The Mars Volta is a Grammy Award winning American progressive rock group formed in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala. They incorporate various influences including punk rock, jazz fusion, funk and Latin/Salsa into their sound. They are known for their energetic and improvisational live shows, as well as their concept-based studio albums. In 2009, the band won a Grammy in the "Best Hard Rock Performance" category for the song "Wax Simulacra." They were nam