Mars Argo is the stage name of an American singer-songwriter/actress/Internet personality (real name Brittany Alexandria Sheets) and the name of an indie rock band formed by her and director/producer Titanic Sinclair (real name Corey Mixter).
Argo and Sinclair met on MySpace in 2008 and began collaborating on video content for digitalfuntown, a group YouTube channel Sinclair was involved with. In addition to forming the band, they also started and co-operated a separate channel under the name grocerybagdottv, where they uploaded music-related content and a video series called Computer Shownote made with cameraman Tony Katai. The videos in the series were intended to be interesting, unusual, absurdist, and also comical. The videos had a wide range — some of them were satirical (poking fun at society and political views), some of them discussed the two's depression and anxiety at the inevitability of death, and some of them were just them doing whatever for fun.
The two began producing music because their original plan of having Radiohead songs in the background of their videos resulted in YouTube pulling the videos down because of copyright issues. After they started making original instrumentals to serve as background music, their viewers responded positively to the music, leading them to produce full-fledged songs as a band under the name Mars Argo. They released a debut album, Technology is a Dead Bird (2009), in addition to several EPs and singles around the early 2010s.
The two moved to Los Angeles in 2012, where they made additional videos for their channel. They were also reportedly involved in a long-term romantic relationship which ended in 2014; they would continue to perform in the band before going on a hiatus, briefly reuniting in December of that year, and ultimately splitting up in March 2015. Following their dissolution, all of the videos on their channel were deleted save for three: the music videos for their songs "Using You" and "Runaway Runaway" as well as the Computer Show video "Delete Your Facebook".
Sheets updated fans that she would continue Mars Argo on her own, but then largely vanished from the Internet for years. Meanwhile, Sinclair eventually created another music/performance art project with a new partner; the result, which you may know as Poppy (also used interchangeably as the name of both the namesake singer-songwriter and the project surrounding her), reached massive viral success in the mid-2010s.
In April 2018, Sheets resurfaced to announce her return to music, and filed a lawsuit against Sinclair and Poppy in which she alleged copyright infringement and made further accusations that Sinclair had inflicted "severe emotional and psychological abuse and manipulation" on her and that Poppy was a knowing accomplice (which she denied). The lawsuit was settled out of court in September of that year, and one of the settlement's results was that Sheets gained all rights, title and interest to Mars Argo's music and brand.
Sheets released "Angry", her debut solo single under the Mars Argo name, in April 2022 on the former grocerybagdottv channel, now rebranded to "shouldicleanmyroom". An additional single, "I Can Only Be Me", was released in March 2023.
Due to the similarities of Poppy and Mars Argo, the tropes of her page will (somewhat) apply here as well.
Members
- Mars Argo - vocals, synths, piano (2009-2014, 2018-)
- Titanic Sinclair - vocals, guitar (2009-2014)
Discography
- Technology is a Dead Bird (2009)
- 2012/112212/Medicine Man (speculated 2012 release, cancelled)
- Guppy (speculated 2016 release, cancelled)
Other releases
- Internet Sessions (EP, 2010)
- Spider In My Bathtub (EP, 2010)
- Linden Place (EP, 2011)
- Mars Argo CD (compilation, 2012)
Welcome to the TV Trope Show...
- Ambient: Certain elements of the project's music gave this idea, in particular with the interludes of Technology is a Dead Bird.
- Arc Symbol: The later established frowning/smiling heart symbol which while originally planned for the cancelled 2012 album became associated with the project.
- Blood from the Mouth: Several videos and vines had this happening to Mars, similar to Poppy's "Oh No!" video. In the last video prior to her disappearance "Everybody Wants It All", she even points out that "sometimes, I just throw up blood."
- Break the Cutie: Mars seems to be this in the video series and by an extent, this applies to real life considering the struggle Sheets dealt with.
- Broken Bird: The Mars character.
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Bury Your Art: Brittany took down most of the Computer Show episodes and music videos after the breakup, due to wanting not to be reminded of any of her work with Corey. - Central Theme: Deconstructing the internet perspective, mocking the worship of celebrities, and technology itself seems to apply for Computer Show and the music.
- Crapsack World: Technology is a Dead Bird showcases this with sound clips of a woman named "Collie" feeling the world-weariness of life around her and the loneliness/isolation of a growing digital age.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": Mars was more comfortable being called "Mars" than "Brittany". It's a personal thing.
- Drone of Dread: Similar to Poppy's videos, Computer Show gave very...very creepy tones compared to the abstract and surreal presentation.
- Madness Mantra: "DELETE YOUR FACEBOOK"
- Mind Screw: Everything. The music seems to be the less mind-screw elements, but if you come across the clips of Computer Show, it's all of this.
- Minimalist Cast: The videos were mostly just Titanic and Mars doing...stuff.
- Obfuscating Insanity: Brittnay Sheets is an intelligent and kind hearted girl, while Mars Argo is mostly reserved and seems to be out of it.
- The Ophelia: Similarly to Poppy, Mars Argo acted like one in her videos.
- Product Placement: "Internet Candy Chips" features Lays and Doritos chips, Harbio gummy bears, Redvine Licorice, corn dogs, and pizza dippers. Yes really.
- Series Fauxnale: The since deleted "Everybody Wants It All" video where Mars is implicitly about to shoot herself was her last appearance until Brittany returned.
- The Singularity: It seems the concept of a singularity seems to exist within Mars Argo's music, even one of the songs off of Technology is a Dead Bird is called "The Singularity is Near".
- Take That!:
- Certain videos mock and parody the internet, the obsession with celebrity status, and overall The New '10s culture shtick. There'a also snark towards art in one of the videos.
- "Runaway Runaway" has this line: "I wish I was a dumb pop star so the words didn't matter to you."
- 20 Minutes into the Future: The Computer Show plotline is that Mars and Titanic were sent back from the distant future of 2012 to 2009 to spread a message of peace.
- I will now go to sleep...
