“Wax Simulacra” by The Mars Volta
From the 2008 album The Bedlam in Goliath

The sound here is disappointingly bad, but this is nonetheless a rare treat: these days you just don’t see this kind of unkempt mayhem on a network talk show, even Letterman. The band’s blustery intensity and dazzling skill shine through despite the fact that the cymbals drown out just about everything else in the mix. And Cedric’s white microphone is one of the weirdest things I’ve seen in a while — but the way he waves that white cord around looks pretty cool.

If you’d like to hear a better version of the song, the music video is also available on YouTube. (Embedding disabled by request.)

“L’Via L’Viaquez” by The Mars Volta
From the 2005 album Frances the Mute

The Mars Volta is one of the most intense, inventive and successful prog bands operating today. It’s tough to hang that label on a modern band — especially one that’s commercially successful — and have it stick, but in this case I don’t think there’s any question that this is a “prog” band. They might be able to boil this 12-minute track down to a digestible, radio-friendly 4-minute single, but that doesn’t change the fact that the album is centered around a 33-minute multi-part epic that sounds like Meddle-era Pink Floyd on speed… if that’s possible.

The only complaint I have about The Mars Volta is their production, or (most likely) more accurately, their mastering. The loudness wars have hit this band hard, and they’re passing the abuse on to your eardrums.