The Mars Volta is a Grammy Award-winning American progressive rock group formed in 2001 by guitarist Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez and vocalist Cedric Bixler Zavala. They incorporate various influences including punk rock, jazz fusion, funk and latin/salsa into their sound. They are known for their energetic and improvisational live shows, as well as their concept-based studio albums. In 2009, the band won a Grammy in the Best Hard Rock Performance category for the song Wax Simulacra. They were named rock music's Best Prog-Rock Band of 2008 by Rolling Stone magazine. The roots of The Mars Volta are found in the band At the Drive-In. Due to creative differences and discomfort with mainstream success, Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala quit At the Drive-In in 2001. The remaining members of At the Drive-In formed Sparta. During 2001, the band recorded two songs with former-Laddio Bolocko drummer Blake Fleming and producer Alex Newport, which became their first demo. The lineup for their first public show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California was Rodriguez-Lopez, Bixler-Zavala, Owens, Gardner, Ward, and drummer Jon Theodore. This lineup recorded three more tracks with Alex Newport, which became the EP Tremulant, released as a limited edition in early 2002. Read more at: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Mars+Volta/+wiki. |