Omar Rodriguez-López Band • Page 2

Omar Rodriguez (2005)

First in the series of "Amsterdam" releases, vocal-less album. Opening track doesn't have much going for it, but the album picks up after that. "Rogenbogen" is a 10-minute repetitive little jam that showcases first some guitar solos then a long run of saxophone. "Jacob Van Lennepkade" is on this album in the first of two versions, a 17-minute guitar led journey.

Overall the sound of the album reminds me of the more laid back Mars Volta tracks, or a less produced companion to Frances The Mute, which makes sense as the band on this album shares Omar, Marcel and Adrian with TMV.

I give it 2.5 out of 5 Omars

 

playing Noctourniquet for the first time in a loooong minute

I'm really enjoying this mother, heavy synth use

 

Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo (2007)

Second in the "Amsterdam Series," features Cedric singing on three tracks, including "Rapid Fire Toolbooth" which turned into a Mars Volta song. Features many other TMV musicians on various tracks.

Honestly this is like a lost TMV album with slightly less Cedric, my fav Omar album

5 out of 5 Omars

 

yeah, I really used to like this one

I remember it being a more laid-back version of la Volta

 

I've never been too heavily into his solo stuff. Bisonte, old money, manual dexterity are tight though. And I'm really enjoying sworn virgins

 

Corazones

1. We Feel The Silence
2. Running Away
3. It Was Her
4. Dead Heart
5. Lola
6. Sea Is Rising
7. Certainty
8. Arrest My Father
9. Some Sort of Justice
10. Five Different Pieces
11. If I Told You the Truth I Would Be Made of Lies


Digital preorder


:edit: some additional info

For this record, I was contracted to make music for a movie that didn’t materialize. The producer wanted the songs and especially the lyrics to be straight and simple. When my mother, who was the main inspiration for the record, passed away I had to hire my friend Sam Margolis to help me finish the production. 2012.

 

Info on the next two albums:


08/12: Blind Worms Pious Swine:
One of the last solo records before forming Bosnian Rainbows, this album was the first to be recorded in El Paso after moving back from Mexico. 2012. Teri Gender Bender guests.

08/26:Arañas en La Sombra:
This is the oldest record in the series and features sessions with original Mars Volta members Ikey Owens, Eva Gardner and Jon Theodore. John Frusciante guests. 2012

 

So cool

 

Very interested in Arañas en La Sombra

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Releasing Album Recorded With Original Mars Volta Lineup, John Frusciante

 

That's really exciting

 

now that Frusci is out of the Peppers, it would be amazing to have Omar reform la Volta with Frusci as a studio and touring member

O_O

 

yes please!

 

"Running Away" from Corazones now available to stream

 

The Apocalypse Inside Of An Orange (2007)

The opening track is really a great start to this album, the sax leading the song it 100% feels like an instrumental from a lost TMV album. The re-vamped Jacob Van Lennepkade is a sweet little jam session with guitar and sax solos being traded back and forth for 20 minutes. Not really a fan of "Fuerza," a bit too much robotic voice for me, haha. "Spared" and "Baby Fat" and "Coma Pony" are all really cool jams as well, when this album is good is really good. The title track is a bit meandering and long, not much really happens.

4 out of 5 Omars

 

Calibration (Is Pushing Luck and Key Too Far) (2007)

Another "Amsterdam Series" release with a rotating cast of contributors and more insanity. Two tracks feature Cedric singing, but this album definitely is far apart from TMV-type music. Overall this has a bit too much.... noisy moments for me, it gets a bit lost in the maddness and I struggle to find something melodic to hold onto. "Calibration" is a good example of this where it starts off pretty cool with Cedric singing, but by the end I almost have to stop the song it gets so noisy, hah.

Overall, not really a fan of this album, there are moments that I enjoy but mostly nahhhhh

1.5 out of 5 Omars

 

Corazones is out now


As is the first song from the next album "Blind Worms, Pious Swine"

 

I like a lot of this.

 

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fungus (2008)

This album was actually created post-At The Drive In and pre-The Mars Volta, featuring members of TMV on various tracks. The opening track is fucking great, a must-listen upbeat jam that simply sounds like a TMV song without Cedric, it also contains elements that went on to be used in "Eriatarka" on De-Loused.

The second and third tracks are a bit more spacey and solo, but track 4 "Tied Prom Digs On the Docks" is another TMV-like full band jam that contains elements that seem to have been used again in a few TMV tracks I can't quite put my finger on right now. The album really loses me at "Mood Swings," definitely one of the harder to listen to tracks from Omar.

"A Story Teeth Rotted For" was revisited for parts of TMV's "Teflon" off Octohedron, the last track on this is nice too. Overall the first half has more cool stuff than the second half, but it's one of his stronger releases

3.5 out of 5 Omars

 

Why Is Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Releasing 12 Albums in Six Months?

Why Is Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Releasing 12 Albums in Six Months?

 

folks, more like why is omar rodriguez-lopez releasing one album in six months

 

Sooo the new ORL album has an Ellie Goulding cover

 

And he's put out the first song from Arañas en La Sombra (the album with Ikey , Eva Gardner and Jon Theodore)

 

haha... what?!?!?!?

 

Minor Cuts and Scrapes in the Bushes Ahead (2008)

....I don't like this album at all, way too spacey and freeform, lots of noises that don't really sound pleasing to my ears hah. Best tracks is probably "Pawn Shop Blues" I guess.

0 of 5 Omars