Joyful Noise 2012 flexi-disc series

You may remember when, back in September, Joyful Noise announced they were re-editing of Montreal's entire back catalog on tape - and it looks like you can still buy one of the few remaining copies. This time around (well, it's been announced a while back but it had totally slipped my mind), they enrolled the band for their flexi-disc series : next year, an exclusive, brand-new track will be released on flexi-disc only. You can subscribe to the whole series (12 discs from 12 different artists) for as little as $5.75 a month if you live in the US. It is kind of what Happy Happy Birthday To Me used to do with their singles series. All the information you need to decide whether you want this or not here.
Joyful Noise is also releasing Paralytic Stalks on tape on February 7th, if you are a completist or don't want the CD or vinyl from Polyvinyl.

Electronic Musician interview

For all the audio nerds and budding engineers out there (or those who are just curious), here's an in-depth feature on Paralytic Stalks from Electronic Musician. Most of it is purely technical, covering everything from the gear used to the songrwriting and production and mastering techniques, but there are also lots of hints about what to expect from the album you're all desperate to discover.
Head over to Electronic Musician for the article.
Need I say again that Paralytic Stalks is available for pre-order right now?




Photo by Patrick Heagney

Paralytic Stalks Preview

No fancy video this time around, but of Montreal posted a 4-minute preview of Paralytic Stalks earlier today, comprising of eight (very different) bits of songs. While some do sound as orchestrated as advertized, there also seems to be a rawer, rockier edge to the record.



Don't forget that while Paralytic Stalks will hit the stores on February 7th, pre-ordering from Polyvinyl right now will give you a download code you can use as early as January 30st, which is when the orders will ship.

DIY magazine "in the studio" feature

This Is Fake DIY's december issue has a two-page-long feature on of Montreal's next release - The big news here is for those of us who were concerned that the pre-order bundles weren't as palatable as they usually are : it looks like the long-awaited board game is on its way.
Click on the picture below to read the magazine and find out the details, on page 16-17.
Once again, tack så mycket André!

Tour Dates Announced

Spin was the first to write about of Montreal's upcoming shows. I will do my best to keep you posted on support bands, because right now there's no way to tell who plays where. (EDIT : sorted an hour later, many thanks for the insider tip, Mr. Nieto)



Dec. 31 -- Athens, GA -- Go Bar / List Christee DJ set

Feb. 17 -- Athens, GA -- Georgia Theatre

Mar. 07 -- Jacksonville, FL -- Freebird Live *

Mar. 08 -- Orlando, FL -- The Plaza Live *

Mar. 09 -- Mobile, AL -- Alabama Music Box *

Mar. 10 -- New Orleans, LA -- Howlin Wolf *

Mar. 11 -- Houston, TX -- Fitzgeralds *%

Mar. 12 -- Oklahoma City, OK -- ACM @ UCO Performance Lab *

Mar. 13 -- Dallas, TX -- Tree's *

Mar. 14 -- Mc Allen, TX -- Sofie's Saloon

Mar. 15 -- Austin, TX -- Emo's East (Polyvinyl Showcase)

Mar. 18 -- El Paso, TX -- Tricky Falls *#

Mar. 19 -- Tucson, AZ -- Rialto *#

Mar. 20 -- Los Angeles, CA -- The Wiltern *#

Mar. 21 -- San Francisco, CA -- Slim's *#

Mar. 22 -- San Francisco, CA -- The Fillmore *#

Mar. 23 -- Portland, OR -- Crystal Ballroom *#

Mar. 24 -- Seattle, WA -- Showbox at the Market *#

Mar. 25 -- Boise, ID -- Treefort Music Festival

Mar. 27 -- Minneapolis, MN -- First Avenue * ≈

Mar. 28 -- Chicago, IL -- Metro * ≈

Mar. 29 -- Cleveland, OH -- Beachland Ballroom * ≈

Mar. 30 -- New York, NY -- Webster Hall ¥ !

Mar. 31 -- New York, NY -- Webster Hall * ≈

Apr. 01 -- Boston, MA -- The Paradise * ≈

Apr. 02 -- Philadelphia, PA -- Union Transfer * ≈

Apr. 03 -- Washington, DC -- 9:30 Club * ≈

Apr. 04 -- Carrboro, NC -- Cat's Cradle * ≈

Apr. 05 -- Asheville, NC -- Orange Peel * ≈

Apr. 06 -- Chattanooga, TN -- Track 29 * ≈

Apr. 07 -- Atlanta, GA -- Variety Playhouse * ≈

* w/ Kishi Bashi
# w/ Deerhoof
% w/ Cults
≈ w/ Loney Dear
! w/ Computer Magic
¥ w/ Hard Nips

Wasabi Fashion Kult interview

Another new interview, this time at Wasabi Fashion Kult (I am not making this up). Though it does not stray from the Rolling Stone and Therapy of Music ones, it sure helps keep the Paralytic Stalks anticipation energy up.
Tack så mycket André for the link.

The Therapy of Music interview

Check out the interview Kevin Barnes gave in anticipation of his DJ set in Miami this weekend. It confirms what was already hinted at in the Rolling Stone piece (see below) : both the sound and the visuals are about to change as Paralytic Stalks rolls in. Do not fear the future. Embrace it with loving arms.

Kevin's Top 10 of 2011

Filter Magazine asked Kevin what his favorite records of 2011 were, and here's the list (with the obvious Deerhoof and Kishi Bashi EP, Lykke Li for the Scandinavian spot, more classical music than usual - but the usual was no classical music - and the one that got me frowning and shaking my head, Destroyer's Kaputt and mind you, I'm a big Dan Bejar fan.)


London Sinfonietta, Adès: In Seven Days/Nancarrow Studies Nos. 6 & 7 (SIGNUM)
John Adams, Son of Chamber Symphony/String Quartet (NONESUCH)
Deerhoof, Deerhoof Vs. Evil (POLYVINYL)
John Maus, We Must Become The Pitiless Censors of Ourselves (DOMINO)
St. Vincent, Strange Mercy (4AD)
Peaking Lights, 936 (NOT NOT FUN)
Destroyer, Kaputt (MERGE)
Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes (ATLANTIC)
Kishi Bashi, Room for Dream (AEROBIC INTERNATIONAL)
Beach Boys, The Smile Sessions (CAPITOL)

Rolling Stone interview

Rolling Stone (nice to know that Matthew Perpetua is now writing for them!) has the first Paralytic Stalks-era interview up on its website!
It is pretty short but you'll learn how the record came about, and you'll also learn about Zac Cowell joining the band for the next tour - a tour that will focus less on absurdist skits and upbeat disco-y songs and more on visuals and longer, darker numbers.

EDIT : while it might still be pretty short, I just realized thanks to the Paralytic Stalks Anticipation Station that there is a second page.

Paralytic Stalks out on Feb. 7th

of Montreal has just announced that Paralytic Stalks will be released on February 7th. And this is the (rather splendid) artwork. With only nine tracks, it could be one of the shortest in the band's history unless the songs are as lengthy as previously announced.*
You can read more about the album and pre-order your copy from Polyvinyl's website.

Paralytic Stalks:

01 Gelid Ascent
02 Spiteful Intervention
03 Dour Percentage
04 We Will Commit Wolf Murder
05 Malefic Dowery
06 Ye, Renew the Plaintiff
07 Wintered Debts
08 Exorcismic Breeding Knife
09 Authentic Pyrrhic Remission

* clocking in at 58:05 (run times on the pre-order page), it actually seems to be the second longest in the band's history (Coquelicot remains the longest with 69 minutes of music - including the epic Hopeless Opus!)