After an impressive showing with 2004's Satanic Panic in the Attic and a jubilant follow-up in 2005's Sunlandic Twins, Of Montreal captain Kevin Barnes fell on some peculiar times. The birth of a daughter, alienation and depression in Norway, and subsequent separation from his wife and new child gave him plenty to mull over, work out, and serve up on 2007's Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? At first glance, longtime Of Montreal followers might throw up their arms in dismay as Barnes moves well away from the usual slice-of-life character studies he's made such good use of over the past few years -- no pop-challenged London cabbies or paranoid senior citizens on Hissing. No sir. In fact, it's all about him -- every stitch of it. It's Kevin Barnes trying to woo himself out of a deep funk ("Suffer for Fashion," "Sink the Seine," and especially "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse"), lashing out ("She's a Rejecter"), or taking a dip in the self-pity pool (the epic wallower "The Past Is a Grotesque Animal" is nearly 12 minutes of drone-dance affirmations). At first, it's an alarming listening experience. Where's the self-assured, polished pop maestro who made such a fine showing on the past two albums? He took one hell of a beating, that's for sure. The Kevin Barnes heard here has a bone to pick, issues to work out, and a big ol' chip on his shoulder -- and, man, does it show. The music and production reflect this as much as the lyrical content. Barnes throws every trick in his book at every arrangement, lending every track a definite "I'll show you!!" vibe. And show he does. The explosive opener, "Suffer for Fashion," exceeds every over the top anthem he's ever penned in one 2:58 ejaculation, and the alternately swaggering and smooth "Cato as a Pun" melds a gutsy guitar riff with a gorgeously fussed-over verse. Production-wise, it's quite an achievement -- the whole thing -- and, coupled with the bile and bitterness of the lyrics, makes for an exhausting experience in the headphones. There might be stray moments of whimsy, in the tunes and verse, but they are scant, and they hardly provide the lighthearted breathing room fans are used to receiving from the man. "Light" is not a word useful in describing any portion of this excursion, and the serious tone of this record may cause some hand wringing among even the dedicated. It's a challenging but ultimately rewarding album -- and one that definitely requires some thoughtful attention from the listener. Don't stow this one back on the shelf just yet -- it's a "grower."
Quick translation of my Dutch review for my fanzine (www.ikrszine.blogspot.com). So sorry for any spelling or grammar errors, really did this in a hurry without rereading or an edit. But I believe this band is touring England so thought I would just put this one up. Anyway, the review:A celebrated band, an impeccable live reputation, consecutive successful releases, one of the most eye-catching...
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I just saw Of Montreal in concert, and well, I'm speechless. This concert will move into one of my top 10 concerts ever.I'll have to compose myself and expand further, later, but here are some of the wonderful things that came to me as I watched them perform:This is the New Psychedlia with visuals by Hanna BarberaKevin Barnes wears his influences on his sleeve - er...cod piece (?). Most notab...
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--- - |- It's a Monday, and although I haven't officially started my job yet {still waiting for a visa application and then a chance to move to Shanghai} I do have a distinct feeling what Monday's are all about. They are usually meh. And when I'm feeling lethargic or down and out there is one song that consistently pulls me from the depths of any sort of despair and sets my feet to dancing...
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I'll admit it, I resisted these guys (ok, this guy) at first...but holy cow, this song is amazing...really curious about how this stuff comes off live...if you have a live version of this track in particular I would love to hear it.The internet loves this band.Of Montreal - The Past is a Grotesque Animal from Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
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There were a lot of good albums in 2007. And I mean a lot. I listened to as many as I could, but the sheer volume of good music that was released was at once overwhelming and heart warming. I was thrilled to be surrounded by all this artful sound, but also intimidated by the mass amounts. In the end, I suppose it was a good thing. But as I look back, there are about ten albums from 2007 that I ...
More >
I heard about Of Montreal just a few months ago and this album is already a favourite of mine. I'd be as bold as to say that facing the infamous "alone in an island" situation, this album has a great chance. It sounds homemade, but at the same time very well produced. Kevin's lyrics are very personal and sad but at the same time funny in a weird way.I love how he plays with vocal multitracking...
More >
Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? illustrates the difficulties of coping with life and love ("Suffer for Fashion", Cato As a Pun", "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger"), the pains of numbing, coping devices ("Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse"), and the empowerment that comes from personal transformation ("Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider", "She's a Rejector"). Musically, Barn...
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Another long-past-due concert review...Of MontrealSaturday, February 2Great American Music HallBefore the concert, I wasn't that excited about their new album. The concert actually changed a lot of what I thought about the band. For one (and listening back to their music now, I'm not sure exactly how I missed this), Of Montreal is total glam rock. I had never made the Brian Eno connection until...
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Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?I'm an obsessive listener, if I like something, I keep hitting the repeat button. Of Montreal is the pop band I've been stuck on lately. I saw the band perform last year in Atlanta when I was visiting my family. Their sound is late Bowie meets Prince and features enough falsetto for a dozen glam rock bands.After testing one track from the group's new album, ...
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After reading show reviews and hearing about 10 foot dresses and even more costume changes than previous tours, I decided to see Of Montreal for the 4th time. They played the Mercy Lounge, just 5 months after their last Nashville show which also graced the lofty venue. I was asked to shoot the show for the Scene, which would've gotten me on the guestlist, but I had already bought a ticket. Thei...
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A very shallow answer to “why I stopped listening to lyrics” is – I grew up. Or maybe I should say: I got older. That’s not really the full answer, but it is a big part of it. In order to get at the core of this, I was trying to reflect on the times in my life when lyrics held great importance, when they didn’t just float by as an extension of the rhythm and melody. Having teenagers in m
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The new Of Montreal. I'm featuring it every night on my show, a song a night til we hear the album (except for the 12 minute epic in the middle of the album.) I was just thinking how this is the album the Scissor Sisters always wanted to make but couldn't.How pretentious of me. But I think true. I miss sitting down and listening to a whole album in its entirety, in one sitting, or putting it on...
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My new piece on Of Montreal just went live on MSNBC.com's Independent Study section: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16906129/ Can't wait to see these guys next week at the Showbox. They are touring almost solid for five months with an elaborate stage show and costume changes. That kind of schedule can't be good for your mental health, can it? But then Kevin Barnes mental state probably isn't th...
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Yeah, my dance moves are a little spastic. So freakin' what?Get dancing, people.
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The list of nominees for the 2008 PLUG awards, dedicated to recognizing media and music in the independent community, has been announced. The top nominees for this year are Of Montreal, Battles, Dan Deacon. The chick from Bat For Lashes pops up a few times on the ballot, as do Radiohead (they're indie now), Arcade Fire, The National and Spoon. The 2008 awards show will take place March 6th in N...
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I just saw Of Montreal in concert, and well, I'm speechless. This concert will move into one of my top 10 concerts ever.I'll have to compose myself and expand further, later, but here are some of the wonderful things that came to me as I watched them perform:This is the New Psychedlia with visuals by Hanna BarberaKevin Barnes wears his influences on his sleeve - er...cod piece (?). Most notab...
More >
Of Montreal have created a new video for their track 'Suffer For Fashion'. It's the second video from their album ??Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer???(Polyvinyl)."CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO":CHFrom the band's blog: Of Montreal's new video for Suffer For Fashion (lovingly made by Sigrid Astrup)will debut on MTV2's Subterranean THIS Sunday at roughly 1AM(so technically Monday... ;)check i...
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Quick translation of my Dutch review for my fanzine (www.ikrszine.blogspot.com). So sorry for any spelling or grammar errors, really did this in a hurry without rereading or an edit. But I believe this band is touring England so thought I would just put this one up. Anyway, the review:A celebrated band, an impeccable live reputation, consecutive successful releases, one of the most eye-catching...
More >
————————————————————————————-#2words: Jamie MiltonOf Montreal - The Past Is A Grotesque AnimalThere’s a reason why the central thought stream of ‘Hissing Fauna…’ clocks in at just under twelve minutes. There’s many a reason actually. The most noticeable however, is the context. Kevin Barnes, freshly rid of the divorce papers, angst
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Another long-past-due concert review...Of MontrealSaturday, February 2Great American Music HallBefore the concert, I wasn't that excited about their new album. The concert actually changed a lot of what I thought about the band. For one (and listening back to their music now, I'm not sure exactly how I missed this), Of Montreal is total glam rock. I had never made the Brian Eno connection until...
More >
I could go through the myriad reasons I hate this band including the two (!) times I have (unfortunately) seen this band and would rather have been walking naked through a glass factory before a dip in the ocean...but I will let their lame sell-out for a crappy cell phone company lead the way...http://idolator.com/tunes/it.s-only-selling-out-if-you-do-it-for-the-right-price/of-montreals-t+mobil...
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There were a lot of good albums in 2007. And I mean a lot. I listened to as many as I could, but the sheer volume of good music that was released was at once overwhelming and heart warming. I was thrilled to be surrounded by all this artful sound, but also intimidated by the mass amounts. In the end, I suppose it was a good thing. But as I look back, there are about ten albums from 2007 that I ...
More >
A very shallow answer to “why I stopped listening to lyrics” is – I grew up. Or maybe I should say: I got older. That’s not really the full answer, but it is a big part of it. In order to get at the core of this, I was trying to reflect on the times in my life when lyrics held great importance, when they didn’t just float by as an extension of the rhythm and melody. Having teenagers in m
More >
I'm keeping it brief, times are busy, I'm officialy in a band( "Please Quiet Ourselves":http://www.myspace.com/quietourselves )and apparently we have some sort of make-shift record deal (i guess more distrobution-like thing), school, and work too of course. However I had to make a quick stop by the old MOG to let any of you know (you either haven't heard, or haven't already been in possesion of...
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"Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes NAKED!":http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/2007/2/22/NSFW_Of_Montreals_Kevin_Barnes_NAKED#41308Pitchfork briefly changes name to PornforkPitchforkFebruary 22, 2007Oh my. You never know what might happen at an Of Montreal show these days. Random cover songs, costume changes, stage props, audience confrontations...full-frontal nudity?Pitchfork reader Ian Foley att...
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Yeah, my dance moves are a little spastic. So freakin' what?Get dancing, people.
More >
I heard about Of Montreal just a few months ago and this album is already a favourite of mine. I'd be as bold as to say that facing the infamous "alone in an island" situation, this album has a great chance. It sounds homemade, but at the same time very well produced. Kevin's lyrics are very personal and sad but at the same time funny in a weird way.I love how he plays with vocal multitracking...
More >
Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? illustrates the difficulties of coping with life and love ("Suffer for Fashion", Cato As a Pun", "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger"), the pains of numbing, coping devices ("Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse"), and the empowerment that comes from personal transformation ("Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider", "She's a Rejector"). Musically, Barn...
More >
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 "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?")
