by Black Bubblegum

The Mars Volta LIVE at Sasquatch 2008 (More by Chris Graham)

Through complex mathematics in off-kilter time signatures and pentatonic phyrigian dominant minor scales*, The Mars Volta have constructed an equation to create the ultimate polygon/album, The Octahedron. Due on Jun 23rd via Warner Brothers, The Octahedron follows last year's Grammy-winner The Bedlam In Goliath. In an Onion AV Club feature with last year just prior to the release of The Bedlam In Goliath, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez declared their next album would be "acoustic" and would also include "electronic instruments as well".

The Mars Volta have a ton of festival dates lined up, but only two in the US so far: Bonnaroo on June 13th and Outside Lands on August 29th. All TMV tour dates are below.

In other Mars Volta related news, the previously mentioned El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez recently posted a second video teaser for their upcoming album, Cryptomnesia, which is due on May 5th via Rodriguez Lopez Productions/Sargent House. Pre-orders are here, or you can scoot on down to your local indie record store to scoop up one of 3,000 LP copies that will be made available on Record Store Day (April 18th). Many other great bands and locations are participating as well, so get out there!

Continue reading "The Mars Volta - new album news, some tour dates & stuff "

by Black Bubblegum

The world's worst named band with the most interesting lineup have announced the release of the first in a trio of albums, Cryptomnesia, due on May 5th. El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez Lopez (for the spanish-challenged, that's The New Group of ORL) is the melding of Omar Rodriguez Lopez (The Mars Volta, At the Drive-In), Zach Hill (Hella), Jonathan Hischke (ex-Hella), Juan Alderete de la Peña (The Mars Volta), and "features the vocals of guest frontman Cedric Bixler Zavala (The Mars Volta, At the Drive-In) on eight of the album's eleven tracks". OK, can it get any more spazzy? Sounds pretty wild, and judging by the tracks in the below video, it just may be.

Though the first album was completed shortly after The Mars Volta's Amputechture in 2006, it wasn't until last year that Mr. Random Word Generator, aka Cedric Bixler Zavala, added his vocals to the mix. No word on personnel, or release date for the additional two records.

In addition to the May 5th release, " A special limited advance vinyl offering of... 3,000 copies will be made available... to Indie Retail in honor of RECORD STORE DAY on April 18th."

Cryptomnesia is the first release on Rodriguez Lopez Productions, the new imprint formed by... guess who? ORL's last record, Old Money, was released by hip hop indie superpower Stones Throw digitally in 2008, and in hard form on Jan 27th 2009.

The Cryptomnesia tracklisting, cover art, video, and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez Lopez = The Mars Volta + Zach Hill -- new album, limited vinyl, video preview..."