Kevin's Watch

I thought I'd just post up on some cool bands I'd like to discuss. Sorry if they already have threads.

Any Mars Volta fans on KW? Or anyone really hate them and wanna tell this diehard fan why?

The Mars are my second favourite band, next to Tool. It may sound weird, but what I love about them is that I don't immediately fall in love with everything they do, this stuff needs time and patience to sit and actively listen to. I'm still to reach any definite conclusion on The Bedlam in Goliath, and I listened to that every day for almost a month. The exception is my first listen to Deloused in the Comatorium, I sat cross legged in front of my dad's stereo for the entire album. When I tried to stand up, I fell over cause my legs were asleep.

Oh, and their live show is melt-your-face-off intense.

I can't get past that I don't immediately like their songs. I can feel there's something more in them, but haven't given the energy to finding it. Is there anything in particular that you'd recommend of theirs that I really should listen to?

Can you remember what you have heard? If I know what about them puts you off, I might be able to point you to some other aspect, their output is nothing if not diverse.

If the density and complexity of their songs is the problem- it is for a lot of people- give a listen to their latest, Octahedron. It's very deliberatley stripped down and simplified, intro/verse/chorus/verse/bridge/chorus stuff, which is very rare for MV. Still great stuff, I put it on when I feel like the Mars, but am too tired or distracted for their more complex material. Here's the first song, with a funny picture:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=essPUOnV6Dg

The only songs I think I've heard by them are a couple of singles that used to get played a lot on MTV2 - Televators, and The Widow, both of which I thought were alright. Never really looked into them further than that.

I think the Mars Volta are awesome, one of the best, most original bands in recent times!

The fact that I do not jump up right away and consider myself a fan is because thirty years after having been exposed to 60's psychedelic, punk and underground music, primarily from a radio show from Rice University called "treasures of the 60's."

I'm not talking about the stuff that everyone likes from the 60's I'm talking about stuff like this:

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www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fw ... ed&h=de400

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www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fw ... Gk&h=de400

I am still discovering new and exciting music from the 60's!

After this music, punk rock from the 70's is my favorite!

But I love the Mars Volta.

I love more contemporary bands such as Beck or Franz Ferdinand.

Music is one of the things that make life worth living, and I love any music that is good!

Cambo wrote:Can you remember what you have heard? If I know what about them puts you off, I might be able to point you to some other aspect, their output is nothing if not diverse.

If the density and complexity of their songs is the problem- it is for a lot of people- give a listen to their latest, Octahedron. It's very deliberatley stripped down and simplified, intro/verse/chorus/verse/bridge/chorus stuff, which is very rare for MV. Still great stuff, I put it on when I feel like the Mars, but am too tired or distracted for their more complex material. Here's the first song, with a funny picture:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=essPUOnV6Dg

That was actually pretty good... though there is one problem for me... the guy's voice.... *shudder* However, once things got started, it became less of a nuisance, but if I had to listen to that guy sing without musical accompaniment... (he's not a bad singer, I'm just more into an operatic style... like Josh Groban or Bruce Dickinson).

I'll still have to give them more of a listen... any other suggestions, Cambo?

Cambo wrote:Can you remember what you have heard? If I know what about them puts you off, I might be able to point you to some other aspect, their output is nothing if not diverse.

If the density and complexity of their songs is the problem- it is for a lot of people- give a listen to their latest, Octahedron. It's very deliberatley stripped down and simplified, intro/verse/chorus/verse/bridge/chorus stuff, which is very rare for MV. Still great stuff, I put it on when I feel like the Mars, but am too tired or distracted for their more complex material. Here's the first song, with a funny picture:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=essPUOnV6Dg

That song is vastly different to what I've heard. I like it. However, I haven't heard that much because my first experience of them (about 2004 I think) sounded like psychedelic plagiarism! Having clicked on a few related links after listening to the one you posted, I think I could revise my opinion - always keen for some new or old music that I haven't heard...

Suggestions for Orlion and Stevie G:

Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)
Viscera Eyes
Televators (similar to Since We've Been Wrong)
Cotopaxi
L'Via, L'Viaquez (long, but has guest appearance by John Frusciante on guitar!)

Try and find the album versions first. If you don't like the Mars Volta after listening to these, there may be nothing I can do

Orlion, hopefully Cedric's voice will grow on you, because it doesn't get any less strange, particularly when he starts playing around with the sound effects.

Stevie, you surprise me. 2004 would be just after their debut Deloused in the Comatorium came out, which is a fan favourite considered their least proggy effort. One reviewer described it as having a "pop sheen." It was produced by Rick Rubin, strangely enough. Hmmm.

But even at their most masturbatory, I don't think you could fairly call them plagiarists. I've always fround their material sounds little like anyone else, although at times I do detect strong shades of King Crimson.

Perhaps not (plagiarists) - I'll have to listen to some of your suggestions and get back to you. As I said before, I could revise my judgement upon listening to more.

Cambo wrote:
But even at their most masturbatory,

Nothing describes psychedelic rock to me better. I'm not knocking on the genre, too bad. After all, it's this to hell attitude that allows for the experimentation which could lead to something amazing. I'll give those suggestions a listen, then.

Absolutely Orlion. I've always found it strange when people start knocking on musicians for being "self indulgent." Say what?? Shouldn't all music be self indulgent? Shouldn't music be, first and foremost, an expression of the musician's passion? Shouldn't the musicians we bag on be the ones who calculatingly (is that a word?) write songs for mass appeal? If progressive rock artists are wankers, those guys are whores.

Ok, rant over.

I like it when critics call something self-indulgent. That means the artist has decided not to indulge the record company, or the critics themselves. It means the artist is making honest music, either to communicate things to his audience that he feels are important, or to just blow our collective minds with his skill. Or both. It means that the artist has made something worth listening to, something that stands out from the usual pop prefab stuff that I outgrew way back when I realized that a band like Foreigner, Eddy Money or REO Speedwagon could never produce something like La Villa Strangiato, Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or Kashmir. Mars Volta is impressive to me, definitely worth listening to.

I heard "The haunt of Roulette Dares" and had to check them out, of all the heavy metal prog bands out there(Im at a loss for what else to call them) probably the only one Ive really taken a liking to.

Cambo wrote:Absolutely Orlion. I've always found it strange when people start knocking on musicians for being "self indulgent." Say what?? Shouldn't all music be self indulgent? Shouldn't music be, first and foremost, an expression of the musician's passion? Shouldn't the musicians we bag on be the ones who calculatingly (is that a word?) write songs for mass appeal? If progressive rock artists are wankers, those guys are whores.

Ok, rant over.

I just love this post.

Stunned to even find there are fans of this band on the Watch! I don't know them well but what I have heard I've been mightily impressed with.

The lyrics are often strange, but I enjoy the adventurous music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK4oeXzdheI

GOLIATH
(Written by Cedric Bixler, Omar Rodriguez)

That night I remember what you slipped in my glass
We came rewinding when
I foamed at the mouth while the lights winked at me
And now my shape is kept
The rain it can't hide, wash the pain from this hex
Is it so permanent?
Did she catch a left eye when it blinks three times
Or once just to seal you in
In your drunken breath did it stain like us
In place of poison heat
I gotta rid this world of your intention
Swap the corpse in the casket

Give me that corpse please
The one that tore nightly
I really want it now
Fold the arms slowly
Don't want you to hold me
It fits just like a glove
Does he make you feel alright?

When I seep inside your truth through suspicious little coughs
You sank your nails inside a key while the door you shut closed up
The black stockings you kept smell of wet cigarette
Torn of lust that you could not keep
I have slept inside your fault to have you keep me hear on this leash
For the rest of your pets I will feed to this theft
As we consummate the vows of defeat
And when you pray for an end to this I do believe this is eternity

Give me that corpse please
The one that tore nightly
I really want it now
Fold the arms slowly
Don't want you to hold me
It fits just like a glove
Does he make you feel alright?

Give me that corpse please
The one that tore nightly
I really want it now
Fold the arms slowly
Don't want you to hold me
It fits just like a glove
Does he make you feel alright?

Never heard a man speak like this man before
Never heard a man speak like this man before
All the days of my life ever since I've been born
Never heard a man speak like this man before
Watch me now

Say it, say it, say it loud
Say it, say it, say it loud
Hold your heavy burden
In a pocket full of drink that I have drunk
Spit the remnants in your direction
This is the closest to any kingdom that you will come

I'm starting to feel a miscarriage coming on
It's numbing a stump clearing in my throat
And I just can't lose grip of it
She fumigated my mental hygiene
I'm all out of pulse but I know you can resuscitate me

Never heard a man speak like this man before
Never heard a man speak like this man before
All the days of my life ever since I've been born
Never heard a man speak like this man before

Never heard a man speak like this man before
Never heard a man speak like this man before
All the days of my life ever since I've been born
Never heard a man speak like this man before
Watch me now

Another TMV track, very different-sounding from "Goliath": "Asilos Magdalena".

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWQTLs00VzU

[The Mars Volta: The Malkin Jewel (Live)]