Wednesday, March 30th 2011
News: The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta: Hiding In Plain Sight (Watch Three New Songs)
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the guitarist/songwriter behind The Mars Volta, has been pulling a fast one on the less informed fans of his band. He is currently touring under the name Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group, but only disguised as a solo act, since the band is comprised of Omar, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Juan Alderete, and Deantoni Parks, all of which are members of The Mars Volta (as we reported during SXSW).
Rumors initially indicated that Cedric, lead singer and other creative half of the band, was only to appear with the band for a few shows, but it turns out that he’s been showing up every single night, playing a whole set of what appears to be completed new Mars Volta songs, top to bottom.
Fortunately, video evidence of these new songs is slowly creeping its way into the tubes (with increasingly good quality), and they’re too damn good to be left in some obscure corner of the internet, solely for superfan delight. We present to you 3 of the best songs we’ve found so far – keep in mind, however, that some of the song titles are speculative, and will most likely change before the official release:
Nocturniquet:
The Whip Hands (or Landmines)
Jacob Jam
This new material sounds very promising, and we’ll bring you news on the actual album when solid details develop. If you’re in the mood to listen to all of these new Volta songs (and why wouldn’t you?), the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group still has some dates left in their tour:
Mar 31 – Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
Apr 01 – Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
Apr 02 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House
Apr 03 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Apr 10 – Mexico City, MX @ Vive Latino Festival
Apr 12 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Apr 15 – Indio, CA @ COACHELLA / SOLD OUT
Apr 28 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Music Fest
Apr 29 – Austin, TX @ Austin Psychfest 4
Apr 30 – El Paso, TX @ Neon Desert Music Festival
Now that the word is out that these are not Omar solo shows, getting the tickets as quickly as possible would be wise. However, be warned that the band probably won’t play anything from The Mars Volta’s previous albums.
Thanks to CasperAames for the vids.
God damn Fernando is the fucking man. Great find!
They sound great. I can’t wait for the new album.
Coachella excitement is continuing to grow!
damn. i had the opportunity to see them in asheville nc and i missed it. this sounds like its gonna be some of the best shit to come out this year. i think when it’s all said and done, people are remember the mars volta and especially omar rodriguez lopez as one of the great musical acts of our time. they are true artists
Noooooooooooo! Me, too! They were practically giving tickets away. And it was on a Saturday night. *slaps self repeatedly* Stupid, stupid, stupid!
However, I have to say that the first twelve minutes of that “Jacob Jam” is pretty horrendous.