mars volta?

Yeah, I was being flip, I'm still super excited for this record. Just surprised to see the lack of epics on the tracklist.

The most revolutionary thing we could do was to make a pop record

haven't read the article yet but god this is such a tired trope

You're just questioning true art maaaaaaan.

"Vinculum in the Cyclosphere Pt. 1 (f. Carly Rae Jepsen)"

Would listen. What's some good prog-pop?

The most revolutionary thing we could do was to walk in lockstep with all critical trends

What's some good prog-pop?

― dow, Friday, 12 August 2022 19:01 (nineteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

basically just scour my EOY ballots tbh

As for TMV, whether this is a crass move or an inspired one depends entirely on the execution

The most revolutionary thing we could do was to walk in lockstep with all critical trends

― marcel the shell with swag on (Whiney G. Weingarten), Friday, August 12, 2022 3:18 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

tough but fair

so critical trends=going pop?

The Big Time(s)!

New York Times, September 2022. pic.twitter.com/mXgxCflFQh

— THE MARS VOLTA (@themarsvolta) September 8, 2022

hmmmm

neither as bad as some are saying nor as good as i was hoping

the preview songs are generally the stronger moments

sure sounds like late-period Beck for something that's about escaping the Church, lads

the preview songs are generally the stronger moments

Ominous sign given that I didn't like any of the singles (different from not liking any of the videos; those were great).

Haven't heard the whole thing yet, but this really seems like it would have been better as a non-TMV album, maybe another Antemasque or something.

Yeah, I don't think I needed to hear Cedric Bixler-Zavala sing his usual falsetto nonsense over watered-down alt-R&B. I don't think *anyone* needed to hear that, frankly.

i dig this

i did not know travis barker was briefly in antemasque, that is a completely baffling combination that i can only imagine would have resulted in the worst music ever? idk

amputechture is their best album y/y?

― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, November 9, 2021 2:09 PM (ten months ago) bookmarkflaglink

god i'm so fucking right

I don't hate this new one? It's a big departure, but also not? It almost sounds like short form pop songs made out of those brief linking interludes from their old prog epics.

The more I listen to it, the more I kinda love it

It's my favourite album of the year. The YouTubes I've seen from the show have been great, too. Cedric's voice is really strong, and deft.

I've been surprised to see how few songs off the new album they've been playing. I mean, I get it, but I figured they might give it more airtime.

album is actually very very good

an album of jagged art-rock miniatures

def the most interesting thing they've made since the first three records

new record didn't immediately grab me but the clips I've seen of the live shows definitely sold me on it, very good indeed, kind of regret not taking a road trip to Seattle to hear it in person, have seen them twice before in sports arenas and I think a theater is definitely where you want to be for a mars volta show

my favourite album of 2022. Vigil is a stunning song.

Huge fan of the first three Mars Volta albums. The new one makes a strong EP. Still have some great memories from the De-Loused and Frances tours back in the day.

havent listent to this group since bedlam but this new one is great, and very different, like a more rockin dirty projectors idk

So an acoustic version of the new album came out today and...nobody gives a shit?

Oh, I didn't know it was out - it's excellent, though.

Lots of albums come out and people don't give a shit about most of them. I'll check it out though

Lots of albums come out and people don't give a shit about most of them.

True, but there were no reviews posted on any of the major music sites. Brief news items back in March when the album was announced, but this week, nothing. Seemed surprising to me.

it’s an acoustic version of a record that already came out

sometimes these get covered and sometimes they don’t idk, i’m not particularly interested

Thanks for the head's up on this. I really liked the album and had no idea they'd released an acoustic version. Listening now and it sounds exactly like you'd expect, but it's also really nice to hear the songs in this context.

Whoever's doing PR on this is sleeping on the job. I guess it got lost in the shuffle of Record Store Day. Incidentally, I just learned there was also a Mars Volta RSD release (not this).

I forgot this was coming out, but tbh it's not exactly near the top of my "must check out" list and I even say that as someone who has everything else they've put out.

Ok so the new album. There's moments of greatness for sure, but my main gripes are:

Too much Cedric. The dude never stops singing the whole goddamn things. There barely any breathing space. No air. It's just a guy singing at me nonstop.

Not enough Omar. There are like no guitars on the thing. I like guitars and stuff.

Won't be returning to it very often. Last song might be my fav tho.

ok i take it back, i had no idea this acoustic version of the s/t would be jazz volta!!! it’s gorgeous

huh, well Brad's endorsement certainly has my more curious than anything else I've read about it so far...

It's great. Omar took spare takes of Cedric's vocals to Puerto Rico after finishing the s/t album, ten reorchestrated them for acoustic instruments, setting them to specific Latin rhythms. It's subtly ambitious - Omar's roots in tradition Latin music have been at the heart of all TMV's stuff, and have only become more explicit in recent years, and this album is a triumph in that particular mission. He told me he sees it as being a quietly political album, too. They're some of my favourite TMV songs, and these versions are excellent.

great, the same album in completely different arrangements is gonna be in my top five of the year two years in a row

De-Loused in the Comatorium turns 20 tomorrow. I wrote about it for Stereogum.

(My 2003 Voice microview of it is pasted way upthread.) Just got this, not for press only, apparently: free tickets, worth a shot, and filling out brief form---

Special Invitation: Exclusive Free Screening of The Mars Volta Documentary

the movie is so, so good

New album out tomorrow. It's 49 minutes long but being released as a double LP for some reason. Listening now and it's... not bad. Mellow, lots of synths, 18 mostly very short tracks.

I really love it, one of their best. The timbales! All the timbales! Teri Gender-Bender's been singing alongside Cedric on the Deftones tour (which I think ended the day before yesterday) and they've just been singing the new LP all the way through.

Also, 49 minutes is definitely the point at which audiophiles start grumbling that it should be on two LPs (but I woould definitely be fine with one)

Anxious to hear it, although I do think it's kind of funny to see all the "return to their roots" PR and not see any like, 15-minute tracks.