Young high school classmates Jim Ward and Cedric Bixler formed At the Drive-In in 1993, and played their first gig at an El Paso high school in 1994. Grabbing three other members, ATDI released the three song Hell Paso EP later that year. The post-hardcore scene was just coming into view thanks to people like Ian MacKaye and bands like Black Flag, Fugazi, and the Jesus Lizard. However, ATDI's unorthodox style punched the genre right in the jaw. These guys were going to be big. The band's first major release, Acrobatic Tenement, saw the light in mid-1996. With raw production and power, the band made ripples in the post-hardcore scene. Cedric's aggression and Jim's different techniques brought out a fresh breath of air. After yet another EP (1997's El Gran Orgo), At the Drive-In hit an apex. Their second full-length In/Casino/Out brought together the classic lineup of Cedric Bixler-Zavala on vocals, Jim Ward & Omar Rodriguez-Lopez on guitars, Paul Hinojos on bass, and Tony Hajjar on drums. The unpolished production of the previous releases was still omnipresent. But, the band started to add in progressive elements alongside their post-hardcore trademarks in songs like "Hulahoop Wounds" and my personal favorite, "Transatlantic Foe". Many fans consider this a cornerstone of the post-hardcore scene alongside albums like Fugazi's 13 Songs and Black Flag's My War. But something bigger was to come.
2001: A Prog Odyssey
A year before their breakup, ATDI recorded one of the greatest albums of the pre-2010s, entitled Relationship of Command.
Relationship of Command (2000)
Now, Omar and Cedric had quite a bender towards progressive rock. Relationship of Command saw a sharper slant towards lengthier and more complex pieces, with tracks like "Quarantined" and "Invalid Litter Dept.". The angry El Paso sound was still there thanks to Jim, Paul, and Tony, who countered Omar's prog tendencies with facemelters such as "One-Armed Scissor" and "Rolodex Propaganda", the latter featuring punk idol Iggy Pop on backing vocals (read: yelling.). This destructive 5-piece burst into the limelight, with "One-Armed Scissor" and "Invalid Litter Dept." with the former elbowing its way through post-grunge and nu-metal to #26 on the Billboard charts.
Things were looking up for the crazy Texans. However, on their 2001 tour, the band started to lose steam. Cedric and Omar's drug-addled progressive ideals didn't quite appeal to the other three members, who were looking towards alternative rock stardom. The band split in March of the same year. Fortunately, this breakup spawned two other groups. One would destroy mainstream music and shock listeners everywhere. The other would merely be a footnote on the bottom of the post-hardcore dossier. Let's take a look at the latter first.
Sparta: Like At the Drive-In, But Not As Crazy
Hot off the heels of the ATDI fiasco, Jim, Tony, and Paul formed Sparta. Chugging out their first LP entitled Wiretap Scars in 2002, they had a lot of pressure to live up to in ATDI's shadow. Many critics hailed it to be much more accessible than their old band's music, doing away with the distortion and word salad lyricism of Bixler-Zavala. The trio had basically cleaned up shop from what Acrobatic Tenement and In/Casino/Out left scattered around, bringing the post-hardcore sound to its simplest form. The follow-up, Porcelain, brought Sparta to a more indie sound than the last record. Threes was released in 2006 with little fanfare. Now, there's not much to say about this band. As stated before, they're pre-2000 ATDI without the distortion, field recordings, and wailing vocals. Simple stuff.
The Mars Volta: A Cracked-Out Latin Rhinoceros
The Mars Volta consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, along with a few other musicians who include Juan Alderete, Flea, John Frusciante, Ikey Owens, and Deantoni Parks. With a quick first EP in 2002 (entitled Tremulant), it was clear that Omar and Cedric were out to do something completely different. TMV shocked the music world a year later with their landmark release, De-Loused in the Comatorium. A concept album with abstract artwork by the late Storm Thorgerson, this record twists and turns through the loosely told tale of Cerpin Taxt, which is based off of a true story from one of Bixler-Zavala's old friends from El Paso. Within its 61 minute running time, the listener is thrashed among progressive rock cliches, post-hardcore riffing, and breakneck speed. Cedric's vocals soar above most of the instruments, being at a much higher range than his previous work. We get freak-out Latin rhythms in "Drunkship of Lanterns". Strange calmness within "Televators". Progressive insanity in "Cicatriz ESP". The entire album is smooshed together, and absolutely cannot be listened to on shuffle. Described as "a working jam session between King Crimson, Fugazi, and 1970s Miles Davis", De-Loused topped the Album of the Year charts in 2003 and garned widespread acclaim amongst critics. This record loudly and insanely proclaimed that progressive rock was not dead at all.
With the band's newfound stardom, they proceeded to destroy the minds of many others. 2005 brought in their proggiest work to date, Frances the Mute. Clocking in at a monstrous 77 minutes with a measly 5 tracks, The Mars Volta was going full speed ahead into prog-rock territory. Many of the songs on Frances the Mute spawned from jams on the band's previous tour, creating some insane technical prowess and musical masturbation. This album has it all. Spaghetti-western soundscapes ("Miranda, That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore). Full-blown prog rock suites (the 32-minute monster "Cassandra Gemini"). Radio-friendly sounds ("The Widow"). The best track on this album is most certainly "L'Via L'Viaquez", infusing John Frusciante's shredding guitar solos with Latin salsa rhythms, creating a cohesive 12 minute epic. The energy within this album is furious. The listener is smacked in the face from the get-go, with little to no reprieve. "Cassandra Gemini" is the best example of this phenomena, blasting rapid-fire drumming and chaotic Latin string arrangements layered with Cedric's cryptic Spanish and English lyrics alongside wailing banshee vocals. This, in my opinion, is THE best Mars Volta record. No question.
After 2006, the band started to experiment even further. On Amputechture, we see twinges of hazy psychedelia meshed with math-rock speed and progressive indecency. 2008's The Bedlam in Goliath smashes everything in its way with relentless beats and crazy electronics topped off by a strange concept involving ghosts and the exploitation of women in the Middle East. The band slows things down a bit with 2009's Octahedron, which many describe as their "acoustic" album. If you want a good image of it, think "Televators" from their 2003 debut. Their final release, 2012's Noctourniquet, signals the end of an era being the most accessible TMV album to date with infusions of alternative and electronica into their chaotic progressive sound. The band broke up in early 2013 due to Rodriguez-Lopez's restless work ethic (read: releasing almost 40 solo albums between 2004 and 2013) and his side project, Bosnian Rainbows. There are no signs of a reunion.
The End of an Era
Even with a reunion of At the Drive-In in 2012 at Coachella and a few other festivals, the glowing fire of the 5 Texan friends has burnt out. Sparta is back from a three year hiatus. Cedric Bixler-Zavala is creating his own solo group with former members of TMV, called Zavalaz. Omar is, of course, touring with Bosnian Rainbows and relentlessly churning out solo albums. Will we ever see a collaboration with the El Paso quintet again? The world may never know...
Suggested Listening
At The Drive-In: In/Casino/Out, Relationship of Command.
Go from here. What did you prefer?
In/Casino/Out: Sparta. Wiretap Scars and Porcelain are your best bet.
Relationship of Command: The Mars Volta. De-Loused in the Comatorium and Frances the Mute. Pick and choose from their remaining four albums at your leisure.
Looks like Oasis and a middle aged dude met some girl.
Intro
I'm an enormous proprietor of alternative rock, especially throughout the 1990s. We had Oasis, and their Beatles-esque take on pop music. Radiohead dominated the scene in the latter half, releasing one of the 20th century's greatest works in OK Computer. Now, when I heard of this little group called Spiritualized, I decided to do some pre-listening research. When I found out that their "masterpiece" was released the same year as OK Computer, that NME gave them the best album of 1997 instead of Radiohead, and that they combined space rock, gospel, and alternative rock... I was floored. This band must sound enormous! So naturally, I took the plunge with Spiritualized's magnum opus, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space.
Quite a different experience, this one.
The Album
Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (1997)
We score a simplistic album cover, reminiscent of Earth 2. Not bad, but it doesn't prepare the listener for what lies ahead, really... The album starts out with the title track, with its name being spoken at the very beginning by a lady's voice sealed in an intercom. Then, a voice fades in. The lyrics are a little too sappy for my liking from the get-go. You've got unconventional structures in here, with layered voices, space communications ("I've been told *crackle*", ad nauseam), and soaring arrangements. It sounds great in retrospective, but for some reason... it just doesn't click with me. It's too hopeful, too repetitive. Not really great at all, for that matter. Unfortunately, it didn't set the tone for the album well with me at all. "Come Together" throws away convention as well. God, what am I saying... this entire album takes conventional song structure and trashes it in the worst way possible. This is coming from someone who enjoys unconventional structures! I mean, I discovered music through progressive rock, the cornerstone of unconventional! The track makes some extensive use of the gospel choir that is featured throughout the album. The F Bomb makes a notorious appearance as well, overstaying its welcome a little too long. God knows what else is going on, but the song chugs along with fuzzed out guitar, sleigh bells, and drum beats. Almost-chanted singing tinged with English accents over all this? Nah. Not really the best thing. "I Think I'm In Love" starts out with a nice bass intro, and some synth lines. Now we might be getting somewhere! Is that a harmonica? Very nice touch! The Pink Floyd influences are very strong here, with Gilmour-sounding slide guitar exploring the background, and harmonious voices. Maybe the first two tracks didn't ruin the whole album after all? The song length is promising too, at around 9 minutes! Around 4 minutes, horns accentuate everything and speed the song up a bit. The lyrics are cheesy here, but it works with the tune. "All of My Thoughts" brings us to a quiet intro including piano, strings, and bass. The crescendo commences, and brings in spacey keyboards alongside subdued vocals. The drumming is intense on this track. Quiet reminds me of "Tomorrow Never Knows" from Revolver. Psychedelia is in full swing here. The drumming stops, and the horns stay along for the ride. A little further in, the drums come back with a fuzzed-out guitar solo. The soft-loud-soft-loud-soft structure of this song is very prominent, and definitely owes itself to the grunge scene a mere 7 years before. "Stay With Me" is a very nice slowdown from the previous few tracks. Soft vocals lead throughout. I like to think of this song playing at a post-apocalyptic prom, with young couples slow dancing in the ruins of what used to be their lives. Stunning really... "Electricity" is a straight-ahead rocker. You've got the 60's style keyboards. Fuzz guitar. Crazy harmonica. Frantic drumming. A very nice formula, and an easy song to listen to. Probably one of my favorites off the album. "Home of the Brave" starts out with an almost stream of consciousness. Lovey-dovey lyrics are rampant, as is expected of this album.Thankfully this track is short, as it kind of kills the album's momentum.The orchestral swell leads into "The Individual", fading out the previous track's outro and into its own sax drone. We're talking avant-jazz here, placed over almost Earth-y dronescapes. This continues on for a solid 4 minutes. No place appropriate on the album, whatsoever. Thankfully, the fadeout commences quickly. "Broken Heart" is a departure from the previous track. The opening synths harken back to Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II, and create a very calming atmosphere. Horns and violins nearly turn this track into post-rock. Breathy lyrics work their way into the mix. This feels like it's straight out of the Apollo 13 soundtrack. An embodiment of the new space rock, taking it so much more seriously. One of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard. We're snapped back into reality with the sporadic beeping and church bells that open "No God Only Religion". A fanfare of sorts opens us, and leads into a drumroll. The song feels like some kind of upbeat military tune, or the theme for an evil king. The instrumental nature of this track doesn't really appeal too much to me, along with another free-jazz freakout. Not bad though. "Cool Waves" slows us down again, with a bluesy harmonica layered under airy vocals and violins. A stunning use of the gospel choir leads this track. I mean, as I listen to it... it sends shivers up my spine! It's almost a combination of Americana, chamber music, and gospel music that creates another one of my favorite tracks from the album. The lyrics actually work very well, as cheesy as they may be. The album comes to a close with a 17 minute epic, entitled "Cop Shoot Cop...". A smooth piano intro brings us into the start of our journey. It reminds me strongly of the Finding Nemo soundtrack, curiously enough. Very mellow, enjoyable atmosphere starts us out. Some synths are thrown into the mix, and the vocals come in with a very stoned tone. The lyrics are kinda strange, and for the life of me I cannot interpret them. Shredding guitar blares over the piano lines, bringing in a badass tone. However, at around 6 minutes... we get another avant-garde freakout. For a a solid 7 minutes. REALLY? Maybe if it was like two minutes, the song would be cut down to at least 12 minutes. It completely kills the track for me. At around 12 1/2 minutes, the main theme reappears. A solid 40 seconds of silence closes the album. I don't know what to think, if it was left at the first 6 minutes... it'd be perfect. But with the freakout and fadeout and silence, it comes off as more meh than anything.
The Verdict
Well... I'm not sure what to say. It's kind of bad. But when it's good, it's VERY good. I was honestly turned off by the first two tracks. The two instrumentals could be left off, and Cop Shoot Cop could be cut down. That would leave us with a pleasant 8-track album, which would be sublime! But hey... I liked more than half the album. That's a plus. I honestly don't think it deserved best album of 1997 up against OK Computer, but it will still be valid 20 years from now in the late 1990s rock canon. For fans of Pink Floyd, John Coltrane, Oasis, Eric Dolphy, and the Verve.
When it comes to down-tempo and electronica, a lot of names come to mind. Massive Attack, Portishead, Moby, Bonobo... quite a long list. But last year, a huge name emerged into the scene from the great down under. Australian artist Chet Faker (aka Nick Murphy) combines elements of Massive Attack's trip-hop, Bonobo's soundscapes, and classic soul into a very unique blend. Last year's twin releases Thinking in Textures and Live Sessions were quite a smack in the face to the humble world of electronica. It's fresh and new again.
With only two releases and a full length on the way, Chet Faker has managed to net himself two best indie release awards (both for Thinking in Textures) as well as Breakthrough Artist of the Year from the AIR Awards. If that's not convincing enough, let's take a look at his first two and only releases.
The EPs
Thinking in Textures (2012)
Thinking in Textures is a different record. At around 30 minutes, it's a little long for an EP. The album starts out with ambient bird noises, a nice drum beat, and some electric piano notes from Chet. "I'm Into You" lures the listener in with sensual lyrics, Chet's crooning voice, and steady drum beats. The main chorus really shows off Chet's vocal power, hitting some higher notes in the process. Midway through the track, a brief spoken part between Chet and an unknown female occurs. It definitely makes the track stick out, showing Chet's sensibility towards sexuality. From this first track, the listener will know the album is going to be full of unique versions of Marvin Gay-esque lyrical cliches without the smooth edge. The music does feel very rough, with Chet's voice almost crackling, like he's singing through an intercom. The track slides directly into "Terms and Conditions", with a light electric piano line and some electronic noodling. Once again, the lyrics are skewed towards love, but with a sad tone involving a woman's lover walking in on her cheating with another man, and resorting to drinking. The chorus is very great, with Chet's soulful voice leading the charge. The song itself is very subdued, looking almost towards a minimalistic approach. Following this is a wonderful cover of Blackstreet's hit "No Diggity". The semi-processed vocals from Chet completely change this gangster rap anthem into an almost romantic track. The electric piano notes careen across the left and right stereo channels, practically engulfing the listener in tone. This track is a brilliant flurry of overlapping harmonies, field recordings of playing children, and almost doo-wop background vocals, this track is an amazing overhaul of the classic. To be honest, I'm partial to the version on Live Sessions, which will be discussed later. "Love and Feeling" is full of wishful lyrics, nice 808 beats, and of course, processed vocals. Soaring synths dominate the chorus, which is loaded with innuendo (my body cares only what you say), and Chet's multitracked voice. The operatic sample at the end segues into "Cigarettes and Chocolate", a quasi-instrumental loaded with lightly strummed guitar chords, field recordings, and indistinct vocal lines, presumably from Chet. This is the peak of his trip-hop experimentations, being the longest track on the EP as well. Probably the most unique track on the album, it truly gives off a feeling of sitting in a park on a sunny day, watching children run and scream while enjoying some of life's guilty pleasures, hence the alliterative song title. It seems truly out of place when listened to by itself, but when combined with "Love and Feeling" for a solid 9 1/2 minute medley, one of the best trip-hop tracks is born. "Solo Sunrise" brings the album back to its roots in angsty and lost love. With drifting organ lines and record scratches in the background, Chet enters with his typical lyrics. This is where the album starts to lose a little steam, with an almost re-hashed feeling when the trip-hop medley is complete. Not to say it's a bad song, it just feels... forced. The EP could have easily ended before this track, and would have made listeners clamor for more. Multitracked Chet dominates the track, and easygoing electric piano chords lead the track to an end. "Everything I Ever Wanted" practically buries Chet's intercom vocals in the mix. The minimalistic approach really kills the album's momentum along with "Solo Sunrise". If the two aforementioned tracks were placed before "Love and Feeling/Cigarettes and Chocolate", the album would flow much better. However, the album isn't completely dead. Thinking in Textures manages to cram a bunch of different ideas, themes, and tones into a handy little 30-minute disc. Not bad for a first release. As a matter of fact, it's one of my favorite debut EPs, next to albums like Tool's Opiate, At the Drive In's Hell Paso, and Agalloch's From Which of this Oak.
Live Sessions (2012)
Live Sessions starts out with an almost Floydian bass intro, not unlike "One of These Days". A snap is heard, and a cover of dubstep artist Burial's "Archangel" begins with a solemn piano line.Like "No Diggity", this version of the song is a complete 180 from the original. Sweeping cymbals and guitar scratching accompany the crescendo, leading into a solo spot from Chet and his piano. The pain within his voice is staggering. Managing to bring such a soulful and powerful voice to a live release is near-next to unheard of these days. The drummer kicks in, and the guitar joins with a long tremolo solo topped off by plodding bass. The song takes a darker and more urgent atmosphere, while Chet croons the simple, yet loving lyrics over an ever-growing guitar. Seeing the raw power change from such a subdued studio album is insane. The post-rocky guitar keeps growing and growing, the drum beat grows faster. In the last few seconds, Chet wails the last few lyrics, and the song ends. A snap occurs again, and the electric piano line from "Love and Feeling" brings us back down from the whirlwind journey of "Archangel". The flying synths from the studio version are long gone, and the song is stripped down to a basic soul tune. The addition of a live band makes this version much better than the studio track. Funnily enough, Chet's voice sounds almost like Marcus Mumford's, except with a deeper tinge. Must be the British roots shining through to his Australian heritage. A nice wah guitar helps close out the track. Live chatter segues the track into a random drum roll, then "No Diggity". This is probably one of the best cover versions I've heard in a long time, standing alongside Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" and Johnny Cash's "Hurt". The delicate vocals from the studio version are replaced with Chet's robust voice, and the stereo-trampling piano is reduced to a minimum. Words barely do it justice.
The Verdict
A very easy listen for both. No, I mean it. These albums aren't inaccessible trip-hop and electronica like Portishead and Massive Attack. Matter of fact, they make for a great springboard into the genres. If you're into indietronica, these gems will shine in your collection. However, the difference between the two is proof that analog recording (Live Sessions if you're wondering) is a better format for this type of music.
