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Thread: The Mars Volta RIP

  1. #1
    Member mnprogger's Avatar
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    The Mars Volta RIP

    I personally have mixed feelings. On 1 hand, I felt Noctourniquet was their best record in many years, and they seemed to be gradually getting better.

    On the other hand, Omar seems to need to release 2 or 3 albums every year anyway, and there always seems to be some kind of conflicting views between him and Cedric, which may mean this is for the best.

    http://www.vulture.com/2013/01/the-m...a-breakup.html

    The Mars Volta's sixth and probably final LP,Noctourniquet, dropped in March 2012. In lieu of a corresponding tour, there was talk of a hiatus.

    Now it's officially over, per vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, who broke off from At the Drive In with Omar Rodríguez-López in 2001 to form the psych-prog-jazz-hardcore-math-etc.-rock group. "I can't sit here and pretend any more. I no longer am a member of Mars Volta," Bixler-Zavala tweets. "Thank u 2 all VOLTA fans u deserved more especially after the way u rooted for us on this album. I tried my hardest to keep it going. But Bosnian Rainbows was what we all got instead." (Bosnian Rainbows is the latest musical venture for the brain-smashingly prolific Rodríguez-López, incidentally the Lennon to Bixler-Zavala's McCartney, or vice-versa.)

    "For the record I tried my hardest to get a full scale North American tour going for Noctourniquet but Omar did not want to. ... What am I suppose to do be some progressive house wife that's cool with watching their partner go fuck other bands? We owe it 2 fans to tour." It's not all jabs, though — Bixler-Zavala simultaneously seems a bit misty eyed over it all: "Thank u a million times over for ever giving a fuck about our band."

    Omar's side of things, per an NME interview published hours before things went to Breakup Town? "It’s been very strange being without Cedric. It’s one of those bittersweet moments, it’s great for both of us because he’s making this great solo record, which is more of an acoustic thing. I’m really excited to hear another side of him and to work on music without me. He’s composing all the music, playing all the instruments, literally doing everything himself, rather than just singing over the top of my songs." Yeah ... maybe best for these two to have some alone time.

    [Cedric Bixler-Zavala/Twitter]

    [NME]

  2. #2
    That's a damn shame. TMV was one of my favorite current bands. I hope they patch things up and reconsider.

  3. #3
    Member Haruspex Carnage's Avatar
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    This is devastating news for me personally as they remain in my top current bands (and what's worse is i think Bosnian Rainbows are God. Awful.)...seems both of them got sick of waiting on either of themselves...here's hoping there's something STABLE that comes back when to if they return.

  4. #4
    De-Loused and Bedlam I quite like; the rest I thought was mediocre to outright tedious. IMHO, the whole wave of fusing essentially indie-/alternative rock and/or hardcore punk with significant quotients of progressive - be it "symph" or more intricate and experimental faccets - was handled far better by numerous other acts than TMV. And altogether this sort of concept was probably my main reason for staying interested in "prog" in the first place, thus implying that I always felt TMV to be somewhat overrated.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  5. #5
    Member Haruspex Carnage's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    De-Loused and Bedlam I quite like; the rest I thought was mediocre to outright tedious. IMHO, the whole wave of fusing essentially indie-/alternative rock and/or hardcore punk with significant quotients of progressive - be it "symph" or more intricate and experimental faccets - was handled far better by numerous other acts than TMV. And altogether this sort of concept was probably my main reason for staying interested in "prog" in the first place, thus implying that I always felt TMV to be somewhat overrated.
    Just curious as to who else you mean? My take on all this is that it also seems like Cedric's throwing a temper-tantrum with Omar doing this full on other band project?..but who knows...meh.

  6. #6
    Member zravkapt's Avatar
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    That sux. At least Noctourniquet was a great swan song for them.

  7. #7
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Weird, because in catching up with my reading of PROG magazine I just read an article about them from about a year ago where the At The Drive In reunion was all a go.

    I like the band a lot, but they were always too precarious and with too many offshoot projects that it was too much drama to really invest in.

    Except I DID invest in a signed tour poster which I always thought might become valuable once they broke up, so... (signed by the artist, not the band).

  8. #8
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Heard all of their albums, mainly at the time of their respective releases, and I think the debut and Octahedron are their best (from far).... but there is no way I would spare shelf space forany of thei albums... I'd get no mileage of any of them...

    This said, it's always a shame when a hi-profile prog acts disappears from the mainstream crowd's radar
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  9. #9
    Bummer...................... One of the few new-ish prog bands that I really enjoyed.

  10. #10
    Too bad - I never got around to seeing them live Though, truth be told, I think that they had run out of whatever I once really liked in them a number of years ago.

    I thought their first three albums ranged from very good to outstanding. I didn't enjoy their last three as much, each of which seemed like a conscious attempt to get away from coasting on the successes of those first three albums; almost always a good idea and admirable goal, though IMO the actual results they that produced were inconsistent.

    Anyway, too bad. There aren't a whole lot of rock bands from the last 10 years or so that I care much about, and this had been one of them. :P.

    Isis a couple of years ago and now these guys.

  11. #11
    Incredible band. I'll give Omar's new band a chance next week, playing here in a small (250 cap) club....

  12. #12
    Moderator Duncan Glenday's Avatar
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    Sad - because they were a rare, moderm, reasonably popular act who were actually advancing the cause of prog among the muggles.
    Regards,

    Duncan

  13. #13
    W.P.O.D. Dan Marsh's Avatar
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    Also sad I never got to see them live.

  14. #14
    I'm intrigued at what makes them Prog for some people?? I agree with that... but I generally have a far wider umbrella for that term.

    Is it the polyrhythms?? The Floydish cover art and multi-part song titles??
    The long tracks??

    To me - as apt a description would be mashup of funk/punk, Santana-esqe Latin fusion, and lotsa psychedelia. Lots more punk rock than what is usually "allowed" in the Prog court.

    Interesting.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Marsh View Post
    Also sad I never got to see them live.
    Hope you get to Dan!! If they get back together MAKE SURE it happens...they are a tornado onstage, it's truly insane. I saw a couple early shows, as well as them opening for the Chili Peppers. THere are some GREAT videos available, it's a good representation , crank some loudly.

  16. #16
    Great band, yes, but feel they never bettered De-Loused. Absolutely love that album and consider it one of the all-time best debuts. Whole band plays like MFs, but I really dig Jon Theodore's playing. I don't know if the band was more focused being new or Rick Rubin reeled their indulgences in a bit or what, but subsequent albums, though not without their charms, got tedious and tiring pretty quick. Nevertheless, it was good to see a somewhat challenging band have mainstream success and keep things interesting. Sad to see them go but as said in the original article, not sure how much of a surprise this is.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Andre C View Post
    I'm intrigued at what makes them Prog for some people?? I agree with that... but I generally have a far wider umbrella for that term.

    Is it the polyrhythms?? The Floydish cover art and multi-part song titles??
    The long tracks??

    To me - as apt a description would be mashup of funk/punk, Santana-esqe Latin fusion, and lotsa psychedelia. Lots more punk rock than what is usually "allowed" in the Prog court.

    Interesting.

    For me prog is: mixing many different styles, genres, feelings, textures, etc. and making it your own without rehashing the past too much. Or, not setting rules / boundaries and constantly moving forward.

    Saw them twice and loved it.

  18. #18
    Sad to hear this as I had them on my bucket list to see one day.

    As far as an apt description of them, I once wrote this:.....YMMV

    The Mars Volta are:

    A hyper-kinetic, low-fidelity prog band, who’s music is delivered with a sexual self-assuredness that I would normally reserve for the first two Zeppelin albums all-the-while keeping a chameleon’s eye to experimentalism all filtered through the Latino perspective.

    RIP: TMV

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Wisdomview View Post
    For me prog is: mixing many different styles, genres, feelings, textures, etc. and making it your own without rehashing the past too much. Or, not setting rules / boundaries and constantly moving forward.

    Saw them twice and loved it.
    Fantastic.....same here and..good to meet another heretic!! You didn't say "must have odd times and Taurus bass-pedals" lol

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Duncan Glenday View Post
    Sad - because they were a rare, moderm, reasonably popular act who were actually advancing the cause of prog among the muggles.
    Now THIS I can comply with unconditionally, although I somehow think that they'd already finished their turn even with many of their followers and thus wouldn't have made too many new ones either.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Andre C View Post
    Fantastic.....same here and..good to meet another heretic!! You didn't say "must have odd times and Taurus bass-pedals" lol
    Thanks man.
    ............and oh yeah, Taurus pedals too

    Btw Andre, I think we share a certain bass playing friend in CT. Pete B.
    I sometimes play with Pete in the NHIC (New Haven Improvisers Collective).
    You had us open for Project Object at Toad's. Great show by the way!

    Sorry to get off topic

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Andre C View Post
    I'm intrigued at what makes them Prog for some people?? I agree with that... but I generally have a far wider umbrella for that term.

    Is it the polyrhythms?? The Floydish cover art and multi-part song titles??
    The long tracks??

    To me - as apt a description would be mashup of funk/punk, Santana-esqe Latin fusion, and lotsa psychedelia. Lots more punk rock than what is usually "allowed" in the Prog court.

    Interesting.
    Can of worms alert!

    Yeah, I think it's the polyrhythms and multi-part songs and the cover art, as well as some specific influences from 70s prog bands. I can also see why they wouldn't be considered prog, if one's definition of the term focused primarly on '70s prog and bands from thereafter that derive their sound primarily from those sources. TMV's sound is informed by just as many (and maybe more) non-prog sources as prog. Kind of a psychedelic/metal/prog/hardcore/Latin sound.

    The way I look at it is that many of TMV's ambitions in their music is similar to that of many prog bands; they just took different avenues to achieve them - many of them not traditional for prog.

  23. #23
    The eons are closing
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    It's "prog" because it offends most Z-100 listeners!

    Seriously though, it is a shame that its over and done. As many know, I love their EP "Tremulant" and "Amputetechture" best ( which is the end of their best phase IMO).
    Death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit

  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Wisdomview View Post
    Btw Andre, I think we share a certain bass playing friend in CT. Pete B.
    I sometimes play with Pete in the NHIC (New Haven Improvisers Collective).
    You had us open for Project Object at Toad's. Great show by the way!
    Sorry to get off topic
    lol..Ah yes, say hi to Pete for me. I remember that show, you guys were great. I'd say it's on topic -- you mention IMPROVISATION...so it all ties in, hah!

  25. #25
    I've only heard TMV once, but I would agree that, in this day and age, it's regrettable to see a relatively high profile progressive rock band cease operations.
    Hired on to work for Mr. Bill Cox, a-fixin' lawn mowers and what-not, since 1964.

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