Press
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
Prog Archives
Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic play an eclectic blend of rock, avant-garde noise, punk, classical, minimalist and free-form music with hypnotic electronic sequences.
"We are currently transitioning from our long-time focus on composed music to more of a hybrid compositional/improvisational approach. This is exciting to me personally, since improvisation plays such a large role in my solo work and in my other musical projects. Improvisation has the potential to bring the unique energy of spontaneity to a performance, and the results can be strongest when combined with the structure of composition."
— Ken Field (Interview)
The Dutch Progressive Rock Page
The Iridium Controversy & 2001 Live Birds
"Last year Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic made my top 10 list with The Iridium Controversy and this year they’ve done it again with 2001 Live Birds. This is yet another splendid live recording from the annual prog utopia that is NEARfest...
This CD documents Birdsongs set from 2001 when they opened the festival, and it’s a barnstorming tour de force, with every number screaming “Follow That” to the unfortunate groups who had to do just that.
" — Dave Sissons
Sonic Curiousity
The Iridium Controversy
"the keyboards sway and bend with cheerful frolic. Grand piano conspires with progrock organ to achieve a full scope of keyed timbre. The percussion is intricate but not overwhelmingly busy. Horns belt out with a fervor that resounds with majesty, transforming a concert hall into a breathtaking grotto of antediluvian sandstone. The guitar sears its way through this antique pastiche, torching chords with vivid ardor and illuminating the stage with emphatic determination....
The compositions are stunning, drawing equally upon rock and classical roots and administering these opposing mind-sets into instrumental songs that push the envelope of the progrock genre well past that staid fashion." — Matt Howarth
All About Jazz
The Iridium Controversy
" The Iridium Controversy is serious and rather self-conscious music, but not without ample moments of levity and celebration... After the eager and rather forward opener, the first of two title tracks (subtitled "Before") departs from its rocking energy toward a docile chamber sound that's almost baroque in its counterpoint and clarity. Its successor, "After," builds on military beats to assemble an optimistic prog- rock colossus, high-riding melodies alternating with periods of restraint.
Bierylo next interrupts this seeming clarity with a pointed collection of polyrhythms. Rick Scott's appropriately titled "Tectonic Melange" goes from deep held notes to an upbeat group improvisation." — AAJ Staff
Boston Phoenix
"Three albums and another decade later, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic continue to survive and thrive. They’ve progressed from headlining clubs like the late-but-beloved Rat, once the heart of the local-music scene in Kenmore Square and the site of their first gig, to conducting residencies and playing concerts at institutions ranging from Emory University and the University of North Carolina to the Salvador Dalí Museum and the Disney Institute.
This Saturday, Birdsongs will mark their 20-year history with an 8 p.m. concert at the Somerville Theatre. The program will embrace material from the band’s entire history — which has yielded eight albums, an EP, numerous compilation cuts, and several soundtracks...
The gig also marks the release of Petrophonics, which represents both a sonic and a compositional breakthrough for the group. It is the first Birdsongs album to consist entirely of fully written pieces — no improvised works, though the ensemble are world-class free-players.
" — Ted Drozdowski
Gnosis
NEARFest
"Patterning their music on the tabulated charts of the more dominant birdsongsmiths in the Mesozoic Hall of Fame, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic mines the archives of these traditional indigenous scores from millennia gone by, concentrating particularly on the early Cretaceous period when the Phylum Chordata really started coming into its own. They use a satisfying combination of sounds ranging from soft and natural (grand piano and flute) to rough (edgy guitar and sax) and artificial (electric keyboards and programmed percussion). Their chamber rock music is an adventure of the unexplored and unexpected, oddly evoking "unfound" moods, yet arranged in a reasonably accessible format. Despite the lack of a standard drum kit and bass, the band could be a force to be reckoned with. Alternately, it could be beautifully stark. A brilliant beginning." — Gnosis Staff
More Birdsongs Press
These pages, which are hosted on this website, are organized into the three categories you see below. Enjoy!
