of Montreal | |
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.jpg) of Montreal performing in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Athens, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels |
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| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | ofmontreal |
of Montreal[a] is an Americanindie pop band fromAthens, Georgia. It was founded by frontpersonKevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance between Barnes and a woman "ofMontreal". The band is identified as part of theElephant 6 collective. Throughout its existence, of Montreal's musical style has evolved considerably and drawn inspiration from 1960spsychedelic pop acts.
Kevin Barnes founded of Montreal, allegedly naming it for a failed romance with a woman fromMontreal,Quebec.[1] Barnes was the only member of the group prior to their[b] relocation to Athens, Georgia. There, they metDerek Almstead (Circulatory System,Marshmallow Coast,Elf Power) andBryan Poole, who also performs asThe Late B.P. Helium. Together, they recorded their debut album,Cherry Peel, and subsequent releasesThe Bird Who Ate the Rabbit's Flower andThe Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy.
After production onThe Gay Parade, the band's third album, began in 1998, Poole left the band to focus on his involvement with Elf Power, anotherElephant Six band.[1] Barnes then recruitedJames Husband andDottie Alexander, who had been performing together as Lightning Bug vs. Firefly.[3] Almstead moved from drums to bass, and Marshmallow Coast's Andy Gonzales joined soon after. Prior to the release ofThe Gay Parade in 1999, of Montreal released a number of singles and a re-release ofThe Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower.
Following the release ofThe Gay Parade, the band signed withKindercore Records, and in 2001, theconcept albumCoquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse was released.[4]
Kindercore Records folded in 2002, shortly after the release ofAldhils Arboretum, and Gonzales and Almstead left the band. Barnes took to writing and performing their 2004 albumSatanic Panic in the Attic mostly by themselves. It was released byPolyvinyl Records. In 2005The Sunlandic Twins was released.
Barnes recorded most of the band's 2007 release,Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, by themselves while living inNorway and Athens, Georgia. They also released a companion CD toHissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? calledIcons, Abstract Thee.[5] In 2007, Kevin Barnes performed five songs nude during a performance in Las Vegas.[6]
Of Montreal's next album,Skeletal Lamping, was released on October 21, 2008. It was released in ten different formats, including conventional CD and vinyl, as well as T-shirts, button sets,wall decals, tote bags, and a paper lantern, the latter formats complete with a digital download code for the album.[7] All items for the collection were designed by The Bee With Wheels (David Barnes) and Gemini Tactics (Nina Barnes). In an essay addressing the concept behind the album's release, Kevin Barnes stated, "We feel that there's no reason to produce another object that just sits on a shelf. We only want to produce objects that have a function and that can be treasured for their singularness."[8] In an interview withNPR, Kevin Barnes revealed that the concept of the CD may be going the way of the8-track in favor of MP3 downloads. David Barnes joked that fans would buy the album via MP3 download and the version that comes with an amazing sandwich.[9]
In August 2009, the band contributed a T-shirt design, which was printed and sold through theYellow Bird Project website to raise money for the St. Judes Children's Hospital. The shirt was designed by David Barnes.[10]
During this era, the band lent its songs many times to commercials, television programs, and films. The song "Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games)" can be heard on radio and television commercials (with words changed) for an advertisement forOutback Steakhouse.[11] Similarly, their song "Every Day Feels Like Sunday" was used in television commercials forNASDAQ.[12] "A Sentence of Sorts In Kongsvinger" was used in aComcast commercial.[13] "Gronlandic Edit" was used for aT-Mobile commercial which also featured the band as actors.[14]
Teaming up withJon Brion, Kevin Barnes traveled toOcean Way Recording to recordFalse Priest.[15]
On October 25, 2011, of Montreal released a Cassette Box Set of all 10 full-length albums viaJoyful Noise Recordings. The release was limited to 500 hand-numbered copies, and housed in a custom-built wooden box (screen-printed with original artwork from David Barnes). Each of the 10 cassettes were pressed on multi-colored tape shells and included original album art. Like their previous cassette release, MP3 download was included.[16]
Kevin Barnes had revealed some information on the following album in an interview withPitchfork Media.[17] On October 20, 2011, Barnes announced that the next album was complete.[18] In November 2011, the band released a new track titled "Wintered Debts" via the band'sSoundCloud site, a track off the new albumParalytic Stalks. In January 2012, of Montreal released "Dour Percentage," the first single from the new album.Paralytic Stalks was released on February 7, 2012.[19]
On November 12, 2012, the band created aKickstarter page to help in the funding of a career-spanning, feature-length documentary calledSong Dynasties. The film will consist of footage collected throughout of Montreal's entire career, including touring and studio sessions, as well as other musicians such as Andrew VanWyngarden ofMGMT. The tentative release window forSong Dynasties was announced as March 2013.[20] An update regarding the documentary's progress was posted on the band's Facebook site in February.[21]
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On April 25, 2013, of Montreal posted an announcement on their Facebook page stating that a new album titledLousy with Sylvianbriar had been completed.[22] The post went into detail about the album's conception, including that Barnes' writing occurred while on a "self imposed isolation experiment in San Francisco" in early 2013. They were influenced bySylvia Plath,the Grateful Dead,Neil Young, andthe Flying Burrito Brothers in their writing. The album was recorded with a new lineup of musicians, including Jojo Glidewell, Nicolas Dobbratz, Bennett Lewis, and Bob Parins, with Clayton Rychlik and Kevin Barnes as the only returning members. The album and subsequent tour also featured Rebecca Cash on vocals.Lousy with Sylvianbriar was released on October 8, 2013. On July 10, 2013, the band released the first single from the album, entitled "Fugitive Air."[23] On July 31, 2013, they announced that they would be touring their new album in October and November.[24] This tour featured the same musicians that performed on the album, instead of longtime band members such asBryan Poole andDottie Alexander.[citation needed]
By means of a Facebook post and an interview with Barnes, conducted byStereogum, of Montreal's albumAureate Gloom was announced. The record was influenced by "the mid-to-late 1970s music scene in New York," including bands such asTalking Heads andLed Zeppelin. The album captures Barnes' emotions borne from their separation from their wife of 11 years and its aftermath. They described the album as being "all over the place musically", lending to its reflection of their mindset during the time of its creation. The album was released March 3, 2015.[25]
In August 2016, of Montreal releasedInnocence Reaches, which incorporated new,EDM-inspired sounds, as well as the progressive rock sounds of the previous two albums.[26] For the tour following the album's release, bassist Davey Pierce returned to the band, replacing Bob Parins.
On January 13, 2017, of Montreal released a new EP by surprise, entitledRune Husk.[27] On March 9, 2018, the albumWhite Is Relic/Irrealis Mood was released on Polyvinyl, with singer Barnes explaining that the sound was influenced by "extended dance mixes" from the 1980s.[28]
The band released its sixteenth studio album,Ur Fun, on January 17, 2020.[29]This was followed by the album,I Feel Safe with You, Trash, on March 5, 2021,[30] andFreewave Lucifer F<ck F^ck F>ck on July 29, 2022.
The band's most recent album,Lady on the Cusp was released on May 17, 2024.
Current line-up
| Past members
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True to the style of most Elephant Six recording artists, of Montreal's members have been in a variety of side projects with other bands:
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