Omar Rodriguez-López Band • Page 3

that was siiiiick - best Omar I've heard in a long minute

focused, shit load of groove and sweet sweet licks

and what's up with that drummer/synth player? who the fuck is that? o__o

 

That would be deantoni parks

 

Old Money (2008)

This album was "hinted at," re: Stones Throw, to be the potential follow up album to TMV's Amputechture before they shifted gears towards Bedlam, and you can definitely feel the TMV vibes on more than a few tracks, most certainly on the opening track which is absolutely killer, such a fantastic kickoff to a fantastic album. Easily one of Omar's most accesable albums and sounds the most like what TMV was creating at the time, well worth a listen!

Stand out tracks are "The Power of Myth" "Family War Funding" and "Old Money"

4.5 out of 5 Omars

 

Megaritual (2009)

The last album of the "Amsterdam Series," recorded fully with his brother Marcel (Eureka the Butcher, Zecks Marquise, some TMV) as an "exercise to be closer to my brother" - Omar. The first trio of songs together make up one 10-minute jam full of what you'd expect from Omar at this point, in a good way, honestly pretty impressed that only two people make up the full band sound found here.

Something about this album is kinda... soothing to me overall, it kinda glides along really nicely. Never gets too crazy, but stays interesting the whole way through.

4 out of 5 Omars

 

Despair (2009)

Do not like. Bad bad not good. "field recordings" and other noises from Omar, I wouldn't call this music at all, just long extended noises and every track honestly sounds the same.

0 out of 5 Omars

 

Damn, I'm lagging behind from all these great albums from everywhere so I havent listened past corazones yet.

But damn that's my favorite album from him in years, arrest my father is a jam!

 

His new stuff is getting backlogged for me already as I attempt to run through everything else before getting there, hah

 

Cryptomnesia (2009)

This album is pretty amazing. Omar, Cedric, Juan and Zach Hill (Hella, Death Grips) on drums, almost a Mars Volta album. All the music was recorded in 2006 around the time of Old Money, then two years later Cedric went in and added vocals. Definitely one of the heaviest and craziest albums Omar and Cedric have released together, very hectic, a lot due to Zach's drumming style.

5 out of 5 Omars

 

Who is fucking incredible. Check out his solo stuff, it's amazing.

 

Arañas en La Sombra is out

 

And the first single for Umbrella Mistress

 

Cover art is weird, hah

 

Xenophanes (2009)

Ever wonder what The Mars Volta would sound like with Omar as lead vocalist? This is it, and he actually does a damn good job carrying the band and even sounds a lot like Cedric in many places. Apparently Thomas Pridgen actually thought he was recording a TMV album when they were making this one, hah. Omar's girlfriend at the time, Ximena Sariñana shows up for a few tracks to lend her vocals as well.

This album is really good. Go listen to it.

5 out of 5 Omars

 

Solar Gambling (2009)

This album is Omar's first to feature Ximena Sariñana as the lead vocalist for the entire record which is also kinda the lead off of Omar working with female singers, more recently with Teri Gender Bender.

This is another album that could 100% be TMV musically, but it's pretty cool how adding Ximena over the music totally changes the mood & feel rather than if Cedric was singing. You can kinda guess how Cedric would sing these songs, but I really enjoy Ximena's soothing voice over sometimes chaotic music.

4 out of 5 Omars

 

Ciencia de los Inútiles (2010)

Recorded as "El Trio de Omar Rodriguez Lopez" this is definitely the most laid back and minimal you might ever hear Omar's guitar playing. All acoustic, plus a double bass, this album comes off more as a Ximena solo album, as she carries the whole album herself for the most part.

It's nice, it's pretty, but kinda boring by the end TBH

2.5 of 5 Omars

 

Sepulcros de Miel (2010)

A single 30-minute jam session with Omar, Juan, Marcel and John Frusciante, split into tracks. TBH it's not all that exciting aside from the "fly-on-the-wall" feeling of listening in on a jam session. Nice background music, but not something I'd find myself re-visiting a ton

2 of 5 Omars

 

Umbrella Mistress is out

 

First single from El Bien y mal Nos Une "Un Acto de fe"

 

My Omar album backlog is growing because of my own dumb plan to run through his back catalog again. Oh well, I'm having fun revisiting everything

 

Tychozorente (2010)

Here's an interesting album, an Omar album featuring no guitar! A collaboration with DJ Nobody and Ximena on vocals, this album both sounds nothing like his other albums, but somehow still has the same vibe. It's quite interesting.

This album contains four songs with Ximena singing and four songs with Omar whispering sensually, which is oddly soothing, hah. Overall it's a curiously interesting album but pretty cool.

3 out of 5 Omars

 

Cizaña de los Amores (2010)

I gotta say, this is one of the least compelling Omar albums to me. It's far, far from being bad but there isn't really much here that you can't find on the previous album. Ximena sings on the majority of this album aside from Lisa Papineau on two tracks, both of which sound like they are from a completely different recording session and don't quite fit with all the Ximena tracks.

If you like Tychozorente, this is kinda a companion piece to it for the most part.

2 of 5 Omars

 

Mantra Hiroshima (2010)

Omar's second album with Zach Hill on drums, featuring Juan on bass, all instrumental album. I kinda expected to like this album more than I did, it's not as exciting as I had hoped for like the El Groupo Nuevo album was, even taking out Cedric's vocals. It's not bad at all, but it doesn't quite hit any great highs or memorable moments.

2 out of 5 Omars

 

Un Escorpión Perfumado (2010)

Recorded with Deantoni on drums and Marcel on synths, Omar covers the rest of this album, including vocals. For some reason I recall this being the soundtrack for a film that never came out, but that could be totally wrong, I don't see it listed that way on wiki.

I actually really enjoy this album, it has it's own sort of dark/menacing sound to it that isn't found much on previous releases. Omar sounds pretty good on vocals, it at least works well with the music.

3 out of 5 Omars

 

Un Corazón de Nadie (2012)

Omar's first foray into electronic music, recorded and performed completely by himself. It's kinda a meandering album of strange dark sounds and strangely sang vocals throughout. I don't find it very enjoyable, but I guess it's cool he tried something new.

1 out of 5 Omars