For decades, having a signature guitar was reserved for classic rock legends — the Claptons, the Hendrixes, the Pages, the SRVs and EVHs. But that’s no longer the case. From pop-punk to heavy metal, alt-country to neo-soul, modern artists of all genres and backgrounds are getting signature guitars from companies big and small. Among the […]
The Mars Volta’s comeback continues to roll along. The group’s first album in 10 years, a 14-track, self-titled affair, will arrive Sept. 16, and the third pre-release track from it, “Vigil,” is out now. The accompanying black-and-white video was directed by group member Omar Rodriguez Lopez. [embedded content][embedded content] Like prior singles “Blacklight Shine” and […]
The Mars Volta are back. The band has shared its first new music since 2012’s Noctourniquet in the form of “Blacklight Shine,” and has also revealed dates for its first tour in a decade. “Blacklight Shine” finds Mars Volta principals Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zaval at their most accessible, as it rides a Caribbean-flavored vibe […]
A pair of classic comedy albums from a revolutionary standup, a previously unreleased live recording from one of Germany’s most influential bands, a new collection honoring a post-disco R&B queen and the “Ultimate” edition of a John Lennon masterpiece are just a few of the archival gold hitting retail this Spring. But first, we dive […]
Remember when albums were marketed on TV commercials? (For that matter, remember commercials?) Back in 2003, flipping through channels during a vacation with friends, I was physically startled by the sound of “Inertiatic ESP” — flailing distortion, glass-shatteringly high vocals, drums as mammoth as the Smoky Mountains outside the rec room window of our rental cabin. […]
If you’re a fan of the Mars Volta and a vinyl collector, boy do we have some good news for you. The iconic duo and curly-haired portion of At the Drive-In have announced a massive career-spanning vinyl-only box set comprised of 18 LPs called La Realidad De Los Sueños (“the reality of dreams,” for those of you […]
Let’s face it: With most “Best Albums” lists, you know the broad strokes of the ranking before you even click. Part of that predictability is understandable: Most iconic records earn their reputation. But these rankings shouldn’t be fossilized, and a shit-ton of amazing LPs have been shoved aside in the pursuit of maintaining the status […]
Over the past 25 years, Omar Rodríguez-López has been one of the most visionary and diverse musicians, producers, and artists on the planet. Fusing the post-hardcore and punk sounds that originally brought him to fame with At the Drive-In alongside the psychedelic, electronic, ambient and Latin influences that have contributed to his solo work and […]