the back of my head at a mars volta show

[Ghost Hip]

Haha, a full stack seems a bit much, at least by what I can see of the venue. Sometimes I think people get zoned in to the full stack and if they have anything less on stage, they feel insecure..... might have a similarity with the if i have a corvette I'll have a bigger penis thing.

But I know nothing about Mars volta..... so nothing against them, just a rant on fulls tacks. =]

[htsamurai]

i cant stand those pricks
i loved At The Drive In
but...
but these dicks just seem to be 'trying' to be more "different"
omar can write pretty cool stuff (look at all of relationship of command or IN/casino/out), but its like decided to throw all that away to make pointless noise. like a bad mix of a wannabe sonic youth and a wannabe MBV, then throw in cedric not really being able to write in spanish and trying to do the mexican thing with his seemingly-unending off-key-ness.


and dont get me started on sparta...please...

[opivy3056]

I used to like TMV.

Now I dont.

And I make fun of my girlfriend for liking them.

That is all.

[smile_man]

I love ATDI and pre- Francis The Mute TMV, I couldn't listen to the last album in their entirety. They've become some what of a hipster band at my school which is a shame.

[in2thegapagain85]

I'm not a fan of the new TMV stuff at all, it's like they are just trying to be crazy for the sake of being crazy. But honestly I really like De-loused in the Comatorium. They at least had some cohesive songs and structures and had some parts you could latch onto.

[Communarchy]

Come on guys. I can't just let this Volta bashing go on without being a dissenting voice. They are the only band that is keeping the progressive banner going. Yeah it's challenging, yeah it's hard to get into. Self-absorbed, self-indulgent? Yes. But why else make music other than to indulge yourself?

But this is coming from a diehard Prog fan. Next to the Pumpkins, King Crimson's my favorite band. TMV is a lot of King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator worship, mixed in with the noise of electric Miles Davis. I really think they get more and more mind-blowing every album, and the latest is my favorite. No one out right now other than Omar can pepper atonality in his guitar lines and still make them strangely melodic and memorable.

[htsamurai]

Come on guys. I can't just let this Volta bashing go on without being a dissenting voice. They are the only band that is keeping the progressive banner going. Yeah it's challenging, yeah it's hard to get into. Self-absorbed, self-indulgent? Yes. But why else make music other than to indulge yourself?

But this is coming from a diehard Prog fan. Next to the Pumpkins, King Crimson's my favorite band. TMV is a lot of King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator worship, mixed in with the noise of electric Miles Davis. I really think they get more and more mind-blowing every album, and the latest is my favorite. No one out right now other than Omar can pepper atonality in his guitar lines and still make them strangely melodic and memorable.

if you wanna look only at bands that are mainstream accesible, then yes youd be totally on the mark

[opivy3056]

does anyone else feel like music THAT crazy is just kind of..... a novelty?

I'm a fan of technically apt music, but TMV isnt really listenable (on a regular basis) for me anymore.

As far as "prog" stuff goes. I like Yes and Rush, but I feel like they have a really nerdy vibe.

[aen]

I guess its a matter of taste, because i dont think TMV is all that crazy. And theyre really fucking great....

[opivy3056]

I guess its a matter of taste, because i dont think TMV is all that crazy. And theyre really fucking great....

maybe its just an incredibly acquired taste!

[Communarchy]

if you wanna look only at bands that are mainstream accesible, then yes youd be totally on the mark

I'm talking about current "progressive rock" (as in the genre) in general. I think there is no better representative. Now if we want to talk more experimental, progressive music as a whole, sure, they are totally more accessible than say a Merzbow, or one of those crazy Japanese tape manipulators. There accessibility comes along with the fact that they still within the confines of rock more than say jazz, noise, or drone artist.

Speaking of great progressive jazz/jazz fusion (in the vein of say Henry Cow, late Coltrane, Ornette Coleman) check out NYC's Scurvy. They compose great epic, atonal music.

[basti moon]

Seeing them live turned me off them too.
It was in Oslo in 2004, I think, when frances the mute came out. Or a little before that.
Jams that didn't go anywhere and sounded the same all the time, offkey guitars being replaced by offkey guitars, too much treble like they have on everything now.
What is with that trebley guitar? Does he not know his wah is on and in the toe position?

I blames the standard big ego's cliché. Keep getting new albums when they come back hoping for that friendly magic I got when Deloused came out, but it never happens. Haven't bothered getting the new album, was the same steam powered rhythmic train of fail that they keep using on everything now. It sounds like their goal is to have a style that makes it different to tell one song from another.
But some of Omar's solo albums are awright.

[opivy3056]

Speaking of great progressive jazz/jazz fusion (in the vein of say Henry Cow, late Coltrane, Ornette Coleman) check out NYC's Scurvy. They compose great epic, atonal music.

that Scurvy band is fucking tightttt

[archlilim]

What do you mean by crazy?

[opivy3056]

What do you mean by crazy?

Songs in time sigs I have to study in depth in order to tap my foot to it.
Near completely atonal guitar (barely any actual "hooks").
Shrieking, oddly effected vocals.
Drum beats that seem like one constant fill.

this is all just my silly opinion though. for what its worth.