Despite the fact that they’re also reuniting with their old band, At The Drive-In, for Coachella stops and a tour, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López will put out another record as Mars Volta later this spring. Today, they revealed the first single from Noctourniquet, “The Malkin Jewel,” and it’s a lurching, sloppy (in a good way) psych jam that channels a different vibe than their best-known, grandiose style. Stream it below…

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Well, we sure as hell didn’t see this coming. As Consequence Of Sound points out, the amazing livewire ’90s/early-’00s Texan post-hardcore band At The Drive-In are back together and ready to make noise again. In the wake of the badass 2000 album Relationship Of Command, the band went on indefinite hiatus, spinning off into component parts the Mars Volta and Sparta. But now they’ve got a Twitter, and today the Twitter posted this missive: “¡ ATTENTION ! To whom it may concern: AT THE DRIVE-IN will be breaking their 11 year silence THIS STATION IS …NOW…OPERATIONAL.” We don’t have any news yet on what the band’s reunion plans might be, but I wouldn’t bet against a Coachella appearance.

Soundgarden stopped by the Forum in Los Angeles for an epic twenty-five song set that included a bonus of Mike McCready from Pearl Jam joining the band for “Superunknown.” The Mars Volta provided support and probably won’t ever reunite as At The Drive-In.

When the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival first launched, the idea of canonizing an iconic album with a track-for-track live performance was still a novel concept. A decade later the album-recreation bit has become another salable gimmick for non-ATP acts trading on nostalgia to line their post-prime coffers, and even ATP has on occasion conferred the honor of total replication on LPs of questionably classic status. But still, as their hailed (if underattended) New York installments have proven time and again, All Tomorrow’s Parties is the single most immersive, unique, and satisfying party corporate-sponsor-free money can buy. And to that we tip our caps, and were glad to send photographers Elena Morelli and Andrea DiCenzo to capture the proceedings at the Ten Years Of ATP blowout at the Butlins resort in Minehead. The lineup was typically spectacular, instead of Steve Albini schooling you in poker Kelley Deal was on hand to school you in crocheting, and Crispin Glover was on hand for some readings and film sessions. Magic. Congrats ATP. Enjoy the spread of photos, and if you’re interested in a DVD memorializing all yesterday’s parties — 10 years worth via 50 minutes of full-length performances, a 40 page booklet, and etc. — head to warpfilmstore.com.

While we were rocking the Catskills, enjoying what Wayne Coyne said was “the greatest collection of underground music ever assembled,” dozens of other great indie bands (and a few hip-hop luminaries) put on a much larger mountain festival in Morrison, Colorado. In its third year Monolith delivered rain from the get-go, but that only served to boost attendance at the smaller indoor stages for performances by Cymbals Eat Guitars, the Antlers, and HEALTH. Neon Indian was a draw too; it was the Alan Palomo project’s third ever live show, which explains why his band needed lyric sheets. MSTRKRFT cancelled due to illness, so Phoenix took their spot, upgrading to the main Esurance Music Stage, which also hosted headliners Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Mars Volta. Photographer David Hutchinson took it all in and delivered these pics.

Omar Rodríguez-López has a new band. The Mars Volta songwriter/multi-instrumentalist is calling it El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodríguez-López because it rolls off the tongue but he could also call it Hella Volta. That’s because alongside Omar the psych/prog/fusion outfit features Hella’s Zach Hill and Jonathan Hischke on drums and synth bass and Mars Volta’s Juan Alderete and Cedric Bixler-Zavala on bass guitar and vocals. Basically El Grupo is designed to kick your ass. Forthcoming debut LP Cryptomnesia (the first in a trilogy) was actually recorded as an instrumental in 2006. It took two years to add vocals, but we’ll cut Cedric some slack because some of those time signatures can give you a migraine.

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It’s not quite the DJ Shadow and ?uestlove collabing effort once promised, and it’s nothing to do with those shelved Trent Reznor sessions, but whatever, Zack is officially ready to return to a recorded format near you. The project’s dubbed One Day As A Lion, pulled from a tag in a 1970 photo by photographer George Rodriguez, and pairs Zack of the Rocha with ex-Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore. It’s been almost nine years since the ex-Rager’s released a full-length of original material, and sorry it’ll be a while longer still. But there is an EP coming later this month via Anti-. The only question left: is One Day As A Lion a warning delivered, or a promise kept? Zack writes:

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On first blush we all agreed Sasquatch! pulled together one of the lineups to beat of this glutted summer festival season, which is why we’re psyched that, despite not having made the trip ourselves, we were able to send photog Chona Kasinger in our stead to capture the Lips/Mouse/R.E.M. & M.I.A.-heavy lineup. Rainn Wilson was there, people got arrested for mushrooms, the Lips had naked women onstage … but the following photo set is Schrute and ‘shroom free, and also totally SFW.

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With all the new summer music events vying for your attention, we understand if you’ve got festival announcement burnout. Consider adding ACL to your wish list, though, as they’ve just announced a ton of great bands who’ll be visiting Zilker Park 9/26-9/28. Foo Fighters, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Beck, Manu Chao, John Fogerty, David Byrne, The Raconteurs, and Mars Volta are headlining (that’s fun for the whole family). Three day passes go for $170 at aclfestival.com. Read on for the full line-up. (SPOILER: No Jack Johnson.)

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