I can not stand the sound of Nickelback's singer. So with that said, I'd say Mars Volta is better. Though I can't name a single Mars Volta song. But one of Omar Rodriguez's solo albums was on Stones Throw. I didn't hear it. But a Madlib association makes Mars Volta cooler than Nickelback to me by far.

At the Drive In = good
mars volta = bad

back in the day in this town there were only 2 cool people into music who had a good band. and one of them really really liked the mars volta. like... it seemed they were probably spiritually important to him.

aRHGHA

the only good mars volta song...

is a DEAD mars volta song

a hur hur hur