- Release Info -------------------------------------------------------------- -
Artist: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Album: Xenophanes
Label: Rodriguez Lopez Productions
Playtime: 44:47 min
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
URL: http://rodriguezlopezproductions.com/
Rip date: 2009-10-26
Street date: 2009-00-00
Size: 72.24 MB
Type: Normal
Quality: 215 kbps / 4410kHz / Joint Stereo
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
Xenophanes is the 12th solo album released by Mars Volta composer and
frontman Omar Rodriguez-L≤pez.
Contributors are as follows:
* Omar Rodriguez-L≤pez - Producer, guitars, vocals
* Juan Alderete de la Pe±a - Bass
* Thomas Pridgen - Drums
* Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez - Percussion, keyboards
* Mark Aanderud - Additional keyboards
* Ximena Sari±ana - Backing vocals
The albums that make up Omar Rodriguez-L≤pez's solo career fall for the most
part into two recording periods, the first being the period between the break
up of At The Drive-In and the formation of The Mars Volta (Absence, Minor
Cuts, etc.), the second being the Amsterdam series (Se Dice, Megaritual,
etc.). Xenophanes was recorded in 2008 in Zapopan, Mexico, marking the start
of a new chapter in his solo career, a fact that is easily heard in the large
shift in sound from the Amsterdam sessions. Xenophanes sounds closer to The
Mars Volta than it does to any of his previous solo albums.
After the ambient intro Azoemia ends and Mundo De Ciegos kicks in, the amount
of focus is apparent. I can't help but compare it to his older work, and it's
like comparing a half-finished collage of magazine cutouts to a finished
painting. Songs are structured and focused, gone are the meandering fifteen
minute guitar and keys wank-athons. There is a greater emphasis on melody and
less of an emphasis on how many notes are played. After listening to the
whole thing, it actually feels like one coherent statement, something that
can't be said for much of anything else released under Omar's many monikers.
Another first on this album is the fact that Rodriguez-L≤pez handles vocal
duties as well (aided by Ximena Sari±ana), and he proves to be more than
adequate. I can't help but wonder how much of this is really his voice and
how much is studio magic, and it's hard to tell due to the myriad of vocal
effects employed, but the end product is satisfying. This is also the first
studio record featuring Ximena Sari±ana and Mark Aanderud. I'm not usually a
fan of female vocalists, but Ximena's performance is very good. Employing two
vocalists, one male and one female, provides some great vocal harmonies. In
the song "Asco Que Conmueve Los Puntos Er≤genos", both voices are kind of
blended together, and while it sounds strange, the effect is very powerful.
The lyrics are sung exclusively in Spanish, so I can't really comment on
them. Mark Aanderud's contribution on the piano gives a jazzy/salsa edge to
the punk-funk core of the rhythm section and acid drenched guitar leads.
Xenophanes is produced as well as any Volta record, another factor that
distinguishes it from the rest of Omar's solo catalog. Every instrument can
be heard, even though there is often a lot going on. It's all layered very
well, as opposed to sounding like it was just thrown together.
If I had to put Xenophanes in a genre, I'd make a new one called interstellar
punk-funk. On my first listen, I constantly thought of outer space. The
guitar tones and the vocals provide the soaring-spacey feel even though the
actual music is pretty dense. Thomas Pridgen and Juan Alderete work very well
as a combo, building a core that is sometimes straight up rock, sometimes
downright funky, and always solid.
In the end, I am very satisfied with this record. I expected it to be another
average Omar release, and I expected having to wade through a bunch of
nonsense to find the gems that may or may not be hiding somewhere in the
album. Turns out it's his first real album that has substance, a coherent and
concise statement. If you've never heard any of Omar's solo projects before,
there's no greater place to start.
- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. Azoemia ( 2:49)
02. Mundo de Ciegos ( 4:00)
03. Ojo al Cristo de Plata ( 7:06)
04. Amanita Virosa ( 3:15)
05. Sangrando Detrßs de los Ojos ( 2:03)
06. Desarraigo ( 5:54)
07. Asco Que Conmueve los Puntos Er≤genos ( 4:06)
08. Oremos ( 4:48)
09. Perder el Arte de la Raz≤n Sin Mover in S≤lo Dedo ( 3:30)
10. Flores de Ciza±a ( 3:45)
11. Marφa Celeste ( 3:31)
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