ as it could ever get. The band’s second album, Infinite Ellipse And Open Head With Fontanel, was recorded with new member Andrew Ciccone (clarinet) and forged even further into the sophisticated-yet-cerebral realms of the debut, but began attracting more attention.