Sparta frontman, solo artist, and former At the Drive In guitarist Jim Ward is selling a bunch of his guitars on eBay, including a 64 Gibson SG and a Fernandes Monterey he used in At The Drive In. Tell your mom to cough up some dough and bid on that shit, coward.

No, I didn’t actually see At The Drive In live when I had the chance. All my friends raved about them, but I was too busy being a hippy to take much notice. Hell, I was still figuring out the Dismemberment Plan, and all ATDI’s wiry guitars confused and scared me just a little bit. My brain wasn’t ready for their epic assault until a month before they broke up and splintered into Sparta (yay!) and Mars Volta (blech). Then did I actually sit down and check out what all the fuss was about. Man, I must have missed some great 60-person crowd shows. Any case, all the Mars Volta fans who aren’t hip to At The Drive In better be prepared to get their faces ripped off by ATDI with the release of Guitar Hero IV.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2008 — Huntington Beach, CA

Pick up your guitar and shred along to “One Armed Scissor” by At the Drive-In this summer on Guitar Hero IV. The game will be released this June on all major platforms including Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, PC, Mac and Nintendo DS. At The Drive-In will have their track included along with rock giants such as Aerosmith and Def Leppard.

The track “One Armed Scissor” originally released on Relationship and Command still continues to stand the test of time. It has been recognized by Spin Magazine as one of the “Top 100 albums between 1985 and 2005″ and by Time Magazine as an album that, “deftly combines punk ferocity with artful though sometimes inscrutable lyrics.”

I didn’t like At the Drive-In. The Mars Volta makes me ill most of the time, and Sparta puts me to sleep. So, when I went to go see Jim Ward at this year’s SXSW with his new band Sleepercar, I wasn’t too brimming with anticipation. I ended up being very pleasantly surprised, and as it turns out, Jim’s a pretty cool guy. Sleepercar’s debut West Texas is due out on this coming Tuesday, April 22nd. If you like his aforementioned three bands, you might not be too stoked. But if you’re not just into style-core and have a soft spot for dusty rock ‘n’ roll/Americana, it might be the thing for you. Jim and co. will play the Tonight Show on May 2nd before heading out on a tour of North America (mostly Canada) starting May 12th. Check out a full list of dates after the jump, and watch this video interview conducted by the disembodied voice of Synthesis editor Ryan Prado that took place before the Sleepercar show at SXSW.

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Jim Ward of Sparta and At The Drive-In fame showcased his new side project Sleepercar at the Belmont last night. My associate James Barone and I sauntered down just in time to grab a quick video interview with Jim (check out Synthesis‘ YouTube channel for the goods very soon) and to check out the show. Unfortunately for Sleepercar, the venue they were playing was cast in the shadows of both the Chase Tower and the Comerica Bank building, which we should have known would be a sure sign that no one who frequents this bar, SXSW patron or not, was going to pay attention to anything but Red Bull vodkas and looking slick. And I feel bad for them.

Sleepercar is a much more subdued side of Jim Ward’s potent songwriting. Speckled with bits of Americana, roots, folk and country, Ward augmented his usually edgy rock experiments with bits of harmonica, and beautiful melodies. Maybe it was just that nobody knew who they were, or that the guy with the nautical tattoos on his hands singing and playing guitar was a part of one of the most influential bands of all time, and is currently in another highly esteemed band. Or maybe free drinks in the financial district just brings out the lame in everyone.

The album drops on April 22nd. Learn about it.

Kudos to you, Sleepercar!

Sparta frontman Jim Ward took a break from dining in hell last night to send out a bulletin urging fans to vote for Barack Obama:

The last few weeks of my life have been inspiring and I am left, at least to some degree, a changed man. It started with an invitation to play a rally for Barack Obama with my friends in Bright Eyes in Omaha. I stood amongst some of the most charged up and positive folks I have ever met. Up to this point, although knowing that I have voted for Democrats in almost all contests, I had yet to fully embrace a candidate for the Democratic Party. I was moved by the volunteer’s passion for a change and the stories they told me of how they ended up signing on with the Obama campaign. I bought his book, Audacity of Hope, and read through his web site learning his positions.

I love our country very much. I am proud to be American, but I am tired of apologizing for it as I have traveled the world over the last 8 years. We need a change, a significant change. We need a change that will lead our country and our citizens back into the world as a partner, not an aggressor.
I believe that Barack Obama is the person that can do this. He has inspired me and motivated me to be as active as I have ever been in a campaign. I have been in touch with the staff and have offered whatever help I can give signing on as a volunteer in El Paso, Texas.
Texas is a battle ground that needs to be won. As about the proudest Texan one can be, I feel the need to do what I can to help win this state in the primary. Voting is March 4, 2208, and you can find your information at www.BarackObama.com as to where you can cast your vote.
Though I will be out of the country on the actual day of the vote, I will cast my ballot February 19 during early voting. I will be voting for Barack Obama, and I strongly urge you to do the same.
Through the years, I have asked you to vote, and I have only asked you to vote. This time I feel so strongly about this that I ask you to learn everything you can about Mr. Obama and then vote for him. He is hope, and we need that.
Thanks you very much for reading this-

TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!

Jim Ward

Madness?

It’s not that I’m against scream-y post-jazz prog odyssey nonsense, nor do I find Euro-Fros that offensive, it’s just that in my opinion Sparta wins over Mars Volta in the post-At The Drive-In rock contest. Still, a million and one hipsters in tight pants can’t be wrong, so we’re bringing you some tour dates.

December
31 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

January
9 South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
11 New Haven, CT - Toad’s Place
12 Providence, RI - Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
14 New York, NY - Terminal 5
17 Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore at the TLA
18 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!
19 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
21 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Hall
01-23 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
01-25 Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club