At The Drive-in

People that can, do. people that can't do, teach. people that can't do that, criticize.

Yet more fuckups and underachievers. I'm feeling Calvinistic today.

-- dave q (scrape100@hotmail.com), August 15, 2001.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------

There Ethan another 'proper' answer so you don't feel so alone.

Sounded like an interesting approach, give a band that already plays hard and give them a producer who makes Limp Bizkett sound hard. I guess being in the middle of nowhere at the time, I missed the promotional push and found these guys on my own sweet little time which helps alot. Though I still think one of the lines should be "Drinking with Jello" and not what it actually is.

I just find it hard to really get a handle on _Relationship..._. It's trying to be eclectic (using piano, changing speeds, throwing the split-finger for strikes), but that damn voice just runs into every song and starts spewing the clumsiest stream-of-consciousness poetic nonsense. That one song where he REPEATS that stanza about "...and the guillotine laughs again..." is quite grating. Iggy Pop's voice is the best thing on that record - he's charismatic and cheeky, while the ATDI guy screams like there's a beartrap on his bozack.

Plus, Grand Royal released the wrong song as the first single. It's the song BEFORE "One-Armed Scissor".

What really annoys me is that I WANT to like these guys, and I give _Relationship..._ second and third and fourth chances to impress me, and I get stonewalled every time.

North of America look like Pavement, sing like Pavement, write songs like Pavement but have at elast moved away from sounding like Pavement. Well only one of them is a physical carbon copy for SM. Formed from The Motes and The State Champs in Nova Scotia their first ep (Elements of an Incomplete Map) on Matlock records was mindfucking brilliant at points. First full length on Matlock (These Songs Are Cursed (assumed its about the fun time they had recording/producing)) was more punkier but had too many instrumentals.

Havent heard much from them in recent years since they went south, other then Walking In Great Coats on the 4 Dots compilation of Halifax/Moncton/Olympia/Bellingham bands. If you have the time and patience try finding the split 7" from The Motes/State Champs on Ant Records I think.

One of the members interned at CMJ for a bit, they write great tour diaries (if a bit windy) and can kickass at foozball when the need arises. They also have a rumoured addiction to FIFA 99.

Napster/Morpheus inclined souls search songs: Cities and Plans, Killed In The Ratings, Eliel Saarinen, Route of Sorts & What a Melee.

ps. As I tried finding out how to spell "Eliel Saarinen" on cdnow I came across the great lost classic lp "Sounds Of North American Frogs".

My problems with ATDI are 1) they take themselves too seriously, and 2) whenever they do come up with a good song, they ruin it halfway through by switching gears and playing something entirely different. I suppose this is to prove that they are true artists (again, the pretension factor). It kills any momentum the song may have had and is completely uncalled for.

I think they're mostly notable as a band who can strike that sunny/sloppy pop tone and then segue effortlessly to kick-kick-scream- scream-scratch-scratch.

Questions, though: "ATDI can actually play their instruments." This doesn't exactly seem like justification for handing out a Nobel Prize, now, does it? And I've never thought of them as displaying a much greater instrumental capability than Pavement, much less any particularly amazing degree of skill. So what exactly do you mean?

Also: "As for their time changes, i guess not every band is content with 4/4." That's a straw man; no one's complained about them not playing in 4/4. The complaint was that they wind up sabotaging perfectly good moments with their obsessive need to display their ability to shift gears. And I'm inclined to agree with the above poster that this is a result of trying too hard to establish their artistry; very few of those shifts actually make structural sense within the songs themselves.

Bill

Dude, is this addressed to me? I don't recall saying ATDI was your favorite band. I don't recall saying anything much about Pavement, either, other than (a) I don't think North of America sound much like them, and (b) I don't see ATDI as being any more skilled as instrumentalists than they are.

Ditto on Drive Like Jehu, who are postively MONSTROUS, especially live. I'm more of a "Yank Crime" (second album) man myself, but unfortunately I think it's outta print. (The perils of major labels...) Jehu were, along with MBV and the Swans, the LOUDEST band I've ever heard.

All this leaving aside the fact that virtuousity seems like a non- issue here: otherwise we'd be talking about Maria Callas or Joe Satriani.

what do you think, style maven?

My first post sure started this thread off on a good note, didn't it? Anyway, I am personally sick of music like ATDI. I'm tired of vocalists that sound constantly on the verge of pinching a big loaf. I'm tired of absolutely BLAH lyrics, empty sub-Cobainisms that say nothing but are supposed to be insightful. I'm tired of unjustified stop-starts and time-changes. I'm tired of seeing people grunting against their guitars like factory workers. And most of all, I'm tired of indie-boy afros.

This thread has reached the point where I'm wondering if Scott's not just playing us for suckers with his uber defensiveness. (I'd have to admit it would be pretty funny if that was the case.) The only other explaination I can figure is that the guy with the 'fro is related to him.

Also, I wish people wouldn't try to egg on an obviously already-petulant poster. Who cares? It's not worth your time.

"Hmmm. Attacking someones hair. Is that a TOS violation?"

then in the same breath

"Anyone with an afro looks pretty silly, but sub-Dischord white boys look especially ridiculous. " ---- Jes(dubplatestyle@hotmail.com), August 16, 2001. . . . . Thanks moderator, wan't sure if u got my email That acct didn't get validated properly

x0x0

people that can't think of anything else to say, so they harp on some minute point = dud

Jim Ward, [only 27]
http://www.dotmusic.com/news//May2003/news29560.asp
Jim Ward, guitarist for At The Drive-In, sometime member of The Mars Volta and lead singer with Sparta, has been found dead at his home in California.

Mars Volta Member Dies

Jeremy Ward, sound/vocal manipulator for At the Drive-In offshoots the Mars Volta and De Facto, died of an apparent drug overdose in his Los Angeles home on Sunday. He was 27 years old. The Mars Volta had just returned to L.A. to rest between legs supporting Red Hot Chili Peppers' North American tour. Jeremy was the brother of Sparta frontman/ex-ATDI guitarist Jim Ward.

http://www.punknews.org/article.php?sid=6163&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Reformation talk: http://www.nme.com/news/at-the-drive-in/45300

The only thing more surprising than this prospect, I'd say, is that of scores of self-important retards making out like it's somehow their fucking business if a band chooses to get back together to play their own music. Pretty sure that won't happen though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBUtkPrANRs

That's right on the cusp between amazing and unwatchable. I gave this one big points in the metal poll, has eff all chance of placing though I'd guess.

At The Drive In aren't as good as my memory made them out to be, but that's not important - what happend to 'Scott'?

imagine if relationship of command had had a decent producer behind it :(

'Enfilade' is a great song. I didn't know it was so embarrassing to like ATDI back in 2001.

That Arcarsenal performance is still amazing

RoC is good, and Enfilade & Catacombs are particularly awesome (the dub middle 8 in Enfilage = wow, still), but yeah, Ross Robinson totally lost the really fucking wild, live but bizarre edge that Vaya has. I still dig Vaya out quite often and play it.

I hardly play Vaya, I really like Relationship much much more. But In/Casino/Out might be my favorite ATDI-record. Still love this band dearly, and I'm glad I got to watch them live at their final show (@ Vera, Groningen in 2001).

did anyone watch that '250 episodes of later with jools holland' on saturday? It was basically showing classic performances. At The Drive In's amazing performance consisted of jumping about , doing crazy stuff and stealing the other acts' furniture. The next act on was Robbie Williams who began his act with about ten seconds of silence before he said "Can my mate have his chair back please?" It was pretty funny.

timely revive -- been listening to these dudes a lot lately. I don't really get the hate for Relationship of Command's (admittedly glossy) 'modern rock' production (especially now that we're almost 10 years removed from that sound dominating the airwaves); if nothing else, it makes the crunchy moments really fuckin' CRUNCH, no?

this one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He6zvRwVW6Y

http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/breaking_news_at_the_drive_in_to_reunite

For some reason that link is really slow on my computer.

http://atdimusic.com/

Can't get that site to load, the atdimusic one, but I'm cautiously excited about this. Saw them in the Courtyard Cafe in Urbana opening for Get-Up Kids back in like '99 and it was a really fun show.

yesss. saw them on the '99 guk tour too at college park md. my standard story is how atdi opened and guk fans tried holding the front to keep their spots for later but they couldn't deal once atdi started their set.

I like both At The Drive-In *and* The Mars Volta (especially the first two Volta albums), and while this is undoubtedly good news and it's great to know the band are on speaking terms again... the big question is WHY they're doing this and WHY now?

It's startling to see the amount of people on the internet getting excited about this, because as revered a band as they were/are, they were never really what I'd call a 'massive band'. I don't have a problem with this, of course, because it's going to be interesting for me to see what becomes of this, but the reactions are interesting to say the least.

they were never really what I'd call a 'massive band'

i don't know, making it to grand royal can probably be called "massive enough" - like weren't they doing stadiums at that point?

without any actual evidence whatsoever i've always blamed that signing for the breakup

I went to that show specifically to see GUK, but was so blown away and exhausted by the ATDI set that I ended up leaving 3/4ths of the way through the GUK set.

Honestly I think a lot of the attention in 2012 is coming from younger Mars Volta fans who've always been hearing "man ATDI was amazing live" from the oldsters.

...that's actually probably true and doesn't bode well for the shows but i'm probably still going for it

i was one of those younger mars volta fans! was aware enough to notice "one armed scissor" on mtv2, loved de-loused and haha wiretap scars. eventually checked out relationship, never looked back except for when phil freeman compared amputechture to fusion-era miles davis (he's sort of right, i like that record now)

cut yr ribbon as it follows u

still love u wiretap scars

man I was a big ATDI fan as a kid

and, uh, coincidentally I'm in my mid-20s now and fond of nostalgia. gee wonder why ATDI is reuniting??

in/casino/out better than relationship of command btw

Honestly I think a lot of the attention in 2012 is coming from younger Mars Volta fans who've always been hearing "man ATDI was amazing live" from the oldsters.

― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Monday, January 9, 2012 8:04 PM (37 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

not on my fucking Facebook wall it isn't

Well obvs not all, I just meant that I'm sure that was feeding into it. Basically its not ALL 30-35 year old dudes who saw ATDI back in the day.

regarding how "massive" they are, fwiw Alternative Press said they had either song of the decade or album of the decade.. i forget which

<3 Vaya, and some of it still holds up well

RoC is boooring. It's all about Acrobatic Tenement

They just announced a club date in town tomorrow. Should I try and get tickets?

Tickets are already gone.

So far they are just doing a couple Texas club shows and a bunch of festivals, right? Would love to see these guys again, tbh.

just a warm-up last week in Austin, this week in Dallas, and Coachella (though maybe other festivals too). I think it's a smart way to see if you want to do more or not without committing too much in advance.

I think they're also set for Reading and a couple other overseas festivals. Basically I'm hoping for a tour because I'm not going to go to Lollapalooza or w/e just to see them.

me either. I never saw them the first time, and if my early afternoon hadn't been crazy I would have tried to get tickets for tomorrow night's show.

I saw them twice back in college, and they were excellent. The first one was by accident, I went to see The Get-Up Kids with no idea of who the opener was. There was about 20-30 people in the student union for the show and they just went nuts.

still good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vii1UduMPZY

Was reading an interview with Cedric and Omar and they flat out said the main reason they got back together was because "Coachella threw an absurd amount of money at us to play". I think I appreciate bands being honest about why they are doing these reunion tours.

do most bands actually make a lot of money on reunion tours vs just getting back together for the sake of it? every reunion isn't a megafest-throwing-money-at

I think they make decent money, I just meant that in ATDI's case that they're pretty open that it was all thanks to Coachella $$$. I wonder how much they made for just that festival.

not all reunited bands make the same amount of money, but it seems like nearly all of them make better money for those shows than they did back when they were originally together, or with whatever 'current' project they'd been focusing on before the reunion

like even if a reunited band isn't headlining huge festivals, they're probably selling out multiple nights at larger clubs or the same venues they'd struggle to fill before

Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought. I really would be curious to see the rates for Coachella though, because as far as I knew Omar was really, really against ever doing this.

doesn't scientology cost a lot

that's cedric tho, redact

Oh noes. Is Cedric really sucked into Scientology? They're also playing Lolla on Sunday. I just got a ticket for Fri, for Sabbath, Afghan Whigs.

Scientology explains why it took him three years to write the lyrics for the new album.

it does take a lot of time to cut and paste together random passages of dianetics and battlefield earth sci-fi jargon.

they should've been massive. they were about to be. an exciting original rock band to bury all the numetal post grunge tribal tattoo nonsense early on. ugh whatever. they had a couple years ahead of them

I could never not see them as a dollar shop Nation of Ulysses, but they had a couple of fun tunes.

the mars volta were so much better

No.

what is a good take on this band (where they came from and what they became)?

So, this ANTEMASQUE album is really growing on me. Pop-prog with occasional hints of like El Gran Orgo-era ATDI. Pretty cool.

they should've been massive. they were about to be. an exciting original rock band to bury all the numetal post grunge tribal tattoo nonsense early on. ugh whatever. they had a couple years ahead of them

― you are my capitalism (spazzmatazz), Saturday, March 2, 2013 7:42 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It is beyond me why Relationship of Command isn't regarded as a bonafide classic album. It should be. It is, it's just not recognized as such. Fuck people iirc. The end,

How were they original?

RoC is recognised as a bonafide classic album, isn't it?

man i used to adore these guys. played Deloused recently and someone younger and not up on old indie bands or bands in general asked if I was playing Paramore. I had never heard of Paramore, so searched them out and you can imagine my surprise haha. Did ATDI and Mars Volta really influence modern pop bands?

BTW Sparta album needs more credit in here too.

I've never heard Paramore either. Is it worthwhile?

RoC is a recognized classic, but idk it feels like it didn't travel as far outside its own genre/circle? Thought it'd have a wider appeal I think.

"I've never heard Paramore either. Is it worthwhile?

RoC is a recognized classic, but idk it feels like it didn't travel as far outside its own genre/circle? Thought it'd have a wider appeal I think.

― definite classic, predicting a solid 8/10 from the p-fork boys (Le Bateau Ivre), Sunday, September 21, 2014 12:19 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink"

/////
Idk they're like a rock pop band for tweens afaik. Their demo may x with Taylor Swift

RoC is a classic I think, you're right though it didn't travel so well as expected. It dabbled with people outside of atdi fanbase though, but most standard say nu-metal ppl at the time were not into it at all iirc

Yeah it's weird that ATDI didn't seem to have crossover appeal. I remember trying to play it for my friends at the time and it never stuck, one guy said they sounded like a shit version of RATM which struck me as bizarre even at the time.

And there's a disturbing amount of adult men who listen to Paramore

ATDI doesn't get more retrospective cred cuz mars volta? anti-prog critics can't deal with the cognitive dissonance

first two sparta albums are great, top to bottom

And there's a disturbing amount of adult men who listen to Paramore

lol okay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeF_eRMTsuY

RoC is definitely canon in alt circles at this point; I wrote a 10th anniversary piece on it for Alternative Press, interviewed Omar and everything.

ATDI were on verge of crossover when they unexpectedly split (and, in the process, called time on grand royal records).

[re q as to why atdi didn't crossover above]

first two sparta albums are great, top to bottom

Porcelain in particular is a really nicely crafted rock record. Shame the followup was so dull.

Should probably be noted as it hasn't yet that there were heavy heroin problems for like, a long time with these guys

RoC is a recognized classic, but idk it feels like it didn't travel as far outside its own genre/circle? Thought it'd have a wider appeal I think.

― definite classic, predicting a solid 8/10 from the p-fork boys (Le Bateau Ivre), Sunday, September 21, 2014 11:19 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It actually did at the time. Not only was the album much bigger in sales terms than anything they'd done before, but 'One Armed Scissor' in itself was massive. The album got a lot of attention, because it was released around the time when people who hadn't necessarily been buying rock/metal albums were suddenly buying rock/metal albums during the nu-metal period, even though At The Drive-In are obviously not a nu-metal band.

In fact, it was the success of this album and the resulting press that enabled Cedric & Omar to splinter off and get a lot of immediate attention for the first Mars Volta record, Deloused In The Comatorium.

And yeah, both Omar and Cedric had serious problems with opiates for ages, not just in At The Drive-In but during the early Mars Volta years also.

damn, the Antemasque record is surprisingly listenable

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpCvny3MsaU

One of my favourites from last year, great live too. Cedric sounds like Noddy Holder on a few tracks! I think a second album is due pretty soon.

The songs all seem to follow the same formula, like it feels like they're filling in the same template over and over again, which makes it hard to listen to the whole album straight through but they're pretty much all really good songs so who cares I guess.

i really love providence - it feels like it fell off zeppelin's Presence - saw them play London the night after Ikey Owens passed away and they played it for 25 minutes, and it was amazing.

Just discovered the Antemasque album last month. It's SO GOOD

i feel an atdi kick coming on. need to check out antemasque

I feel like it's the proper ATDI sellout album I never knew I wanted

its the record grand royal would have loved them to make instead of splitting up and going to form mars volta

http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/03/mars-volta-offshoot-antemasque-accused-of-throwing-boiling-water-at-concert-audience/

god damn that's dumb. such a great band, though...

when i saw tmv in 2008 cedric climbed the lighting equipment and tried to hang from it before security shut down the show

xp: there are comments out and about on the web that purport to be from fellow attendees who say the water wasn't particularly hot.

this dude's burn looks kinda bad but thats rock n roll amirite http://pitchfork.com/news/58731-mars-voltaat-the-drive-in-offshoot-antemasque-accused-of-throwing-boiling-water-into-crowd/

cedric does typically keep an urn of tea onstage when he plays, would be p hot

yeah, and i imagine that the spray that hit some people would have had a chance to cool off in the air more that the dude who got hit with the actual hot kettle.

https://scontent-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/p480x480/10410939_10153152012728658_2163664457747771338_n.jpg?oh=0aadadfc7b208c957bc85e5407d271b2&oe=557415E1

hella looks like john c. reilly in this pic.

whole thing got me to revisit the antemasque record, which is a real grower and prob the most vital thing cedric and omar have done since... idk frances the mute? i like that one more than most

I still need to hear that Antemasque record, at least this unfortunate revive reminded me of that much. I've followed ORL into some questionable rabbit holes with his solo projects, so I'm not sure why I'd skip out on one that people actually seem to really like.

yeah it's just a lot of fun

"50,000 kilowatts" especially

getting back together for more shows in 2016. not sure how i feel about this. they never hit the east coast in 2012, and even though the recordings I saw were HORRIBLE, i will absolutely see them if i get the chance. only announced date so far is Columbus, OH in May. Jim Ward may or may not be involved...

http://www.nme.com/news/at-the-drive-in/90070

new album??????????? i'm curious

http://pitchfork.com/news/62335-at-the-drive-in-tease-return/

huh. antemasque are supposed to release a new album this year, so i doubt it

god that first antemasque album was so good. I still play it all the time.

uuugh I would love new ATDI.
I think I've finally been won over to the Vaya-is-their-best camp.

Oh Vaya is totally their best.

you don't hafta tell me!

http://www.fuse.tv/2016/01/at-the-drive-in-interview-new-music-tour-dates-exclusive

new album, tons of shows

"new music," which could mean... a few different things

anyway i'm psyched, although i was sort of excited for a new sparta record

the fact that Omar is giving interviews and seems psyched on it is really promising. also I had no idea he lived in El Paso now.

anyway i can't fuck around, vaya is amazing but relationship of command is a 10/10 masterpiece

(that happens to be mastered horribly and "non-zero possibility" isn't the greatest closer ever)

in casino out is the best duh

lol Acrobatic Tenement is my fave

In/Casino/Out and Vaya are flawless. RoC has fantastic songs but yeah the production wears me down. I'll always be grateful to Cedric for teaching me SO many words and phrases in his lyrics for ATDI and TMV. mandible, flechettes, bivouac, larynx, syntax, proletariat, enamel, panacea, sobriquet, glossolalia, mandible, phlegmatic, auto da fe, picaresque, lachrymal, seraphim, anglophile, contusion.... very helpful for a 13-year-old! thanks cedy

The kiosk in my temporal lobe is shaped like Rosalynn Carter

lol thumbs down https://www.facebook.com/ATDImusic/posts/854429451345859?pnref=story

quelle surprise

It technically wouldn't be the first time ATD-I have existed without Jim Ward, though. There's always seemed to have been quite a bit of tension between him and Omar/Cedric.

it's not the same w/o ward, breh

presenting: the classic at the drive-in lineup from the el gran orgo ep

wow. their tour starts in three days. what happened? people are *pissed* all over the internet. i was never into sparta and definitely prefer the omar/ceddy side of the band, but jim is crucial to that balance, and on a practical level, what are they going to do? ATDI is a two-guitar band... they gonna have a roadie or a guitar tech fill in? what about vox? fuck. bummer

honestly, cancel some or all of tour & refund/reschedule might be the only thing for it

kinda sad to see their fanbase airing all these grievances, too -- people very quick to point fingers or suspect a scam (one dude accused them of "acting like drug addicts" !!!) -- my sentiments were nicely captured by one cooler-headed poster, who was pleased not to have found tickets after all, if the room was going to be filled with such bad vibes

yeah i mean its not a scam, they're not high, but omar is a hothead, and they've had a history in ATDI and TMV of kicking members out or people leaving on bad terms suddenly with little or no explanation (Jon Theodore, Thomas Pridgen, Eva Gardner, Blake Fleming, Ikey Owens, original ATDI breakup, TMV breakup...)

maybe it has something to do with the new material they were working on. i wonder if they were planning on playing new songs at these shows and jim wasn't feeling whatever direction they were going in, and they couldn't work it out and there was a silly blowup just like the first breakup.

xp seems kinda insane not to have learned from any of those past mistakes... but I guess having a 'backup plan' in case things with Ward went south would be too much bet-hedging for fans not to cry foul, so I eagerly look forward to whatever replacement guitarist they can find with the speed* to learn all the songs in three days '_'
*or meth?

yeah i mean given the short notice it's gotta be a guitar tech. still doesn't solve backup vox problem. omar cant sing

I'm not a super-fan, wasn't around to see them live, so have to ask: Jim is the one dude in this video who's *NOT* rocking the skinny jeans & black tee look, yes? #creativedifferences
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBUtkPrANRs

the legend goes that ATDI broke up when Jim wanted the next record to sound like Weezer and Omar and Cedric wanted it to sound like Piper at the Gates of Dawn. They destroy Jim in this Nardwuar interview circa 2008, Nard mentions Sleepercar, Omar's like "Jim who?.....Ohh! Oh! Yeah, Sleepercar. Sounds right." Cedric's like "I hope Jim doesn't show up to our show unannounced. He has a habit of doing that..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brdpQN3ACY8

I suspect that Jim has been out of the band for a while now. Rumour has it that Jim wasn't even told about these shows, and they've only just got around to confirming his absence now.

That doesn't square with the promo graphics featuring all five members. It was billed as a full reunion. They wouldn't just announce this three days before the tour starts if it was a long time coming. That's bad business. I don't think they're scamming people, I think they had a bad fight and it all fell apart like last week. Cedric was tweeting about rehearsals over the last month and everyone was involved.

btw i just found the only known live recording of Ursa Minor (26:30 in). video was uploaded 2 months ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6v4RNkgUzc

chrissie bixler
‏@ChrissieBixler
@georgeelmer7 he's dealing with some personal stuff. I love Jim.

https://twitter.com/ChrissieBixler/status/710993825074794496

oh jeez that's a bummer

I guess that clears it up. Nothing about this band ever goes smoothly, does it?

Still no additional information. First show is tomorrow in Santa Ana. I'm sure it'll be bedlam - a thousand angry fans, half of whom probably aren't even aware that Ward isn't a part of the reunion anymore. This could be a real disaster. I hope they pull it off somehow - for all their great work, they really act like amateurs sometimes.

Nobody knows who plays what in bands

yeah no-one is going to cause a fracas cause jim isn't there let's be real

haha could you imagine? one bro in tight jeans and a flannel yelling "WHERES JIM" getting all hulked out lol.

Nobody knows who plays what in bands

― lute bro (brimstead), Monday, March 21, 2016 6:18 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

for a reunion tour with $60-80 tickets? doubt it. i doubt there will be a FRACAS, but the atmosphere will be totally fucked at first, and yeah, there will be plenty of bros screaming "WHERES JIM"

thank you

WHERE'S JIM!?

IT'S FUCKING BEDLAM IN HERE!
OMG, BRO, WHERE'S JIM!?

Jimghazi

Fire and jimstone!

did any of you guys see that benghazi movie starring jim from the office

WHERE'S JIM?!

santa ana police are preparing for trouble at tonight's show:

https://firstlook.org/wp-uploads/sites/1/2014/08/military-police-ferguson.jpg

^ These guys take having "WHERE'S JIM!?" shouted at them very seriously.

The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think
By the way, WHERE'S JIM!?

the legend goes that ATDI broke up when Jim wanted the next record to sound like Weezer and Omar and Cedric wanted it to sound like Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

sounds like no great loss tbh

i don't know, i always loved this cover... so much better than their out of tune cover of "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" by the Smiths...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0_gGOXqcng

xp. I think you need the ying and the yang tho.

atd-i > mars volta > sparta
mars volta + sparta = atd-i

this is why jim's absence is going to cause massive unrest

and 67-minute blowout jams ;)

xp. I think you need the ying and the yang tho.

atd-i > mars volta > sparta
mars volta + sparta = atd-i

― trickle-down ergonomics (jim in glasgow), Tuesday, March 22, 2016 2:41 PM (29 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm

I'm now imagining an ATD-I themed book of Where's Wally/Waldo? titled "WHERE'S JIM?!"

I would say

ATDI > ANTEMASQUE > SPARTA > MARS VOLTA

you obviously do not enjoy latin rhythms and guitar pedals smh

xx-post:

"Ah, there he is, near the non-operational station and the invalid litter dept., just behind the one-armed scissor!"

doubting whether nate enjoys music tbh

I like the first two Mars Volta records, particularly the second. Couldn't really get away with much after that, though, I kinda lost interest.

first two sparta albums are killer imo

yeah i think i'd argue both offshoot bands were about equal in terms of quality. even the third sparta album has its moments but it's a victim of overreach (there's a gospel choir on the last track)

the mars volta are fantastic from tremulant through amputechture... bedlam in goliath is spotty but has some great songs, both albums after that are disposable. never could get into sparta. and yeah, neither are as good as ATDI.

the final track on noctourniquet or whatever is excellent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omdjeVwxsQ8

can't remember the rest of it

i made myself like amputechture but you can tell they've already run out of ideas by then

The Mars Volta definitely went astray for quite a few years, but came back with Noctourniquet. I saw them live in 2005 and they were amazing. Three hours at Roseland, no opening act, something like 10 people onstage, including Larry Harlow (legendary salsa pianist) at one point. This is a clip from that show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QryiAt9mlw

Noctourniquet is a great album imo

TMV > ATD-I > Antemasque > Sparta

the song Goliath from Bedlam is fantastic

when they came out i heard wiretap scars before de-loused and thought the former was great and the latter was ridiculous for a LONG time. still, i revisit the first two sparta albums way more than tmv. i wish they had followed up threes, it's so uneven but they seemed poised to become a really interesting emo u2, e.g.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMFXKHKl8Jg

Any reported fatalities from the bedlam yet?

I'm not going to be any help here as ATDI isn't really my thing but we really wanted to see Le Butcherettes who are astonishingly great live. Easily found $20 tickets on Craigslist (disgruntled fan?). Stuck around for a couple of songs. Fans seemed happy, but (at least until we left) there was no confrontation or rioting.

So according to the shoddy youtube cellphone video I just watched the sub for JIM!? is none other than ex-Engine Down/Denali/Sparta member Keeley Davis! Sounded fine I guess, though Omar's guitar was so much louder they may as well have just come out as a four piece.

But real talk I would personally be waaaaay more excited about a Denali reunion, good for Keeley though

Arcarsenal
Pattern Against User
Sleepwalk Capsules
300 MHz
Proxima Centauri
Lopsided
Invalid Litter Dept.
Enfilade
Quarantined
Chanbara
Ursa Minor
Cosmonaut
Metronome Arthritis
Catacombs
Napoleon Solo
One Armed Scissor

this is Extremely Cool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-U0I4iuXs

Okay totally stoked for sunday now

seems like everyone was psyched. haven't yet found any videos of ppl screaming WHERES JIM!? im so psyched they're playing so many Vaya tracks, especially Proxima Centauri.

"Napoleon Solo" on the 20th anniversary of Laura & Sarah's death...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE2C2EqVcoI

IPECAC RECORDINGS RELEASE SERIES OF OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ (AT THE DRIVE IN, MARS VOLTA) SOLO ALBUMS

FIRST OFFERING, SWORN VIRGINS, ARRIVES JULY 15 WITH BI-WEEKLY RELEASES TO FOLLOW


July 7, 2016, El Paso, Tex. – Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (At The Drive In/Mars Volta) releases a series of solo albums via Ipecac Recordings with the first release, Sworn Virgins, available digitally on July 15.

The previously unreleased albums were recorded from 2008 to 2013, while Rodriguez-Lopez lived in Zapopan, Mexico and as well as his eventual return to El Paso. The titles will be released on a bi-weekly basis with the first spate of albums running through the end of the year. Each album will see a digital release with a limited number of physical copies (CD) available on Rodriguez-Lopez’s various live outings. Following the initial run of releases, a limited edition CD/LP box set will become available.

“The best part about having a record label is that you get to choose to work with people that you really admire,” said Ipecac co-owner Greg Werckman. “We had all admired Omar’s work from afar and then recently got to know him up close. It was so great to find out that as talented as he is, he is an even better human being and we love having him as part of the Ipecac family. But, it seems that he has blatantly taken advantage of our friendship. Sure, we were excited to release his solo catalog… but this many titles??????? What have we gotten ourselves into?”

Rodriguez-Lopez adds, “It’s crucial in this day and age to be able to surround yourself with like minded people that you can share an ethos with. I feel grateful and fortunate enough to have found this with such amazing people: Mike, Greg, Shawn, Marc and the Ipecac family. After throwing around many different project ideas, this seemed like the best place to actually begin, on what will surely be a long lasting collaboration. I can’t think of a better home for these records or of another label crazy enough to put out this much material. The series also owes its blood to the hard work and talents of Jon Debaun and Chris Common, who diligently scoured through endless hard drives to find these albums and provide such stellar mixes.”

Omar Rodriquez-Lopez initial release schedule:

Sworn Virgins (July 15)
Corazones (July 29)
Blind Worms Pious Swine (August 12)
Arañas en La Sombra (August 26)
Umbrella Mistress (September 9)
El Bien Y Mal Nos Une (September 23)
Cell Phone Bikini (October 7)
Infinity Drips (October 21)
Weekly Mansions (November 4)
Zapopan (November 18)
Nom De Guerre Cabal (December 2)
Some Need It Lonely (December 16)

-30-

http://orlprojects.com/

WHERE'S JIM?!

did we ever get this sorted?

haha i forgot about jim tbh. i saw them in may and june and didn't hear anyone talking about jim, much less screaming WHERES JIM?! guess i was wrong about that.

i didn't buy tickets in time so missed out when they were in town ;_;

it felt like an obligation to see them even when i was there. definitely the most depressing/unsatisfying reunion i've ever seen. they're not phoning it in like 2012, but i just kept thinking about that Omar quote from the mid-00s about reforming or re listening to ATDI, he said something to the effect of "it's like looking at your high school year book, what's the point?" that's why i respected Omar and Cedric so much for forming The Mars Volta and continuing on and always trying something new. i was a huge TMV fan, didn't dig the last two records, but that was a band that they could've grown old in. they honestly looked really silly playing ATDI songs, and i got absolutely nothing out of it, it was not thrilling or emotionally potent, it was just this cold, dead feeling. nothing new can come out of it, the scope of ATDI is so much narrower than TMV.

good to know! I've had poor experiences with reformed bands in general but I'm obv still keen to make the mistake

i'm trying to think of good ones i've seen, cant remember... Dinosaur Jr i think is the best case scenario

Mission Of Burma

Maybe that is the difference, there was things left unsaid and undone for Dinosaur Jr. and Mission of Burma, so there was room to grow after reuniting that wasn't there for At the Drive In. Both of those bands dived in head first to create new material and seemingly added quality music to their catalog.

The Pixies seemed to have some energy live when it started, but then it went right back to the same issues that broke them up and now they are just Frank Black and the Pixies.

maybe they can make a good record again, but i think most of the brilliance of ATDI 94-01 was the sheer intensity of the performance. they burned themselves out playing like nonstop for 7 years. maybe they had more music in them, but i don't think they can go farther than those first four TMV records.

new song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-NYWzd7JW8

this sounds great! guessing that's keeley davis on bg vox/guitar, sounds pretty good!

whattttt

that's the way the guillotine claps *clap*

^^^ most in character atdi lyric ever

lol I'm on listen #5 in a row

though really this isn't that different from the Antemasque album everyone slept on

I'm shocked you guys are into this. It sounds like Weird Al parodying ATDI.

ah

honestly who wouldn't give a Weird Al ATDI parody album at least a courtesy listen

The lack of excitement I had before pressing play might say it all, but... eh, it's passable.

honestly who wouldn't give a Weird Al ATDI parody album at least a courtesy listen

Oh I absolutely will it just bums me out

I enjoyed it. Sorry, purists!

Yeah it's good. Could sit comfortably on Relationship of Command.

I was a massive fan of these guys. I even liked the Sparta album a little. This is pure toilet. Yikes. Exactly what my cynical mind expected.

And it would not sit comfortably on Relationship of Command unless we're talking about an expanded version filled with bad b-sides.

guys RoC is a v good album but it's not exactly some flawless monolith

right, that would be In/Casino/Out

horrible

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS_IramA9m4

new album is called in·ter a·li·a. tracklist vmic

‘No Wolf Like The Present’
‘Continuum’
‘Tilting At The Univendor’
‘Governed By Contagions’
‘Pendulum In A Peasant Dress’
‘Incurably Innocent’
‘Call Broken Arrow’
‘Holtzclaw’
‘Torrentially Cutshaw’
‘Ghost-tape No.9’
‘Hostage Stamps’

new song is pretty catchy for them

Still wondering what happened to JIM?! last year. Tiniest of tidbits in the NME piece.

okay... this song fucking bangs

song titles vmic

new song sounds even more like Antemasque than the first one did, hoping there's some more expansive stuff in there as well

Well it definitely sounds like the inevitably disappointing follow up to RoC except for some reason it's coming out now instead of circa 2002. Just a blander version of themselves.

i like this record

the mixing/production is weird but someone recently reminded me that their production has almost always been off

they hit a sweet spot with Rich Costey on In/Casino/Out and Vaya, the former of which was recorded live in the studio, but even though he's back on this record it sounds really compressed and loud, like ROC.

relationship of command got that ross robinson stank all over it

New album is great. I am waking up with these hooks and lyrics stuck in my head.

"WHERE'S JIM!?!"

lmao. i was hoping they'd give more of an explanation for his absence in the NYT interview, but it was the same thing - "He just wasn't ready." so bizarre, considering he was the one holding a candle for ATDI all those years when O & C were in TMV and would laugh at Jim when asked about him.

I interviewed the group for the current issues of MOJO and Kerrang! and they said Jim had resisted joining any reunion activity since Omar and Cedric made up in 2014. O & C had even invited Jim to join Antemasque, but he pulled out at the last minute. Finally, last year, they decided that if he didn't want to rejoin they'd do it without him.

I think new one starts a little weak, but dang tracks 4 on are pretty darn good.

Closing track is the best IMO. Couple of songs have a v LZ Presence vibe.

now that's an endorsement!

I listened to the record and it's what I expected: too little too late, & makes me happy they broke up in 2001 so O & C could make 4 or 5 classic records as The Mars Volta. my man Ian Cohen sums it up better than me:

Take a few minutes to reacquaint yourself with the “One Armed Scissor” video. The one shown on MTV, the late night performances, any will do. This was how most of the world was introduced to At the Drive In, and every time, the El Paso band was presented as the most exciting shit imaginable in 2000: the explosive intraband dynamic, their acrobatic musicality, the barely controlled violence of their live performances, the afros. Meanwhile, their first piece of new music since Relationship of Command was premiered with a video that focuses solely on the two things that make At the Drive In seem kinda ridiculous in 2017: the lyrics and their artwork.

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23099-inter-alia/

at the point where i think "tilting at the univendor" is one of the best atdi songs ever

I like this album a hell of a lot, tbh.

It's pretty OK. This has been a weirdly good year for reunion albums thus far.

Gotta revisit but I just can't hang with this. Embarrassing self-parody. As long as they're happy.

The fact that you dislike it makes me like it even more, tbh.

hell yea

The album is awful, but ROC holds up. Gave DeLoused a listen for the first time in ages as we'll and damn it rocks.

Yeah, self-parody is right. The lyrics are worse than usual, and they were always bad. Production does nothing for the songs either.

Quoting Ian Cohen is not going to persuade anyone.

That last track is easily one of the greatest things they've ever done. I have the phrase "innocculated at the liquor store" running through my head at all times. This is definitely one of the greatest albums I've heard all year.

i had been planning to skip it entirely but this thread has pushed me into at least checking it out

This album is far better than I was expecting it would be. Flappy bird is obviously still screaming "WHERE'S JIM!?!" at his monitor all these many months later.

Cedric's shredded voice is the only real bummer for me but I knew to expect that

This bad album made me go back and listen to Deloused, which is great, so I'm ok with it for now.

cedric does pretty ok considering the circumstances

The album is awful, but ROC holds up. Gave DeLoused a listen for the first time in ages as we'll and damn it rocks.

― afriendlypioneer, Sunday, May 14, 2017 2:02 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This bad album made me go back and listen to Deloused, which is great, so I'm ok with it for now.

― afriendlypioneer, Monday, May 15, 2017 4:23 PM (twenty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

did u listen to deloused though. is it great

it's great, but it's not as great as Frances the Mute

Can't get into Frances. Too much bleepy bloopy junk in all the tracks getting in way of the face melting rawk.

The album is awful, but ROC holds up. Gave DeLoused a listen for the first time in ages as we'll and damn it rocks.

― afriendlypioneer, Sunday, May 14, 2017 2:02 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This bad album made me go back and listen to Deloused, which is great, so I'm ok with it for now.

― afriendlypioneer, Monday, May 15, 2017 4:23 PM (twenty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

did u listen to deloused though. is it great

― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Monday, May 15, 2017 11:48 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol!

Frances the Mute is TMV's best record and their greatest achievement.

there's a few mars volta threads dudes

calling 4-5 of their records "classics" is a real reach imo, they put out like 2.5 good records

what was good about the last few atdi is that it feels constantly like a prog monster is being born out of the head of a post-hardcore band. idk if it's possible to achieve that tension anymore but imo the new record comes awful close, and i think there are very few bands and even fewer
records that explored this particular sound

also much as i enjoy the mars volta, said tension >>>>>>> anything the mars volta ever did

and, as a huge sparta fan, i thought jim ward was essential to the recipe. turns out, not exactly

in/casino/out? CLASSIC
vaya? CLASSIC
relationship of command? CLASSIC
tremulant ep? CLASSIC
de-loused? CLASSIC
frances? CLASSIC
amputechture? YEP, CLASSIC

i'm out, u can count

lmao ok dude

i too enjoy omar and cedric in the ep format

Listening to this again, and 'Continuum' and 'Tilting at the Univendor' back-to-back is just one mighty fucking slab of rawk.

otm

i mean continuum -> tilting -> governed -> pendulum is a great run

I completely agree. I also have absolutely no complaints about the production of this record at all - it's absolutely what an At the Drive-In record should sound like in 2017, and I think the pristine production values suit the band right now. If the band had hooked up with Ross Robinson again and tried to recapture the intensity of their earlier work as men in their early 40's, that would just be fucking sad to me.

this just sounds like a continuation of the Ross Robinson sound. there was immediacy on In/Casino/Out and Vaya.

This sounds fuck all like a Ross Robinson production.

it's got some of the swimming overdriven quality of relationship of command but otherwise yeah idgi

The new record is still holding up well - still love it.

where's jim?

^ On ILX with amnesia, it seems!

man I asked Cedric on Twitter why they were touring with the pro trump dude from DFA 1979 and his answers were so weird to me considering him and Omar have been like suck Mexican American activists for years smh

https://i.imgur.com/jcyhA45.png

I can see where he's coming from, didn't this stuff about DFA dude come to light p recently? Cancelling a tour or removing a support act & finding a new one is pretty hard & I imagine the contracts they have don't allow ideological differences as legitimate reasons for reneging. And, as gross & weird as the PB are, it's a step below working with abusers/predators/etc., which I'm sure they've done too, knowingly or not.

eh the "its just a paycheck" is such a bullshit reason though from someone that has been an outspoken pro-Mexican activist for years. he's an idiot.

and no the DFA dude has been appearing on the Gavin McInnes show for years. people just don't give a shit about them enough to care. another reason why the "paycheck" reason sucks.

WHERE'S JIM!?!

imo Cedric & Omar have been wildly inconsistent w/r/t their relationship with their fans & their activism/ideology/how much they actually give a shit... they've pulled the most cliched rock star shit before in the past... specifically thinking of the time Cedric made The Mars Volta cancel a show at the last minute because he got into a fight with Thomas Pridgen...

xp I didn't know DFA dude had been on there for years. I mean yeah, "it's just a paycheck" is another example of him negating the righteous DIY / humanist attitude of ATDI and the first several TMV records. over the years I've learned they're not that principled when it comes to getting paid.

yah i guess they really are sucky idiots

that is disappointing

the other day reading his feed on Weinstein etc I thought his writing style was similar to urs ch4ki lol

(you totally owned him there though, sheesh)

Chaki ask him if he slings crack out of the van, and if not, why not, it's good money

my general reaction to this is to shrug it off tbh. at the end of the day they're still touring america playing stuff like "Invalid Litter Dept"

ha slightly off topic but I was thinking about how Cedric used to introduce "Hulahoop Wounds" in the 90s... he'd rattle off a list of people that inspired them, like "THIS IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE INSPIRED US TO DO WHAT WE DO... PEOPLE LIKE CLIFF BURTON, SYD BARRET, OTIS REDDING, LENNY BRUCE, KATHLEEN HANNA, ANDY KAUFMAN..." i was just laughing imagining him listing like 50 people and running over their set time lol

ANDERSON COOPER, ROBBIE ROBERTSON, BIG BIRD, SYLVESTER STALLONE

CHARLES NELSON REILLY AND SQUEAKY FROMME. GOOD NIGHT BIRMINGHAM!

any music journos reading this - it would be cool if you asked them about this during this next tour press cycle

great set from 98/99

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNfPW-hLo4A

they're putting out an ep soon

Precision, watch the scalpel make roads
Hear them talk in paranoid parables
Widows, six legged lost and found

nice xp. haven't revisited the new LP much but glad they're making more new music

inseminating motives of lukewarm persistence
let the thieves in through the front door
let them take what they've been missing

i love you cedric

Song Cycle!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV0ldjAKiLo

Holy shit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma02w2oAnZs

new ep is really good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4ZPTIY1OHs

I was expecting castoffs from the album sessions but these are actually great?

yeah, they're great. better than anything on the album

i don't agree with that entirely but these songs really push their sound forward

"tilting at the univendor" is still the best nu-atdi track

this makes me want to revisit the record, if nothing else this EP is very encouraging in that it shows them moving forward as you said, in that sense it reminds me of Vaya, which can only be a good thing

newly uploaded show from 1999, check this setlist:

Alpha Centauri
Chanbara
Heliotrope
Lopsided
Initiation
Pickpocket
Porfirio Diaz
Ursa Minor
Hulahoop Wounds
Napoleon Solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ9nO2cF95g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGRAxNuTF1o

hell yeah

One of Jarvis Cocker's choices from the Later archives the other week (tho I still think One Armed Scissor is the more exciting clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mojvh0burw8

pretty much the peak of sounding like absolute ass yet being the most captivating live rock band in history

relationship of command is outstanding!!

not entirely confident omar was in tune for that one

assuming some overlap from the emo thread but a lot of us dig Youth Novel on here. just found this cover recently
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEgp96cysjg

One of my all time favorite concerts was seeing these guys open for The Get Up Kids in the student union at University of Illinois in 1999. I was there to see GUK (in my defense it was the '90s still) and I hadn't heard a note from these guys, but they absolutely killed despite playing for probably 75 people in an awkward interior courtyard space.

jim ward released a new solo album today btw. haven’t heard it

and while I'm here. Relationship of Command is one of the greatest albums ever made by anybody and it changed my life for the better but these days In/Casino/Out seems to be the only album I want to listen to by them. that and some of the Relationship b-sides that weren't on my cd version

if in/casino/out had slightly better production it would be their best in my mind no question. i say this knowing ppl hate the production of relationship of command, i personally love that it hurts my freakin ears

jim ward released a new solo album today btw. haven’t heard it

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, June 11, 2021 7:53 AM (twenty-four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

"blink twice" is pretty good... he should make a sparta album in this exact mode

i'm relistening to wiretap scars... forgot this excellent-sounding (if a little hotly mastered) record was recorded by jerry finn. makes deloused sound even more like a mountain of ass