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| Past_members = Andy Gonzalez<br />[[Derek Almstead]]<br />Nina Barnes<br />Jason NeSmith<br />Matt Dawson
| Past_members = Andy Gonzalez<br />[[Derek Almstead]]<br />Nina Barnes<br />Jason NeSmith<br />Matt Dawson
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'''Of Montreal''' (officially capitalized "'''of Montreal'''"<ref>http://www.spinner.com/2007/05/29/the-dl-of-montreal-clear-up-capitalization-confusion/</ref>) is an [[United States|American]] [[indie pop]] band formed in [[Athens, Georgia]], fronted by Kevin Barnes. It was among the second wave of groups to emerge from [[The Elephant 6 Recording Company]].
'''Of Montreal''' (officially capitalized "'''of Montreal'''"<ref>http://www.spinner.com/2007/05/29/the-dl-of-montreal-clear-up-capitalization-confusion/</ref>) is an [[United States|American]] [[indie pop]] band. [[Image:Kevin Barnes from of Montreal in Sweden 2005-11-03.jpeg|271px|thumb|left|Of Montreal front figure Kevin Barnes playing in [[Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]] in 2005]]

==History==
The band was created by Kevin Barnes and named after a failed romance with a woman from [[Montreal]], though the story changes in various interviews. Barnes was the only member of the "group" prior to his relocation to Athens, Georgia. There, he met [[Derek Almstead]], later of the [[Circulatory System]], [[M Coast]], [[Elf Power]] etc., and Bryan Poole, who also performs as [[The Late B.P. Helium]]. Together, they recorded their first album, ''Cherry Peel'', as well as ''The Bird Who Ate the Rabbit's Flower'' and ''The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy''.

After production on ''The Gay Parade'' began in 1998, Poole left the band to focus on his duties with [[Elf Power]], another Elephant Six band from Athens. Barnes also recruited Jamey Huggins and Dottie Alexander, who had been performing together as Lightning Bug vs. Firefly, to play various instruments. Derek moved from drums to bass. The band was joined soon after by [[Marshmallow Coast]]'s Andy Gonzales.

A number of singles and a re-release of ''The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower'' occurred before the release of the band's third album, ''The Gay Parade'' in 1999. With contributions from several members of the Elephant Six collective at the time, it also featured artwork from Kevin's brother [[David Barnes (artist)|David Barnes]], who would continue to do artwork for future albums.

Following the release of ''The Gay Parade'', the band signed with [[Kindercore Records]], who would release a number of singles and compilations. It wasn't until 2001 that ''Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse'' would be released as a new album with original material. The album again featured contributions from across the Elephant Six spectrum.

[[Image:Kevin Barnes from of Montreal in Sweden 2005-11-03.jpeg|271px|thumb|left|Of Montreal front figure Kevin Barnes playing in [[Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]] in 2005]]In 2002, ''Aldhils Arboretum'' was released, with a slightly different sound than its predecessors, as the songs were more directly structured. This album marks the beginning of the change in Of Montreal's sound, with more danceable rhythms than ever before, especially on the album's closer "Death Dance Of The Omipapas and Sons For You". A successful tour ensued, including Of Montreal's first trip to the UK, along with a tour-only [[Extended play|EP]].

Kindercore Records would fold shortly after the release of ''Arboretum'', and Of Montreal's status was also threatened. Kevin got married, and Andy and Derek left the band. Barnes, being uncomfortable with the unrest, as well as some divisions within the band, took to writing and performing their 2004 album ''Satanic Panic in the Attic'' mostly by himself. Released by [[Polyvinyl Records]], it became one of their more successful efforts to that point. The album marked a shift to an electronic bass, with [[drum machine]]s and [[synthesizers]] featured in singles such as "Disconnect the Dots". The tour for that album also saw The Late B.P. Helium (Bryan Poole) rejoin the band, with some bass played by Kevin's partner Nina.

This style would continue to evolve into 2005's ''[[The Sunlandic Twins]]'', which was even more a Barnes solo effort. Recorded in Athens, with the exception of one track recorded in Norway, it was a much more pronounced electronic album. The album became a success, mostly due to the singles "So Begins Our Alabee" and the [[MTV]] clip for "Wraith Pinned to the Mist (and Other Games)".


The band released several collections of singles in early 2006. Barnes recorded most of the band's 2007 release, ''[[Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?]]'', by himself while living in Norway and [[Athens, Georgia]]. The switch to autobiographical themes of suicide, depression and isolation of the album was a direct product of his troubled personal life during that period. Barnes also released a companion CD to ''[[Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?]]'' called ''[[Icons, Abstract Thee]].''<ref name=AversionSchild>[http://www.aversion.com/bands/interviews.cfm?f_id=355 Aversion.com]: Desperate Measures, by Matt Schild, accessed 29 January 2007</ref> In 2007, Kevin Barnes performed five songs nude during a performance in Las Vegas.<ref>[http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/41308-nsfw-of-montreals-kevin-barnes-naked Pitchfork: NSFW: Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes NAKED!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The band released several collections of singles in early 2006. Barnes recorded most of the band's 2007 release, ''[[Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?]]'', by himself while living in Norway and [[Athens, Georgia]]. The switch to autobiographical themes of suicide, depression and isolation of the album was a direct product of his troubled personal life during that period. Barnes also released a companion CD to ''[[Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?]]'' called ''[[Icons, Abstract Thee]].''<ref name=AversionSchild>[http://www.aversion.com/bands/interviews.cfm?f_id=355 Aversion.com]: Desperate Measures, by Matt Schild, accessed 29 January 2007</ref> In 2007, Kevin Barnes performed five songs nude during a performance in Las Vegas.<ref>[http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/41308-nsfw-of-montreals-kevin-barnes-naked Pitchfork: NSFW: Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes NAKED!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


Of Montreal's next album, ''Skeletal Lamping'', is scheduled to be released in October 2008.

==Style==
[[Image:Kevin Barnes in 2007.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Of Montreal performing live at Baltimore in 2007]]
[[Image:Kevin Barnes in 2007.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Of Montreal performing live at Baltimore in 2007]]
The group has a style that is typical of many [[The Elephant 6 Recording Company|Elephant 6]] bands due to its interest in combining musical experimentation and the basic tenets of [[pop music|pop]], such as catchy [[melodies]] and sing-along [[refrain|choruses]]. The band's style has been influenced by not only more conventional [[indie pop]] and [[psychedelic music]], but also by [[vaudeville]] and [[music hall]] on their earlier releases and by [[afrobeat]], [[funk]], [[krautrock]] and [[reggae]] in their more recent releases.

The band's style has been known to change between albums. At first, the band embraced a more simple, quirky, [[lo-fi]] indie pop sound, which occasionally bordered on [[twee pop]]. Later the band moved to a fuller sound, as seen on the concept albums ''The Gay Parade'', and its follow-up, ''Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse''. These albums contain more narrative lyrics, as opposed to the rather personal lyrical matter of those preceding it, and often imitating the style of old 1950s [[radio plays]].

2004's ''Satanic Panic in the Attic'' marked the result of an evolving change in style. The sound shifted to something more electronic with traditional structures, to be further advanced in later albums and new songs. In their most recent releases and concerts, the band has fully embraced a sort of techno-pop glam image, with little of their previous incarnations surfacing.

Lyrically, their style has changed dramatically throughout the years. In the beginning, many songs were narratives of personal or humorous situations, such as "Tim, I Wish You Were Born A Girl", from ''Cherry Peel''. This style, however, changed with ''The Gay Parade'', where many songs involve small [[narrative]]s surrounding invented [[fictional character|character]]s (in songs such as "Jacques Lamure", "The Autobiographical Grandpa", "Mimi Merlot" and "Rose Robert"). Others act as extracts from fictional conversations ("Advice From a Divorced Gentleman to His Bachelor Friend Considering Marriage" and "Good Morning Mr. Edminton" as examples). With ''Aldhils Arboretum'' came a slight return to the previous writing style, except following more poppy, classical lyrical structures (such as the use of choruses, which are generally absent in the Gay Parade/Coquelicot years). This style continued throughout ''Satanic Panic'' and ''The Sunlandic Twins'' to some extent. On the band's most recent album, ''Hissing Fauna: Are You the Destroyer?'', the lyrics are much more personal than previously used, with songs detailing emotions within the speaker.

Another unique quality of the band is the fusion of ostensibly gloomy lyrics with bouncy, upbeat melodies and [[hook (music)|hooks]]. On ''Aldhils Arboretum'', for example, the lyrics for tracks like "Doing Nothing" and "Old People in the Cemetery" focus on [[apathy]], [[loneliness]] or [[death]] while being contrasted with cheerful instrumentation. Another example of this tendency is shown in their choice of covers; for example, [[Yoko Ono]]'s "I Felt Like Smashing my Head Through a Clear Glass Window" from ''The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower''.

==Side projects==
True to the style of most Elephant Six recording artists, Of Montreal's members have been in a variety of side projects and other bands.
*The band itself has performed as the backing band for [[Marshmallow Coast]] on record and on tour.
*'''My First Keyboard''' was the pseudonym used by Dottie Alexander to release the song "The You I Created" on the [[Kindercore Records|Kindercore]] singles club. Of Montreal acted as her backing band.
*Kevin Barnes did a comedy tour with his wife, Nina, and his brother, David, called "[[A Pollinaire Rave]]".
*Jamey Huggins released an album under the name "James Husband" which featured a cover of The Beatles' "We Can Work it Out".
*Bryan Poole has a solo career as [[the Late B.P. Helium]].
*Kevin Barnes has recently been collaborating with Andrew VanWyngarden from [[MGMT]], on a project called Blikk Fang (formerly Ocelot Fang).[http://www.e6townhall.com/viewthread.php?tid=6568#pid87775]
*Kevin Barnes has recently been collaborating with Andrew VanWyngarden from [[MGMT]], on a project called Blikk Fang (formerly Ocelot Fang).[http://www.e6townhall.com/viewthread.php?tid=6568#pid87775]
*Derek Almstead has worked with many artists as a musician and engineer including his collaboration with Andy Gonzales [[M Coast]], [[Elf Power]], [[Circulatory System]], and many more.
*Derek Almstead has worked with many artists as a musician and engineer including his collaboration with Andy Gonzales [[M Coast]], [[Elf Power]], [[Circulatory System]], and many more.
* Kevin Barnes played keyboard in a song on [[Bright Eyes (band)|Bright Eyes]]' album ''[[Letting Off the Happiness]]''.
* Kevin Barnes played keyboard in a song on [[Bright Eyes (band)|Bright Eyes]]' album ''[[Letting Off the Happiness]]''.

The song "Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games)" can be heard on radio and television commercials with words changed for an advertisement for [[Outback Steakhouse]]. Similarly, their song "Every Day Feels Like Sunday" is currently being used in television commercials for [[NASDAQ]] and Garmin GPS systems.

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
*1997 ''[[Cherry Peel]]'' ([[Bar/None Records|Bar/None]])
*1998 ''[[The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy]]'' ([[Kindercore Records|Kindercore]])
*1999 ''[[The Gay Parade]]'' ([[Bar/None Records|Bar/None]])
*2001 ''[[Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse]]'' (Kindercore)
*2002 ''[[Aldhils Arboretum]]'' (Kindercore)
*2004 ''[[Satanic Panic in the Attic]]'' ([[Polyvinyl Record Co.|Polyvinyl]])
*2005 ''[[The Sunlandic Twins]]'' (Polyvinyl)
*2007 ''[[Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?]]'' (Polyvinyl, #72 US)
*2008 ''[[Skeletal Lamping]]'' (Polyvinyl)

===Compilations===
*2000 ''[[Horse & Elephant Eatery (No Elephants Allowed): The Singles and Songles Album]]'' (CD/LP, Bar/None)
*2001 ''[[The Early Four Track Recordings]]'' (CD/LP, Kindercore)
*2001 ''[[An Introduction to Of Montreal]]'' (LP, [[Earworm Records|Earworm]])
*2003 ''[[If He Is Protecting Our Nation, Then Who Will Protect Big Oil, Our Children?]]'' (CD, [[Track & Field Organisation|Track & Field]])
*2003 ''[[Ghetto Kitty Island Records Compilation]]'' (7", Split with [[Chicken on a Raft]], [[Bart Davenport]], and [[The Minders]], [[Ghetto Kitty Island Records]])
*2004 ''[[The Gladiator Nightstick Collection]]'' (LP, [[Devil in the Woods]])
*2006 ''[[Satanic Twins]]'' (limited edition LP/digital release, Polyvinyl)
*2006 ''Of Montreal Sampler'' (free promo CD, Polyvinyl)

===EPs===
*1997 ''[[The Bird Who Ate the Rabbit's Flower]]'' (CD/LP, Kindercore)
*1998 ''[[The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower]]'' (CD/LP, Kindercore)
*2006 ''[[Deflated Chime, Foals Slightly Flower Sibylline Responses]]'' (CD, Polyvinyl)
*2007 ''[[Icons, Abstract Thee]]'' (CD, Polyvinyl)
*2007 ''[[Sony Connect Set]]'' (digital, Sony Connect/Polyvinyl)

===Singles===
*1998 "Nicki Lighthouse" (7", [[100 Guitar Mania]])
*1999 "Happy Happy Birthday To Me Singles Club: November" (7", [[Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records]])
*2000 "Archibald of the Balding Sparrows" (7", Kindercore, Split with [[Marshmallow Coast]]))
*2001 "Kindercore Singles Club: September" (7", Kindercore, Split with [[Ladybug Transistor]]))
*2001 "Split With the Late B.P. Helium" (7", [[Jonathan Whiskey]])
*2003 "Jennifer Louise" (7", Track & Field)
*2004 "I was a Landscape in Your Dream" (7", Harvest Time Recordings)
*2006 "Microuniversity" (7", [[Park the Van Records|Park the Van]])
*2006 "Voltaic Crusher"/"Undrum to Muted Da" (7", [[Suicide Squeeze Records|Suicide Squeeze]])
*2006 "She's a Rejecter" (7", Polyvinyl)
*2007 "Suffer For Fashion" (CD, Polyvinyl)
*2007 "Gender Mutiny Tour" (7", Polyvinyl)

===Soundtracks===
*2005 ''[[Music from the OC: Mix 5]]'' (Warner Bros./Wea)
*2006 Weeds: Music from the Original Series, Volume 2
*2008 ''[[Cloverfield Mix|Cloverfield]]''

===Other appearances by Barnes===
*[[Bright_Eyes_(band)|Bright Eyes]] - ''[[Letting_Off_the_Happiness|Letting off the Happiness]]'' ([[1998]] · [[Saddle Creek]])


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 07:56, 18 May 2008

Of Montreal

Of Montreal (officially capitalized "of Montreal"[1]) is an American indie pop band.

Of Montreal front figure Kevin Barnes playing in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2005

The band released several collections of singles in early 2006. Barnes recorded most of the band's 2007 release, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, by himself while living in Norway and Athens, Georgia. The switch to autobiographical themes of suicide, depression and isolation of the album was a direct product of his troubled personal life during that period. Barnes also released a companion CD to Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? called Icons, Abstract Thee.[2] In 2007, Kevin Barnes performed five songs nude during a performance in Las Vegas.[3]

Of Montreal performing live at Baltimore in 2007
  • Kevin Barnes has recently been collaborating with Andrew VanWyngarden from MGMT, on a project called Blikk Fang (formerly Ocelot Fang).[1]
  • Derek Almstead has worked with many artists as a musician and engineer including his collaboration with Andy Gonzales M Coast, Elf Power, Circulatory System, and many more.
  • Kevin Barnes played keyboard in a song on Bright Eyes' album Letting Off the Happiness.

Interviews

References

  1. ^ http://www.spinner.com/2007/05/29/the-dl-of-montreal-clear-up-capitalization-confusion/
  2. ^ Aversion.com: Desperate Measures, by Matt Schild, accessed 29 January 2007
  3. ^ Pitchfork: NSFW: Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes NAKED!


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