Considering how The Mars Volta's songs are so complexly intertwined, it would only make sense that the band's ever-expanding family of related projects are bound together as well. In November, two such groups, Zechs Marquise and Free Moral Agents take to the road to show us how this brood continues to grow.
Zechs Marquise features multi-instrumentalist Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez (who also plays in The Mars Volta) and bassist Marfred Rodriguez-Lopez, both siblings to legendary guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. Free Moral Agents is a collective of musicians founded by The Mars Volta's Grammy Award winning keyboardist Isaiah "Ikey" Owens. A new promotional video has been released courtesy of Rodriguez Lopez Productions (watch HERE.) Please see complete tour dates below.
While sharing The Mars Volta's penchant for expansive passages, Zechs Marquise takes a hazier, psych-laden approach to its songs, as evident on its 15-track debut album Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare which was released in Fall 2009 via Rodriguez Lopez Productions.
Zechs Marquise formed in El Paso, Texas during the spring of 2003 when brothers Marfred and Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez came together with childhood friends Matthew Wilkson and Marcos Smith. The group soon named itself after a popular Japanese anime character and hit the studio to record its first album during the late summer months of 2004. That studio effort was later scrapped and in June 2006 the band instead released 34:26, a live improved set that showed its great range of talents and influences. By fall of 2006, Zechs was touring the west coast consistently, sharing the stage with such eclectic acts as Daedelus, Busdriver, The Album Leaf, (DJ) Nobody, Daddy Kev, The Gaslamp Killer, and Totimoshi.
July 2007 saw the band return to the recording studio. Having learned from the difficulties of their first attempt, the quintet decided to keep all of the recording in house, purchasing a mixing board, microphones, and Pro Tools in order to track all of the recordings themselves. After a few days in their studios, dubbed Castle Greyskull and El Morro, the members realized they had enough material for a full length album. The record, Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare, was completed in February 2008.
Zechs Marquise then spent time on the road, auspiciously touring with Free Moral Agents & Blank Blue. In March 2009, the band made its first adventure overseas to Europe, opening for the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group, in which Marcel -- then performing double duty -- is also a player. During the overseas tour, Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare was released in Europe by RLP/Willie Anderson Recordings on CD as well as the first pressing of the album on vinyl.
In May 2009, Zechs Marquise signed on to the prestigious management roster at Sargent House and released Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare in the U.S. on vinyl and CD on August 25th through Rodriguez Lopez Productions.
ZECHS MARQUISE w/ FREE MORAL AGENTS TOUR:
Nov 7 - Black Market - El Paso, TX
Nov 8 - The Mohawk - Austin, TX w/Trail of Dead, An Albatross
Nov 9 - The Star Bar - Beaumont, TX
Nov 10 - Sadies - Lafayette, LA
Nov 11 - Low Key Arts - Hot Spring, AR
Nov 12- Smoke & Barrel - Fayetteville, AR
Nov 13 - The Brick - Kansas City, MO
Nov 14 - Reggie's - Chicago, IL
Nov 15 - The Frequency - Madison, WI
Nov 16- Mixtapes - East Moline, IL
Nov 17 - Bourbon Theater - Lincoln, NE
Nov 18 - Old Curtis Tavern - Denver, CO
Nov 19 - High Mayhem - Santa Fe, NM
http://zechsmarquise.bandcamp.com
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