2008 Woodie Awards
Alt rockers turn up the weird on second effort
By Phil Geist
Issue date: 3/4/05 Section: Entertainment
The Mars Volta is not your typical band. It's hard to begin to even classify what type of musical genre they belong in. However, if I was caught in a back alley with a gun pointed at my head in demands of a three-word description I would say their sound emanates a style of psychedelic, progressive rock.
What does genre matter anyway? Must we close our ears to only music that encompasses our lifestyle? Or are there still bold, daring people in this world who are willing to listen to a song and judge it based on their own accord instead of living under the influence of what others say?
Two years ago, my music teacher, Dr. Myers, said that the problem with the modern music world is that a lot of the stuff out there is missing the essential element of color. Well Dr. Myers, if it's color you're looking for, Frances the Mute covers every crayon in the box.
The founders of the band appear on April's cover of Alternative Press and there seems to be a cult sensation of underground movement and secrecy revolving around this record. The Mars Volta are dubbed a concept band by many critics since their albums tell stories of individuals who deal with conflicts that plague their lives on many fronts.
The theme of Frances the Mute is that Vismund Cygnus is in search of his biological parents, his mother being Frances. Throughout his odyssey Cygnus comes across various other characters that bring him closer and closer to the whereabouts of his parents. The moral of this record is that the companions that grace our lives are a true reflection of whom our real family encompasses, even if there is no biological relation.
The current single is "The Widow" and if you've seen the video on MTV you know that these guys have quite an eccentric style. The album cover is somewhat disturbing, yet undeniably attractive in its own way. It depicts a man sitting in an old fashioned car who is wearing a royal blue sports jacket with a red velvet bag over his head. Washing back in from the tide is fellow Pink Floyd album cover extraordinaire, Storm Thorgerson, whose trademark design skills are sharper than ever.
What does genre matter anyway? Must we close our ears to only music that encompasses our lifestyle? Or are there still bold, daring people in this world who are willing to listen to a song and judge it based on their own accord instead of living under the influence of what others say?
Two years ago, my music teacher, Dr. Myers, said that the problem with the modern music world is that a lot of the stuff out there is missing the essential element of color. Well Dr. Myers, if it's color you're looking for, Frances the Mute covers every crayon in the box.
The founders of the band appear on April's cover of Alternative Press and there seems to be a cult sensation of underground movement and secrecy revolving around this record. The Mars Volta are dubbed a concept band by many critics since their albums tell stories of individuals who deal with conflicts that plague their lives on many fronts.
The theme of Frances the Mute is that Vismund Cygnus is in search of his biological parents, his mother being Frances. Throughout his odyssey Cygnus comes across various other characters that bring him closer and closer to the whereabouts of his parents. The moral of this record is that the companions that grace our lives are a true reflection of whom our real family encompasses, even if there is no biological relation.
The current single is "The Widow" and if you've seen the video on MTV you know that these guys have quite an eccentric style. The album cover is somewhat disturbing, yet undeniably attractive in its own way. It depicts a man sitting in an old fashioned car who is wearing a royal blue sports jacket with a red velvet bag over his head. Washing back in from the tide is fellow Pink Floyd album cover extraordinaire, Storm Thorgerson, whose trademark design skills are sharper than ever.
