2012 : (not) everything I missed

As we're getting ready to kiss goodbye to 2012, I figured now would be the right time to post all the things that somehow slipped under my radar. First off, here are a few interviews from earlier this month : Brooklyn Vegan interview.. Clevescene's Book of Barnes interview. Dig Boston. The Dallas Front Row. ... Followed by a video that was shot when the band played the Primavera Festival in April. I can't seem to figure out when this was actually uploaded, but it's only got 51 views... What's up with that? And also a P4K 60 Seconds Left video from around the same time : And finally, and I must have slept through entire days (or weeks?!) to miss it, the official video for Feminine Effects!

KB 1 - BP 2

Kevin scored the first goal by answering the Austinist's questions and revealing that the next album might sound like "outlaw country, folk music, and kind of older, mountain music, all that stuff." I see you smile and shake your head, but he's been "almost sort of training myself to move in this move in this new direction." So wipe that smirk off your face and get ready for OMM.7. Bryan then tied the game with an interview that reveals what happened during the first leg of the SPITA tour in 2004... and scored a second goal by wearing a costume that screams "outlaw country." Game over. In the end BP always wins.



The video was shot right before the band headed off for tour last week, and may be included in Song Dynasties if the project ever gets funded. 8 days to go, 80% funded. Head over to kickstarter to pledge, or pledge a little bit more if you have already pledged. Just don't buy your little cousin that crappy made in China plastic toy for Christmas and re-invest the 10 bucks in of Montreal, then use your ten fingers to make that kid something cheap and cool!

2 interviews and a cover

It's been a big week for of Montreal (who would have thought?) After the announcement of the kickstarter campaign, Kevin started promoting the upcoming tour by giving a couple of interviews. The first one I found was in the Miami New Times and is mainly concerned with songwriting from the very beginning to the latest album. At the very end of the interview, Kevin mysteriously informs us that next year he will be taking two weeks off "somewhere" to "[be] in this place writing, which I've never done before." So what is he going to write he's never written before? A book of poems? A novel? An essay about the current situation in the Middle East? The Buzzine interviewer took a different approach and asked about the band as a performing entity, from the early days up to the latest tours via the A Polinaire Rave comedy shows, emphasizing the lack of democratic input from other band members.* And on Friday, Kevin (with the help of Nina for the simple and soothing visuals, I guess) unleashed a very nice version of the Beach Boys' Little Bird. Check it out below!





If you want to compare it with the original, you can find it here on youtube - if you don't live in France, that is, because I'm only getting this :

~~~~~~ * Nov. 20th edit You can also watch the Buzzine interview if reading isn't your thing. ;)

the long-awaited oM DVD is going to happen if you want it to!

Very good news, my friends! The long-awaited DVD is finally about to be released! The band is just asking us to pitch in and pledge a little something (or a big something, depending on how generous you feel and what you want) so they can release it. They need $75.000 and are offering a lot of options from $1 to $2.500 - head over to kickstarter to see all you can get!


Here's the trailer to get you pumped, just in case you're not already ready to donate.

Family Nouveau on youtube

I know a lot of you have been waiting to see this, and here it is, finally, on youtube : a 45-minute-long trip down memory lane. Watch out for yours truly's name when the credit rolls! Now of course I can't blackmail you into doing nice things for me on the off-chance that I might give you the video files. Ha. The end of an era.


Here's what The Stranger had to say about this when it premiered more than two years ago.

Sails Hermaphroditic video

Pitchfork just premiered the video for Sails, Hermaphroditic. While it is one of the weakest track on Daughter of Cloud (yes, I am entitled to an opinion), this video actually makes it a lot more enjoyable. Thanks to Nina's direction and editing, there's action and color and some kind of storyline, and it actually features members of the band. What more could you possibly want? Here's what Kevin said about it :"Two rival gangs, the Sleep Rats and the Preppy Scuz, meet in a bull pasture in the deep south to compete in a football game. The game quickly devolves into a violent bloody rumble. Through out the game people occasionally lose themselves in a psychedelic sexual reverie. Eventually the battle is broken up by a gonzo performance by the legendary Newcastle hair-metal band Moat-er-Wilde." Watch it below and tell us what you think about it!

Stream Daughter of Cloud at MTV hive

On Daughter of Cloud's official release day, MTV Hive has it streaming in its entirety, along with a relatively small but interesting interview. Read and listen here.

Reviews seem pretty positive so far, including Pitchfork rating it 5.8 (which is better than Paralytic Stalks, if memory serves me right), and Clash Music 8 out of 10. Personally, I'd say it's a symptom of a society in which no-one (including music "critics" and music "fans", which is really worrying if you think about it) seems willing to settle down for one hour to listen to music and would rather have a collection of songs that can easily be disconnected into little pieces, but that must be me getting old and grumpy.

of Montreal in Filter Magazine's Good Music Guide

To promote this weekend's festival performances, of Montreal gets a 6-page-long feature in this month's Filter Magazine. It's got fantastic pictures (see below or check out Nina Twin's Instagram) and a pretty good interview about some of the songs on Daughter of Cloud and a possible next step in yet another (quite) unforeseen direction. For those of us who can neither "pick up a printed version of Filter Good Music Guide 41 at the year's Culture Collide Festival" nor buy it from "select awesome newstands," it is downloadable as a pdf file for free here. Show Filter some love by following them on Twitter or facebook, or subscribe for four issues.

If you haven't done so yet, you can pre-order Daughter of Cloud from Polyvinyl in a variety of formats (comes with an instant download) and Harouki Zombi's first EP, "Objet Petit a" (yet another nightmare of capitalization, no idea if I'm doing it right but I sure am doing it logically), both set to drop this month. 

Kevin on Solange, new material

Head over to MTV Hive (just realised it was "Hive", not "Hype" like I always thought it was, unless there is indeed a MTV Hype, too...) to see what Kevin has to say about his collaboration with Solange, and what he's currently working on.

As previously reported, the track Kevin worked on with Solange is about to be released as the b-side to her new single, Losing You. (see trailer below)





Halfway through this Pittsburgh Post Gazette podcast, you'll hear Kevin answering questions about of Montreal's evolution throughout the years (if you listen closely, you get the feeling he's typing at the same time or something, multitasking might be the reason why we get an album every 18 months or so...). Nothing new there, but how often do you get the chance to listen to his voice on the radio?

One-Two interview(s)

As you may have heard, Bloginity recently posted an interview with Kevin. The pretty lengthy feature touched upon a few interesting themes, but the interviewer was kind enough to share the outtakes with us. Head over to her tumblr to read what was not published. It is a very engaging article, and in case you get tired reading all these words, there are beautiful pictures to look at too.

Daughter of Cloud and debut Harouki Zombi EP release dates, tour dates announced

 Daughter of Cloud is the title of the rarities compilation that was mentioned in interview earlier this year. It will be out on Polyvinyl on October 23rd and features 17 new, rare or out-of-print tracks. Pitchfork is streaming "Sails, Hermaphroditic", a song that was performed once last year (and guess who was there to film it?).



But the great news is that it actually has a version of Georgie's Lament, and that alone is worth your money.  As usual, you can pre-order the compilation in a variety of format on Polyvinyl.

Harouki Zombi, Nina and Orenda Fink's project, will release its debut EP on Polyvinyl on October 23rd, too. The first track off the record is called "Objet petit A" (how ironic that petit A is actually capitalized...) and you can listen to it on soundcloud.

of Montreal will embark on yet another tour of the US from coast to coast next months :

09-25 Gainesville, FL - Reitz Union Rion Ballroom
10-06 Los Angeles, CA - Culture Collide Festival
10-07 Los Angeles, CA - Culture Collide Festival
10-19 Halifax, Nova Scotia - Halifax Pop Explosion
10-27 Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre
11-28 Miami, FL - The Stage
11-29 Tallahassee, FL - The Moon
11-30 Orlando, FL - The Plaza
12-01 Mobile, AL -Alabama Music Box
12-02 New Orleans, LA - Howlin' Wolf
12-03 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
12-04 Austin, TX - Mohawk
12-05 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
12-06 Oklahoma City, OK - ACM @ UCO Performance Lab
12-07 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
12-08 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
12-09 Chicago, IL - Metro
12-10 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
12-11 New York, NY - Webster Hall
12-12 Boston, MA - Paradise
12-13 Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
12-14 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
12-15 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle


We are still waiting on a release date for James Husband's second LP.

Get ready for two new songs and an outtakes LP in the fall

In an interview with Billboard.com, Kevin has shed some light on what's next for the band : he has two songs (almost) ready for release, and an LP of songs that didn't make the cut should be released as soon as Spetember. The great news is that it's not only outtakes from Paralytic Stalks, but it could go as far as Hissing Fauna. Fingers crossed for Georgie's Lament!






of Montreal on stage at the Niceto Club, Argentina - picture by Nadia Guzmàn

June tour interview roundup

Four interviews recently showed up on my radar :

1. Just when you thought Soundcloud couldn't get any better, it manages to surprise you with a 15-minute long interview you had never heard before. Check it out here.

2. The Oakland Press published a really short interview that you can read here, but be warned that it will change your perception of of Montreal's performance crew.

3. Spinner interviewed Kevin after the of Montreal show in Toronto. This one actually has one very interesting piece of news about upcoming releases... though who knows if that is just a thought or if we will actually see that happen (what? Head over to Spinner to see what I'm talking about, he he he.)

4. Brazilian website FFW also interviewed Kevin this week but nothing new was revealed. They also reviewed the show but I don't speak Portuguese (save for the insults) so who knows what they thought of it.

 

Kevin on stage at the Crofoot, Pontiac Mi - picture by Jackleen Diana Eve

New Now Next video interview

New Now Next posted video snippets of an interview last week. Below are the six segments strung together : nothing new is revealed, apart from Kevin's favorite ice-cream flavor. But that might simply mean that I know far too much. 

Get More: Watch Reality TV, Video and Movies, Logo TV

Spinner interview

In anticipation of of Montreal's NXNE shows in Brooklyn and Toronto, Spinner asked Kevin about Kishi Bashi's influence on the latest records. And for those who want to keep their eyes on the future, there's also a question about the upcoming record.

They Shoot Music acoustic session

While in Europe last month, Kevin Barnes performed two songs in the streets of Madrid for the Austrian music blog They Shoot Music. Watch Du Og Meg below and check out their website for another acoustic video and pictures.

Paralytic Stalks Summer Tour

After a month off (though Yip Deceiver and Kishi Bashi were still on the road), the band is getting ready for the second installment in their Paralytic Stalks series, adding Argentina and Chile to their list of visited countries. Check out the dates below. 

• TUE 12 JUNE - Neighborhood Theatre Charlotte, NC, US
• WED 13 JUNE - The National Richmond, VA, US
• THU 14 JUNE - Recher Theatre Towson, MD, US
• FRI 15 JUNE - Williamsburg Park Brooklyn, NY, US
• SAT 16 JUNE - Yonge-Dundas Square Toronto, ON, Canada
• SUN 17 JUNE - Altar Bar Pittsburgh, PA, US
• MON 18 JUNE - The Crofoot Ballroom Pontiac, MI, US
• TUE 19 JUNE - Madison Theater Covington, KY, US
• WED 20 JUNE - The Cannery Ballroom Nashville, TN, US
• TUE 26 JUNE - Cine Joia São Paulo, Brazil
• THU 28 JUNE - Circo Voador Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• FRI 29 JUNE - Teatro La Cupula Santiago, Chile
• SAT 30 JUNE - Niceto Club Buenos Aires, Argentina
• THU 16 AUGUST - Paredes De Coura Festival Paredes de Coura, Portugal
• FRI 17 AUGUST – SUN 19 AUGUST - Green Man Festival 2012 Powys, UK
• TUE 21 AUGUST - Den Atelier Luxembourg, Luxembourg
• WED 22 AUGUST - Feierwerk / Hansa 39 Munich, Germany
• THU 23 AUGUST – SAT 25 AUGUST - For Noise Festival 2012 Pully, Switzerland
• FRI 24 AUGUST - BootBooHook Festival 2012 Hannover, Germany
• SAT 25 AUGUST - Noorderzon 2012 Groningen, Netherlands
• THU 4 OCTOBER - Culture Collide Festival 2012 Los Angeles, CA, US
• SUN 7 OCTOBER - Culture Collide Festival 2012 Los Angeles, CA, US

And in case you have forgotten how good the songs are and how great the band sounds these days, here's a video a Ye, Renew The Plaintiff, as recorded in Brighton last April, courtesy of bowlegs. 




 

Update on James Husband's upcoming record

A few weeks ago Jamey posted a 6 minute long video of his studio progress on facebook but it took me a while to download, upload and share it. It focuses on the recording process but if you're dying to hear a few new tunes from Jamey, you'll find them. The new record doesn't have a title yet but it is penciled in for a late August release on No More Fake Labels.

The Line of Best Fit interview and acoustic song

The Booty Patrol took a couple of days off in Italy (and then a couple of days off recovering from celebrating a life-changing socialist victory in France) and look what was posted while I had something more beautiful to look at than a computer screen! A video interview, in which Kevin Barnes gets to answer questions asked by fans (which makes a nice change from questions from journalists, since those are always the same), and another acoustic version of What Have They Done To My Song, this time on guitar. Head over to the Line of Best Fit or watch both videos below.

2012 Bandstand Busking Session

Here it is! We already knew it had been recorded thanks to Anika's pictures, now we can enjoy it! Head over to the Bandstand Busking blog for the videos or watch them below.

Washington, DC show streaming in its entirety

This may have been posted online a long time ago (hell, NPR may have streamed it live when I wasn't paying attention), but once you're done watching the Rotterdam performance, you can compare it to the Washington DC show from April 3rd. Watch it below!

Spiteful Intervention official video

At last Paralytic Stalks gets its official video! I guess this means Spiteful Intervention is the second single, after Dour Percentage. Directed by Jesse Ewles, who had already done An Elurdian Instance four years ago, the video is one long still shot on a black background with nightmarish strokes of colors forming different images. I am not sure my description does it any justice so just hit play and enjoy!







New tour dates have just been announced, too :

 06/12 – Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theater *

06/13 – Richmond, VA @ The National *
06/14 – Towson, MD @ Recher Theater *
06/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Northside Festival
06/16 – Toronto, Ontario @ NXNE
06/17 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar *
06/18 – Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom *
06/19 – Covington, KY @ Madison Theatre *
06/20 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom *
08/19 – Powys, Wales @ Green Man Festival
08/23 – Pully, Switzerland @ For Noise Festival

* = with Chappo and Yip Deceiver

April 20th show streaming online

You can say whatever you want, but Holland is one of the greatest countries on Earth! But obviously I am not referring to a kick-ass education system and progressive laws about gay marriage or drugs, or the fact that cops are incredibly friendly, or that you can actually find great vegan food on virtually every street corner, no, I am talking about the way they always film of Montreal shows. First we had fabchannel that provided us with two shows filmed at the Paradiso in Amsterdam (December 2007 and January 2009), now we have 3voor12! Click here to stream the entire performance!

Drowned in Sound's Mixtape Monday

of Montreal set sail for the UK after their performance in Brussels on Saturday night, but so far the only press that's been published is a very weird list of videos Kevin Barnes chose for Drowned in Sound's Mixtape Monday. Click on the link to discover Kevin's 10 favorite songs. Expect the unexpected.

Kishi Bashi's Bright Whites video

I tweeted it yesterday (now that's the first time I ever use the word tweet in a relevant way) but didn't see that you could win a $100 voucher from Joyful Noise Recordings or the album in any format you choose. Head over to Kishi Bashi's website for instructions and try to figure out which idioms are featured in the videos, or if you feel confident enough, click here to fill out the form and give your answer.

Wall Street Journal video interview

March 21st, San Francisco CA bootleg available

Hats off to Michael Zelner who contacted me with his very own pictures, videos and recording of the first San Francisco show.
We here at the Booty Patrol work very hard to make your fan experience a truly memorable one, so not only is the show available in all its lossless glory on dimeadozen (for the lucky few who have an account), but Jill from Boston was kind enough to cut it up in handy little mp3s you can download here. Enjoy the show!

interviews

No SXSW and all of a sudden, it's a pretty slow week publicity-wise for of Montreal. Still, here is the weekly recap of interviews :

• Boise Weekly published an interview with Kevin Barnes, and outtakes from this very interview later on.
• NJ.com has another one, with round 215 in the P4K vs. oM battle.
• Interview Magazine (now how's that for an imaginative name?) asked Kevin about how the tour is going, and what books he's brought along to survive those long drives.

Still no sign of radio sessions, but Kishi Bashi did stop for WBEZ's Afternoon Shift and recorded two songs from his (quite spectacular) debut album, 151a, available from Joyful Noise Recordings. You can watch the videos there.

SXSW acoustic show videos

Back by popular demand, videos of Kevin's acoustic set in Austin last week.
This time, Louisville, KY-based blog Backseat Sandbar is sharing four songs (unfortunately it was very windy and they must have had the windcut option off or something) :

She's A Rejector :

Everyday Feels Like Sunday :

What Have They Done To My Song, Ma?

and a very down tempo version of Suffer For Fashion :

Catching up on interviews

As the tour reaches the West Coast and L.A. today, here's a look at the interviews that were published over the past couple of weeks :

• Wired (UK) has a short feature about the board game that you can read on their website, unfortunately, to read the whole interview, you need to get your hands on a magazine, and I sure would if I lived in Britain. So if you are reading this from the other side of the Channel, do us a favor, grab a copy and scan it!

• El Paso Inc. posted a 5-question interview with Kevin on March 14th. You may not learn anything new, but here's your abstract. The El Paso Times posted a more in-depth feature, but it looks like they did not get an interview with anyone from the band and had to settle with the promoter, some guy from AOL Music, and they also lifted quotes from other articles. But let's be positive, it is actually a good read.

• Australian magazine Rave also features a relatively short article that mainly focuses on people's reaction to Exorcismic Breeding Knife and Kevin's state of mind.

• Look At OKC posted an article prior to the band's stop in Oklahoma City, in which Kevin got the chance to explain what to expect from the new live show.

• The Houston Press interview is possibly the best one of the bunch : articulate questions that haven't been asked 10.000 times before and honest answers.

• Under The Radar also did a great job with this article, as it doesn't only dwells on Paralytic Stalks but sheds some light on earlier recordings and how tied to Kevin's personal life they are.

• Another Australian publication called The Music (not to be confused with the awful British band of the same name!) reviewed of Montreal's performance at the Waterloo Records showcase during SXSW : "It feels less like they are playing, and more like there are just eight anarchists up on stage randomly strumming instruments and hitting things." It certainly isn't the feeling I got watching the webcast or listening to the mp3s, but maybe they actually mean the set was amazing. Who knows?

• Creative Loafing also covered one of of Montreal's Florida shows, and while the reviewer didn't seem convinced, he still snapped great pictures, so it's worth clicking here.

• Last but not least, LA Weekly just posted a comprehensive interview that runs over the course of 4 pages : Kevin gets the chance to introduce Zach Cowell and Kishi Bashi, to talk very candidly and truthfully about depression, why touring is as importing to him as recording, and also professes his love for Skrillex (the haircut as a tribute?).

And here's an acoustic rendering of She's A Rejecter from SXSW.

SXSW Waterloo Records Showcase mp3s

For those of you who haven't been able to watch the show in real life or streaming live from SXSW yesterday and for those who did and would like to hear it over and over again, here are the audio files, thanks to devoted Booty Patrol member Joann.
Interestingly enough, they chose not to play any songs from the previous three albums, but performed No Conclusion, which is slowly but surely losing its status as the ultimate of Montreal fan white whale. Will they play it again today? Tune in to the Daytrotter website by 3:30 (EST) today and find out... In order to listen to the session, and even though it is free, you will have to set up an account so if you don't have one already, take this into account. I also hope they sort their website out because right now I can't log in for some reason.


Click on the picture below to download your bootleg.

SXSW : an of Montreal fan schedule.

With South By South West just around the corner, I thought it might be handy to make a special schedule with all oM-related events, since the lucky few who can attend can see not one, not two, not three, not four but five different bands! And I hope I haven't forgotten anyone.

A big thank you to Robert Fountain who sent me the schedule for of Montreal. The Harouki Zombi, James Husband and Yip Deceiver information was retrieved from SXSW's website, but the Kishi Bashi section was compiled from facebook, which as we all know probably isn't the most reliable source of information, but it doesn't appear on the official website... I will edit the post as I find out more.

• of Montreal :

3-16 We Listen For You Acoustic Set (1106 E 11th St) - 12:40 PM

3-16 Waterloo Records Instore (600 N Lamar Blvd) - 3 PM
http://do512.com/c/sx2012/event/2012/03/16/parking-lot-showcase-day-3-free

3-16 Under The Radar Party @ Flamingo Cantina (515 E 6th St) - 4:50 PM (performing The Sunlandic Twins from start to finish)
http://www.mxdwn.com/2012/02/29/news/under-the-radar-sxsw-2012-day-parties-announced-featuring-of-montreal-chairlift-and-the-drums/


3-17 Filter Party @ Clive Bar (609 Davis St) - 6 PM
http://filtermagazine.com/index.php/rsvp/entry/s.o.terik_now.art_showcase_clive_bar_sxsw_2012
This event requires an RSVP like the Polyvinyl showcase (see link), but the RSVP does not guarantee entry if the venue fills up.

• Harouki Zombi : March 16th at 10 p.m. (Elysium)

• James Husband : March 13th at 1 a.m. (TenOak), presented by No More Fake Labels.
  

• Kishi Bashi

3/16 : 12:30pm Spider House Cafe - 2908 Fruth St. FREE

3/16 : 7pm-7:45 TBWA Party Scottish Rite. 18th & Lavaca. (FREE but RSVP only - no link right now)




3/16 : 9-9:30 Wild Honey Pie/Paper Garden Party @ Uncorked. 900 E 7th St. (FREE but RSVP)

• Yip Deceiver (TBA)
  

Paralytic Stalks tour starts today

Anticipation is reaching its apex as of Montreal's new stage show is about to hit the road. 28 shows in 31 days in the US, 19 shows in 23 days in Europe (and Israel for the first time ever)!
A lot has already been said (and a little has been seen, on Fallon or at the Georgia Theater on February 17th), but wired.com has had the great idea to ask Nick Gould about the technical side of the show. Check out the interview and see what one can do with an XBox, an iPad and a whole lot of brain power and creativity.



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 - performing the Sunlandic Twins)
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 Nip

04-16 - Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia +
04-17 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller *
04-18 - Arhus, Denmark - Train *
04-19 - Cologne, Germany - Werkstatt +
04-20 - Rotterdam, NL - Motel Mozaique Festival @Off_Corso
04-21 - Bruxelles, Belgium - Orangerie +
04-22 - Manchester, England - Ritz *
04-23 - Leeds, England - The Irish Centre +
04-25 - London, England - Koko +
04-26 - Brighton, England - Concorde 2 *
04-27 - Paris, France - Trianon +
04-28 - Nantes, France - Stereolux *
04-29 - Barcelona, Spain - Apolo +
04-30 - Madrid, Spain - Joy Eslava *
05-02 - Nice, France - Theatre Lino Ventura +
05-03 - Rome, Italy - Circolo degli artisti +
05-04 - Milan, Italy - Magnolia +
05-07 - Tel Aviv, Israel - Barby Club +
05-09 - Istanbul, Turkey - Babylon *

* w/ Kishi Bashi + w/ Yip Deceiver



As always, The Booty Patrol is looking forward to hearing from you after these shows and will happily compile pictures, videos and fan reviews.

Rolling Stone Session and interview

While in New York a few weeks back, of Montreal stopped by the Rolling Stone studios for three (almost) acoustic renderings of tracks from Paralytic Stalks and an interview that mainly focuses on what to expect from the new live show.
The three songs come as stripped down as you could expect and the whole atmosphere is somewhat reminiscent of the Bandstand Busking session from 2008. Enjoy!


Dour Percentage :



We Will Commit Wolf Murder :



Malefic Dowery :



Interview :

e-music q&a

eMusic, the legal downloading platform, got the chance to interview Kevin about the new record, and amazingly asked all the right questions. While you might be confused that someone we hold in such high regard would even pay attention to the image the world reflects back to him, you'll see that, much as the Outback Steakhouse backlash from five years ago influenced Skeletal Lamping, the new sound and direction was partly influenced by the criticisms that followed the release of False Priest and the subsequent tour. Head over to eMusic to see what Kevin had to say about language, psychological disorders and being lumped in with the Afro-American and LGBT scene.

Dour Percentage on Fallon

There was a lot of anticipation prior to of Montreal's return to Fallon, after their July 2010 rendering of Sex Karma (quite possibly the only time they performed it with Solange, too*). It had set the tone for what the beginning of the False Priest tour was going to look and sound like, and considering the beautiful visuals they had with them this time around, one can only hope that this two-story stage setup and the little square screens and human screens are going on tour with them around the world. Enjoy!






Just for the hell of it, here's of Montreal's first appearance on national TV, bringing us back to April 2007 when they performed Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse on Conan.
And here is An Eluardian Instance on Letterman from December 2008 (courtesy of Diana). Let's hope there will be more of them!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* I was just reminded by one die-hard Finnish fan that they performed it with Solange on Pitchfork's Cemetary Gates session, too. I had totally forgotten about that.

Two new interviews and Fallon tomorrow night.

Consequence of Sound just published a two-page interview with Kevin Barnes in which you'll learn interesting facts about the songwriting process behind Paralytic Stalks, along with the usual stuff about the live show and how to earn a living as a musician these days.

To see what the stage set-up will look like, head over to facebook where Kevin posted a video teaser last Saturday.

Clash Music also published an article that mainly focuses on Sufjan Stevens's Age of Adz.

Most blogs and papers have published their reviews now, and not only is it way too hard to keep up with all of them but they typically aren't insightful or relevant (whether they are raving about the record or not).

Also, don't forget to tape of Montreal's performance on Fallon tomorrow night - we Europeans are relying on you to see how it went.

Listen To Paralytic Stalks on nme.com

Much chin-scratching at this one : NME claims that Paralytic Stalks is exclusively streaming on their website. They seem super excited, because it's one week before its release date. Funny when you know it's been up on spin.com since last Wednesday. Someone needs to inform these guys that borders are irrelevant on the web... Anyway, it comes with a little bit of interview (more to come later, I assume) and a picture from Coachella 2007 (?!?!), so you can still head over to nme.com to read it.

Stool Pigeon interview

Many thanks to Edittrix for sharing this great British article with us. This is what you need to read if you want to learn the difference between an of Montreal record and frosted flakes, the outcome of the vengeful Pitchfork blog post from last year or whether Paralytic Stalks "comes from a darker place" than Hissing Fauna.

Spin feature

Spin Magazine got Kevin to talk about each song on Paralytic Stalks. You'll see that there are songs that are not about what you think they were about, and I know someone who will be thrilled to know that Dour Percentage might actually be about Jamey.
This piece is quite fascinating as it is as close as we'll ever get to the creative process. Let Kevin walk you through the album. It will definitely enhance your listening experience and for those who still have doubts, it might even help you fall in love with Paralytic Stalks.


An interview in Spanish was also posted on Chilango today, but I'm going to need a volunteer translator for this one if I'm ever to make sense of it (it doesn't seem like it's got any kind of revelation, but if there was one I might not pick up on it).
Arts & Craft in Mexico will also be hosting a listening party / online chat with Kevin on Friday. RSVP on facebook.

Yip Deceiver Get Strict video

MTV Hive posted the official video for Get Strict yesterday. Most of us who have witnessed of Montreal shows last spring will be familiar with the song, so it seems like a pretty good choice for a single. Yip Deceiver's 12" is still available from Aerobic International. Check out their website for more information.

Yip Deceiver
Get More:
Yip Deceiver, MTV Hive

For fans abroad who can't watch this video due to copyright issues, you can watch it on vimeo, the password is yip.

Rough Trade In-Store Online Chat

Attention London fans!
The venerable Rough Trade Store is having a Paralytic Stalks listening party and online google chat with Kevin Barnes on Saturday, February 4th. Head over there for all relevant information here.

Other news today, Pop'Stache wrote a pretty interesting essay/article about David Bowie's use of alter-egos and Kevin's as a companion piece to their positive review of Paralytic Stalks.

of Montreal's presence on the internet

It's been a pretty eventful start of the year for the band, who have found themselves on the most-blogged about artists of the day for days and days in a row.
It has been pretty hard to keep up with all the information, and for lack of time, I have mostly been using twitter and facebook to share all this non-essential stuff, but I feel it is time for a recap for all of you who only ever check the blog.


Let's start with the music.
1. Kishi Bashi's 151a will be released on Joyful Noise Recordings on April 10th, but if I remember rightly, those of us who kickstarted his project should be getting it sometime in March. In the meantime, head over to Spin to download the first single off this album. Apparently you can't pre-order the record right now, but I'll keep you posted.
2. Remember a few years (months?) ago when Kevin Barnes said he'd written a song for Beyoncé? Well, Chicago-based mashup artist(s) The Hood Internet gave it a shot and mixed Beyoncé's supposedly famous song (help a sister out if you know which song it is!) with St. Exquisite's Confessions. As it turns out, it actually sounds pretty good to my ears. Give it a virtual spin!

The Hood Internet - Exquisite Party (Beyonce x Of Montreal) by hoodinternet

3. of Montreal will perform Dour Percentage on Fallon on February 8th. Don't miss it.

Now on to the written word.
1. Kevin made the list of 10 musicians who should write novels according to Flavorwire. Now of course, they're preaching to the converted here, but feel free to peruse the rest of the list and either or rejoice or lament.

2. Author Alex Gilvarry name-dropped Suffer For Fashion when asked what songs he was listening to when he wrote his debut novel, "From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant." He has quite a few kind words to say about Kevin, too. Head over to the excellent literary/music blog Largehearted Boy to read the article.

And now for all the weird stuff out there...
1. Judging by its name, Reviewer Magazine should be all about reviews... Well, their review of Paralytic Stalks is... part biography, part rambling about how much the guy loves the band, but hey, it's very positive, so who's complaining? I'm not. Read this page-long biography of sorts there.

2. But this non-review is nothing compared to Kevin Barnes's astrological chart and enneagram type(s). Yes, it is types, plural, because apparently there is a debate there to figure out if he is ENTP or ENFJ. One thing we can all agree on is that of Montreal is popular with psychology students.

Dour Percentage and European tour dates

After the 7-minute epic Wintered Debts that was shared with fans back in November, of Montreal has decided to release Dour Percentage as the first single off Paralytic Stalks. Pitchfork has the goods. A more conventional song (by of Montreal standards, anyway), it should be somewhat less confusing for the people who favor Hissing Fauna and False Priest over, say, Coquelicot and Skeletal Lamping. Unfortunately, the track doesn't come with a video, and it apparently won't be released as a single either. I'll wait until the tour starts and you start sending in reports of how elaborate it is, but there seems to be interesting budget choices being made in the oM camp these days.



Pitchfork also posted the European (+ Turkey and Israel) tour dates :

04-16 Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
04-17 Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
04-18 Arhus, Denmark - Train
04-19 Cologne, Germany - Werkstatt
04-20 Rotterdam, Netherlands - Motel Mozaique Festival @Off_Corso
04-21 Bruxelles, Belgium - Orangerie
04-22 Manchester, England - Ritz
04-23 Leeds, England - The Irish Centre
04-25 London, England - Koko
04-26 Brighton, England - Concorde 2
04-27 Paris, France - Trianon
04-28 Nantes, France - Stereolux
04-29 Barcelona, Spain - Apolo
04-30 Madrid, Spain - Joy Eslava
05-02 Nice, France - Theatre Lino Ventura
05-03 Rome, Italy - Circolo degli artisti
05-04 Milan, Italy - Magnolia
05-07 Tel Aviv, Israel - Barby Club
05-09 Istanbul, Turkey - Babylon

Q Magazine Q&A with Kevin Barnes

Here's a great interview that should keep you psyched about the new record (and the next one) and tour.