A profile on Mason Proper

"I breathe when I am able," sings Jonathan Visger on "Point A to Point B," a slow reverie at times and urgent introspection at others.

Mason Proper's most recent release "Olly Oxen Free" has garnered the attention of bloggers and critics alike. The band's sound ranges from small pained laments to epic, powerful statements on topics such as unhappiness in past lives and feeding on fleas when happening to seize them.

Through this intimate form of storytelling and contrasting frames of mind, a balance is achieved and lends itself to Mason Proper's robust and steady push to success while never losing sight - or sound - of their inventive integrity.

On Friday, Nov. 14, Mason Proper performed a sold out show for WUNH's Marathon Concert in the Wildcat Den. The show attracted more than 140 people.

Mason Proper is, according to the band's Web site, "a major producer of textiles in the North American territory." More accurately though, the band formed in Alpena, Mich., in 2004 and consists of singer Jonathan Visger, bassist Zac Fineburg, drummer Garrett Jones, guitarist Brian Konicek, and keyboardist Matt Thomson.

As a relatively new lo-fi rock band signed to their independent, NewYork-based label Dovecote, the band is making a name for themselves. The band's musical style is marked by pensive and abstract lyrics, reserved yet quirky stage antics, and an overall precise sound that can be found on their studio recordings and live performances alike.

The November show's set list drew largely from their most recent release "Olly Oxen Free," and included some earlier crowd favorites as well from their 2006 debut, "There is a Moth in Your Chest."

"Olly Oxen Free" was released in September, and was recorded on a tight 30-day schedule. The entire album from start to finish was recorded during the last month on the band's lease on a rented house in Ann Arbor, Mich., at a location near the backyard of Fineburg's childhood home.

This release is more simplistic in composition in comparison to previous works according to the band, but the sound is a big as ever.

"We had to get right to the bottom of things and make fast decisions and it helped us in the end," said Visger. As the front man, Visger knows the stress of working around precise timing, and the other members of Mason Proper are no strangers to working under time constraints as well.

Before the show, the band performed a live on-air set at the WUNH studios. Hurrying into the studio with the help of flustered and fervent station members, the band set up amid a chaotic tangle of cables, amps, drums and guitars.

Elaborate pedals were deployed, simplistic drum kits set to easy-breakdown tour mode were set up, and studio headphones were scrounged to provide enough for the band of five, as well as DJs and production assistants.

The band wrapped up the final stretch of their weeklong Midwest/East Coast tour at UNH and everything had to be in perfect order in the flurry of equipment and people.

The band's live performance was clean and polished, and nearly identical to the sound of their studio album recordings. As performers, Mason Proper leaves no effect out, however brief or subtle the effect might sound. Sound effects of laughing children can be heard in the beginning of their song "Point A to Point B," and it is this great attention to detail in live performances the band has much pride in.

"We like to sound as close to the album as possible when performing live," said Visger. "It gets easier and easier with more samplers at this point."

The band's progression as recording artists is tangible from "Moth" to "Olly."

"With 'Moth,' we would put more and more ideas until it worked," said Visger. "With ['Olly'] we tried to take the opposite approach. As soon as something didn't work we removed it every time. Sometimes that was sections of songs, sometimes it was a sound in a certain song."

The minimalist sound can be heard and seen in videos on their Web site of their performances at Lansing radio station, Impact 89FM, where sets are played only by Visger on drums and vocals and Jones on guitar. This reduced and largely relaxed style of presenting their music speaks multitude Mason Proper's overall attitudes towards music. The band holds out much hope for the freedom in direction of artists today.

"Everything is on the band's terms now," said Visger. "We're seeing albums now that [are] precisely what the artist wants it to be, which is extremely exciting."