The Mars Volta...

My lecturer was talking about 'Francis the Mute' yesterday. Apparently the record sums to mono during some parts just for dynamic effect. The entire stereo image just shrinks back into the center just to give a greater illusion of loudness during some parts. Pretty cool - I never thought about doing that.
 
sweet majestic darkness said:
I ahve heard that from quite a few other people actually. I think it's a personal preference thing, like most "vocal taste" is. If you listen to it enough you may get used to it, but then again you may not.

yep, i do agree since a lot of my friends (who are into metal or more generally rock) don't like his voice..."too high"...
And, another good thing for them, i just saw they are gonna be the System Of A Down guests for their US tour..i don't really like SOAD but it's such a good opportunity for TMV to touch new poeple...
 
I'm surprised that no one here as brought up the fact that they sound some like Led Zeppelin... some DJs have said that and that's what some people have been getting the big boners about over this band
 
Someone mentioned At the Drive-in a few pages back. (I think) At the Drive-In broke up right after recording the first album? Are some of the same members (singer mainly) now in The Mars Volta? They do sound a lot alike.

(By the way, I agree with the original poster of the thread - I have been listening to a lot of crap recently but Frances really blew most of it away).
 
RjBeals said:
Someone mentioned At the Drive-in a few pages back. (I think) At the Drive-In broke up right after recording the first album? Are some of the same members (singer mainly) now in The Mars Volta? They do sound a lot alike.

(By the way, I agree with the original poster of the thread - I have been listening to a lot of crap recently but Frances really blew most of it away).

asking if members of the mars volta were in at the drive in is about the same as asking if the producer of blackwater park was in porcupine tree. :erk:
 
RjBeals said:
Someone mentioned At the Drive-in a few pages back. (I think) At the Drive-In broke up right after recording the first album? Are some of the same members (singer mainly) now in The Mars Volta? They do sound a lot alike.

(By the way, I agree with the original poster of the thread - I have been listening to a lot of crap recently but Frances really blew most of it away).
incorrect, atdi had 3 full-lengths and a couple ep's, but their last album was their biggest and was getting airtime on radio around the country...cedric bixler-zavara (singer) and omar rodriguez-lopez (guitarist) went on to form tmv. anyone who likes tmv would do well to check out atdi, it's a little different and may not appeal as much to some metalheads but i like it..."vaya" is possibly their best, but "relationship of command" is right up there.
 
I'm tired of all the losers who transformed into elitists when they heard TMV because suddenly they're prog-heads for listening to a moderately experimental band, when the most progressive thing they'd heard prior was Linkin Park. TMV are not the best band around, they're not the most progressive/original band around, you're not cool for listening to them. They're just above average experimental hard rock.
(not pointed at anyone here, just a general statement)
 
Shadows Skulk said:
I'm tired of all the losers who transformed into elitists when they heard TMV because suddenly they're prog-heads for listening to a moderately experimental band, when the most progressive thing they'd heard prior was Linkin Park. TMV are not the best band around, they're not the most progressive/original band around, you're not cool for listening to them. They're just above average experimental hard rock.
(not pointed at anyone here, just a general statement)


i know where youre coming from with this. but i cant say im entirely upset with so many people now listening to an experimental and decent band instead of linkin park now. oh well

thats the same way i felt about Camel though after mike broadcasted so much about them in recent years. suddenly every metal douche was listening to camel and saying how they love progressive rock, etc.

what can ya do
 
NineFeetUnderground said:
asking if members of the mars volta were in at the drive in is about the same as asking if the producer of blackwater park was in porcupine tree. :erk:

I see you're back to your original wise cracking self. I guess that's what I get for asking a question before doing my google searches. :rolleyes:
 
R0l0 said:
I've noticed from lurking around on some forums recently that many people are obsessing over them, as if they're the best thing that happend to music or something. Not talking about the Anathema guy, but the "mainstreamers" who just had their first exposure to progressive music through them, thinking they're the first and only band to do such things.
Don't get me wrong I think they're great, just not the best band ever :)

I would definitely have to agree with everything you just said here. I hear a lot of people (mostly mainstreamers and those in the indie scene) raving about them and saying how they're better than sex and what nonsense. I agree they are very talented, but I don't really see how it's anything really "new" per se. I hear it and I hear prog, albeit maybe from a more post-punk direction than from a metal one.

I think De-loused in a Comatorium is excellent, but Frances the Mute disappointed me. It had some good moments, but too much weird filler stuff that is just unlistenable.

On the whole I like to think of them as what early Pink Floyd would have been like had Syd Barret taken a lot of methamphedamines in addition to the hallucinagenics.
 
The Mars Volta are pretty sloppy with song writing and composure, although quite the talented musicians, and write some pretty killer riffs every once in a while. It's just too dissonant most of them time for me to truely enjoy.

It also seems people have a slightly "stronger dislike" to them because the fact alot of ignorant people are listening to them. fucked. up.
 
Does anyone know how they ever got so popular? I remember an ATDI fan got me into them several months after Deloused came out, and I've never heard of them before that.

Some time later I guess they started playing them on the radio or something because people started talking about them.... and then when their new album came out I saw it debuted at like #2. Wtf?


oh, and I saw this a few nights ago:
http://forum.ebaumsworld.com/showpost.php?p=966022&postcount=4 :erk: :erk:
 
R0l0 said:
Does anyone know how they ever got so popular? I remember an ATDI fan got me into them several months after Deloused came out, and I've never heard of them before that.

Some time later I guess they started playing them on the radio or something because people started talking about them.... and then when their new album came out I saw it debuted at like #2. Wtf?


oh, and I saw this a few nights ago:
http://forum.ebaumsworld.com/showpost.php?p=966022&postcount=4 :erk: :erk:

My hypothesis is that the reason for them being so popular, especially in the U.S., is the fact that they are basically punk, and the U.S. is filled with lots of punkers, but not only that, the fact they are still sophisticated and the people who are into sophisticiated music can enjoy them too.