Bosnian Rainbows

Bosnian Rainbows was an American experimental/indie/alternative/art-rock band active in 2012 and 2013 and established by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez with Teri Gender Bender from Le Butcherettes and W.A.D.A. duo of Mars Volta's drummer Deantoni Parks and his frequent collaborator, keyboardist Nicci Kasper. The group's sole self-titled album, Bosnian Rainbows CD/2×LP, came out in June 2013. Bosnian Rainbows remained dormant since, though not formally disbanded. In October 2016, Omar and Teri reunited as Crystal Fairy with Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover of Melvins. Omar Rodriguez Lopez brought a new ensemble together in mid-2012 when he moved back to El Paso after The Mars Volta completed a European tour promoting its sixth studio album, Noctourniquet. Initially, he only planned to place TMV on a temporary break, but the band soon dissolved, with Cedric Bixler-Zavala publicly announcing his departure in January 2013. (Nine years later, The Mars Volta reunited.) In September 2012, Bosnian Rainbows embarked on its first tour with over 40 shows scheduled in the USA, Europe, and Japan. The concerts were already booked and announced for Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group, with the new band only revealed shortly before the opening night. They chose Clouds Hill Studios in Hamburg, Germany, as the rehearsal base; Rodriguez-Lopez first met the studio's founder and owner, Johann Scheerer, in 2009, working with his band Taka-Takaz. Bosnian Rainbows recorded one of the practice sessions, later released in December 2012 as part of Clouds Hill Vinyl Box#3 "...Live At Clouds Hill" 7×10"/DVD boxset, and on separate Live At Clouds Hill 10" in November 2013. In October 2012, on the break after the European leg of the tour, Bosnian Rainbows recorded studio material at Clouds Hill Recordings, produced by Johann Scheerer on analog gear without computers in the signal chain. (According to Scheerer's subsequent posts on "The Comatorium," a now-defunct Mars Volta fan forum, they recorded enough material for several records. Circa 2016, an anonymous user leaked an unreleased album by Bosnian Rainbows online; one of the tracks was an alternative version of "La Uva" from A Raw Youth, a third album by Le Butcherettes.) The band's self-titled Bosnian Rainbows came out on 25 June 2013, co-released in the USA by Omar's private label Rodriguez Lopez Productions with Sargent House on CD and 2×LP (on regular black vinyl and two colored editions). The album debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's "Top Heatseekers" chart in the United States. In Europe, Bosnian Rainbows was co-released and distributed via Clouds Hill Ltd., with a CD and limited hand-numbered 2×LP edition of 600 copies in various colors. In February 2017, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez released Chocolate Tumor Hormone Parade, his sixteenth solo album on Ipecac Recordings, based primarily on live recordings made in 2012 with Juan Alderete de la Peña on bass, Deantoni Parks drumming, and Teri Gender Bender as a vocalist. However, Omar re-recorded and overdubbed all bass parts in the studio, with the final release only crediting Deantoni and Teri. Bosnian Rainbows Omar Rodriguez-Lopez — guitar, backing vocals, keyboards Teri Gender Bender — lead vocals Deantoni Parks — drums, keyboards Nicci Kasper — keyboards & synth