Cedric Bixler-Zavala

Infobox musical artist

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Name = Cedric Bixler Zavala


Img_capt = Cedric Bixler Zavala in 2008
Img_size =
Background = solo_singer
Born = birth date and age|1974|11|4 Redwood City, California, U.S.
Origin = El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Instrument = vocals, Drums, Bass, Maracas, Guitar, Tambourine
Genre = Progressive rock, post-hardcore, experimental rock, art rock, psychedelic rock, alternative rock, jazz fusion, electronica, dub, reggae
Occupation = Musician, Songwriter, Singer, Drummer
Years_active = 1993–present
Label =
Associated_acts = The Mars Volta
De Facto
At the Drive-In
The Fall on Deaf Ears
URL =
Notable_instruments =

Cedric Bixler Zavala (born November 4, 1974 in Redwood City, California) is the lead singer and lyricist of The Mars Volta, and was previously the lead singer, lyricist and occasional guitarist of At the Drive-In, and also, the drummer of De Facto. He is a dietary vegan. [ [http://happycow.net/famous/cedric_bixlerzavala/ Cedric Bixler-Zavala is a vegan - Famous Vegetarians - Vegan Celebrities - by HappyCow ] ] [cite web
url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/arts/music/16volt.html?ref=music)&pagewanted=all
title=The Mars Volta - Music - Review - New York Times
publisher=www.nytimes.com
accessdate=2008-06-28
last=
first=]

Lyrical and vocal style

Bixler-Zavala's lyrics are often abstract to the point of nonsensical. These lyrics often blend contrasting metaphors, usually dealing with grotesque, speculative fiction imagery. In addition Bixler-Zavala has explained that his lyrics are written and developed to match the tone and atmosphere of the instrumental music. He has been noted for his extensive vocabulary yet once commented that despite such praise, he is a high school dropout [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxapvzbDBwY] . He has cited a variety of influences, such as Werner Herzog, Luis Buñuel, Neu!, Doctor Who, Syd Barrett, Damo Suzuki, and Mexican folk tales. He has also experimented with bilingual lyrics, switching from English to Spanish several times within the course of a song. The Mars Volta's album De-Loused in the Comatorium was accompanied by a short novel of the same name, written in the same metaphorical style. The lyrics were arranged by Cedric and Jeremy Ward. Much of his vocal work operates in the higher register (displayed in songs such as Inertiatic ESP), and he often uses falsetto.

On-stage behavior

Bixler Zavala is renowned for his on-stage behavior. He frequently does somersaults on stage, swings his microphone (once unintentionally hitting band mate Ikey Owens in the head), throws objects such as cymbals, microphone stands, and trash cans into the audience, salsa dances, sarcastically mocked an audience once due to not complying with safety rules, adjusts Omar Rodriguez's effects pedals and plays the maracas. Previously Bixler Zavala was a heavy drug user and his antics were credited to this, however, he quit using opioids (along with bandmate Omar Rodriguez-Lopez) following the overdose and death of Jeremy Michael Ward and the antics have continued.

Bixler Zavala demonstrated very strong views on moshing and crowd surfing. He infamously walked off stage 10 minutes into an At The Drive-In performance at the 2001 Big Day Out festival in Sydney. He had previously asked the audience to calm down and observe the safety rules ("Let's dance, rather than beat the shit out of each other..."). After the refusal of the crowd, Zavala told the crowd, "I think it's a very very sad day when the only way you can express yourself is through slamdancing! Are you all typically white people? Y'all look like it to me!" then after pointing at an audience member crowd surfing saying, "Look at that... You learned that from the TV! You didn't learn that from your best friend!" and finally stating to the crowd, "You're a robot, you're a sheep!" before bleating at them several times, finishing with, "I've got a microphone and you don't! You're a sheep, you watch TV way too much!" and leaving the stage. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzBgZZzdrxk] At the Drive-In at Big Day Out 2001]

Despite these views, Bixler Zavala has been known to venture out into crowds, sexually disturb security guards, and grab and throw various objects found in the venue.

He has also displayed a dislike of fans smoking cigarettes at Mars Volta shows [http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2008/01/24/Arts/Concert.Review.The.Mars.Volta-3166418.shtml] .

Instrumentalist and Alavaz Relxib Cirdec Recordings

Bixler Zavala played the drums in the experimental reggae dub group De Facto, and occasionally played guitar and drums with At the Drive-In.

Under the pseudonym "Alavaz Relxib Cirdec" ("Cedric Bixler Zavala" with the order of the letters reversed), Bixler Zavala contributed a 2-song single to the GSL Special 12 Singles Series, released in December 2005. The inversion of his name is very appropriate, seeing as the musical styles shown on his GSL single would be unexpected to an uninformed fan of his more mainstream contributions. Closer to the Dub of De Facto and the ambient experimentation shown in Omar Rodriguez-Lopez records than the prog-rock of The Mars Volta, the two songs Bixler Zavala has produced under this alias are entirely instrumental, with the exception of samples of speech that can be heard on "Live Private Booths". "Live Private Booths" is a funky Fela Kuti-style jam featuring flute, drums, bass, guitars and samples, while "Sapta-Loka" is a more ambient exploration of eastern-style drones, with subtle, haunting instrumentation.

Discography

With Foss

*"El Paso Pussycats"

With Los Dregtones

*"5 Song Alibi" (1994)

With Phantasmagoria

With The Fall on Deaf Ears

* "The Fall on Deaf Ears EP" (1996)

With At the Drive-In

* "Hell Paso" (1994) - re-release EP
* "Alfaro Vive, Carajo!" (1995) - EP
* "Acrobatic Tenement" (1996, re-release 2004) - LP
* "El Gran Orgo" - (1997) - EP
* "In/Casino/Out" (1998, re-release 2004) - LP
* "Vaya" (1999, re-release 2004) - EP
* "Relationship of Command" (2000, re-release 2004) - LP
* "This Station Is Non-Operational" (2005) - Compilation

=With De Facto=

*"How Do You Dub? You Fight For Dub, You Plug Dub In" LP (1999/2001)
*"456132015" EP (2001)
*"Megaton Shotblast" LP (2001)
*"Légende du Scorpion à Quatre Queues" LP (2001)

With The Mars Volta

*"Tremulant" - EP (2002)
*"De-Loused in the Comatorium" - LP (2003)
*"Live" - EP (2003)
*"Frances the Mute" - LP (2005)
*"Scabdates" - LP (2005)
*"Amputechture" - LP (2006)
*"The Bedlam in Goliath" - LP (2008)

As Alavaz Relxib Cirdec

*"The Special 12 Singles Series" - Single (2005)

Guest appearances

* "" - Various Artists backed by the Rollins Band (2002)
* "Decomposition" - Thavius Beck
* "Plasticity Index" - Sand Which Is
* "" - Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2004)
* "White People" - Handsome Boy Modeling School (2004)
*"Omar Rodriguez" - Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2005)
*"Blood Mountain" - Mastodon (2006)
*"I'll Sleep When You're Dead" - El-P (2007)
*"Se Dice Bisonte, No Bùfalo" - Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group (2007)
*"Calibration (Is Pushing Luck and Key Too Far)" - Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2007)

References

External links

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