Pure Channel interview

Here's a nice little interview that took place right after of Montreal's energetic (but oh-so short) performance at the We Love Green Festival in Paris on September 10th. Kevin speaks about his whole career and the creative process, and once again, drops a few hints at what Paralytic Stalks will sound like.

L'Age d'Or

The ubiquitous Pitchfork debuted the new of Montreal video today. They couldn't help but be Pitchforkian and state that it was NSFW, when (a) unless your job consists in reviewing records or writing about pop culture, any music video is NSFW (I mean, seriously, if your boss is okay with you checking pitchfork and wasting your time watching videos, I want your job) and (b) catching a glimpse of some woman's bosom is not that outrageous in the 21st century. Anyway, if you've been following Nina on Twitter, you already knew that a video had been shot and that she was editing it, and you probably were eager to find out which song would get the special treatment. Somehow I remember being pretty sure it'd be a third single (gosh, there is no such thing as a single in the indie world these days, is there?) from False Priest and I was rooting for Godly Intersex, but as it turns out it is L'Age d'Or from thecontrollersphere. On the up side, it sure is the catchiest, most radio-friendly song on the EP, but on the down side, it probably is the least interesting one too. The video doesn't offer much in terms of narrative, but the overall atmosphere and work on the colors really fits the song and makes it worth your time. Make up your own mind :

oM vs. DCFC

OK, it's not much of an of Montreal event, but it's just too good to pass up (trust me).
On April 5th, 7p.m. EST (that's 2 a.m. GMT), a new Death Cab For Cutie video will be streaming live... and the team that is working on it in LA as we speak is comprised of Nick Gould, Eddie Whelan, and Jason Miller. If you've been following the Booty Patrol, you are somewhat familiar with Jason Miller's work (including the double live DVD that is slowly becoming the elusive unicorn of the oM world), and there is simply no excuse if you don't know who Nick Gould is. I guess I'll give you a pass for Eddie Whelan, but check his site out and learn.
I'm pretty sure there will be re-runs for those who can't make it, but tune in to You Are A Tourist to watch the video premiere, as it pretty much is the point of this live, one-take video concept.

Codes & Keys, Death Cab For Cutie's 7th album, will be released on May 31st. (and hopefully it will be better than Narrow Stairs!)

Godly Intersex (un)official video

Not only is Godly Intersex one of the best song on False Priest (and when the stars align I'd go as far as say that it is the best song), it now has its own fan video - and a really cool one made by people who actually know what they're doing or are doing a great job pretending they know what they are doing.

Many thanks to SubliminalTwin for the video and for sharing it with us.

Famine Affair video

We were waiting for a Sex Karma video featuring Nina and a snake, but we're actually getting a Famine Affair video featuring Nina... and a lot of slow motion. A rather claustrophobic in camera scenario, the very beautifully shot and cinematographic video seems to be heavily influenced by the French new wave (but maybe that's just me, because I see French influences where they are not?) and it features an (as yet) unknown male actor* surrounded by dozens of females in what seems to be a total dystopia.

Watch it there and see what Kevin and Spin have to say about it.


* It only took the Booty Patrol a few hours to figure out that this is Josh McKay from the 2010 Flagpole Music Award Winning band Abandon The Earth Mission. I knew I could count on you people!


EDIT : Our Riotous Defects is NPR's Song of the Day!

Paris show at la Cigale

It's been one week since of Montreal mesmerised the city of lights. The Booty Patrol was in attendance, armed with a photo pass (thanks B.P.!) and a super stable super HD camera, but everything in France has to turn into a shouting match and a power struggle (and I am always on the losing end), so I got kicked from the balcony, and the camera was taken away, but what they didn't know is that I had another one hidden away. Ha! Sometimes I'm so proud of myself... Still, the quality isn't as good as it would have been if I had used my camera from the balcony as planned, but it still is the full show - filmed by yours truly. Enjoy!
EDIT : the first video is super blurry but it gets a lot better)




Pixbear posted a great review of the show, and they took a few great pics, too. Mr. Robert Gil was there too, and his eye is as keen as ever - though he apparently didn't think much of the show. Check out the pictures from his website.

Videos from the London show, more interviews

Time for a new update!

Interviews published in the last few days :

1) NPR's All Songs Considered. (thanks Jill for the link)
2) The Line Of Best Fit.
3) The Quietus.
4) The Fly has a piece written by Kevin about illegal immigration and the utter stupidity of some of the recent laws passed in the US recently. We have Plastic Umbrella to thank for the link.

Apple Picker production filmed the show in London last week (it doesn't look like the whole show, though), and even if I haven't been able to watch it yet (what with uploading my own videos from the Paris show - 9 songs into it, we're getting there - and traveling to Amsterdam (where the band kicked serious Duutch aass) and, er, working), I'm still sharing it with the world. Somehow these videos have a ridiculously low number of views, it's almost as if people liked 30-second snippets filmed with a crappy phone while whoever was holding it was dancing better than full songs, captured in HD, by professional people using a tripod. Check these videos out, or else.






Finally, check out the new tour dates :

11/12 Mexico City, Mexico @ Salon Los Angeles
11/13 Guadalajara, Mexico @ Lydo’s Show Center
11/20 Sao Paolo, Brazil @ Planeta Terra Festival
01/11 Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen
01/12 Tallahassee, FL @ The Moon
01/13 Orlando, FL @ Firestone
01/14 Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
01/15 Tampa, FL @ The Ritz
04/02 Halifax, Nova Scotia @ Halifax Multi Purpose Centre

Sex Karma video

Here's a little teaser of what to expect... You know it's going to be fanstastic, because Spenser Simrill manned the camera and the editing.
Apparently the video is nearing completion. Let's just hope it's not only a background video for the live show, but that it'll get an official release too.

Interviews and previews

As planned, this week has been full of interesting news and interviews and just about everything you've come to expect in the week leading to the official release date of an of Montreal album in 2010.

First and foremost, take a look at this great video from Rolling Stone - you'll learn quite a few things about the upcoming tour. I wonder how much of this Europe will get to see (my guess, around 10%)




Rolling Stone also published a small accompanying piece, and I've been told they gave False Priest a great review. The mainstream suddenly looks a little bit more vibrant and friendly.

Spin Magazine forgot their cameras back home, but they still posted a really good piece on Sex Karma, and allowed you to download the song too. The comment section is disturbingly empty as of now, so go ahead and praise the song because right now it's kind of depressing to see that no-one had anything to say about it. Damn.

Pitchfork came up with a new idea for interviews this fall, and it's actually a really good one. The rule of the game is to let the artist present the music they were into at ages 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 (that's where we'll stop right now in Kevin's case, but I can't wait for the Lou Reed edition). Head over to P4K right now, and see how much his tastes have changed, and whether or not you went through the same phases.

Beer Melodies posted a pretty lengthy interview with Kevin - including good, relevant questions (thought I'd mention that, because it's actually pretty rare), but I've been told that the introductory paragraphs were dreadfully challenging, so you may want to scroll down the page if you find yourself in a hurry, or if your brain has low tolerance for verbosity. (in which case, I'm not sure how you can actually stand to listen to an oM album from start to finish).

The Agit Reader has another interview with Kevin, and it's got a few revealing facts about the Controller Sphere EP that will be released next year. It looks like we're in for a few suprises and changes of pace. Exciting.

Boston-based paper The Phoenix also came up with two articles to promote both the album and the upcoming Boston show. They seem to be both centered around the same interview, and while hardcore fans may not learn anything new, they're still worth the 10 minutes it'll take you to read them. I mean, there's talk of a kaleidoscopic trenchcoat, what could possibly beat that?

And last but not least (if you live in DC), Brightest Young Things (and Gibson Guitars, and VitaminWater, and other sponsors that are too numerous for me to remember) are planning a lunch with all eight members of the band. Is this a genius move or a corny one? Try your luck, find out and report back! Apparently all you have to do is be one of the first hundred people to buy False Priest on September 14th. Details here.

Also, in almost-related news, Jamey will be touring this fall too, as the opening act for the Azure Ray long-awaited reunion tour!
Check out the dates here.

Coquet Coquette Music Video

It's been a week since of Montreal posted their e-flyer advertising the release of the Coquet Coquette music video, and here it is, on time!
While it definitely is distracting the viewer from the music, you have to admit this is a huge improvement on just about every video they've made since Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse. Join the fight!



In other news, two False Priest reviews dropped today, one from Stereogum (who don't think too highly of the album apparently, but then they weren't too keen on Skeletal Lamping either if I remember rightly), and a dithyrambic one from Obscure Sound.
Yesterday French blog My Head Is A Jukebox posted a short interview with Kevin, in which nothing new is revealed, apart from plans of writing an "album around the nylon string guitar," but only if "someone very close to [him] dies." Oh my.

Kevin solo show at Respectable Street (#2)

The Booty Patrol doesn't post about every single show (otherwise I'd call this my full time job, and I would be desperately looking for interns), but there are times when you can see a little magic cloud forming over a particular date, and that's exactly what happened after Kevin's solo set was rescheduled and moved to Respectable Street. Not that a solo show as the headlining act of some local outdoor festival sounded bad, but the move to a much more intimate setting definitely helped raise our expectations. Fortunately, the Booty Patrol has full-time correspondents in Florida (though they're more like ultra mobile correspondents), and they came back with beautiful pictures (thanks Gaelen!) and videos (thanks Michael!) to share, and lots of memories to cherish (they could share them with you too, if they were not so busy with things like life and a real job).


Click on the picture to see more of these :

Here's a review of the show and videos (including the shiver-inducing 10 minutes 42 seconds of The Past Is A Grotesque Animal) :

It is rumored that the whole show was filmed by a some bald dude who goes by the name of Gingerman, and that it will be posted somewhere at some point... I'll keep you posted, of course... I mean, look at this setlist!

Also, The Booty Patrol would like to send very warm get-well wishes to one of our Florida friends and correspondent who got in a car crash last week and had to miss out on the show. Hope you make the quickest recovery in the world, Julie.

Family Nouveau - a documentary

Very good news on my facebook wall when I woke up this morning! Mr. Spenser Simrill had posted the trailer from the 2009 European Tour Documentary he had been working on. I was starting to worry that all the footage had gone to waste and that nothing would come out of it, but was I mistaken! Take a look at it - it should be enough to make your mouth water and foam.

Of Montreal European Tour 2009: Family Nouveau Trailer from Spenser Simrill, Jr. on Vimeo.

If you happen to be anywhere near Chicago, you can attend the premiere on March 5th at the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival. Get your tickets here!

And here are the two snippets he shared last year, in case you missed them then :

Of Montreal: Glasgow Karaoke from Spenser Simrill, Jr. on Vimeo.

Of Montreal: Brighton Beach Fever from Spenser Simrill, Jr. on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas

Townhaller mkdevo is year's Santa!

He (she? it?) decided to share with us two shows he taped in 2008 and 2009 : the incredible Roseland Ballroom show (think naked knight on a white horse), and the New Haven one from this year's spring tour (the one that didn't have a fancy name, sadly). And when I say two shows, that is two shows from the intro music to the last goodbyes - all in HQ and from the balcony! Relive the glory of the Ninjas Prove It tour! Enjoy the more intimate setting of this year's spring tour! Guaranteed to make your ears ring and your eyes water!


Watch the full shows here!





Roseland Ballroom song by song.



New Haven, CT song by song.
I will try and rip the mp3s from this one, and I'll post them later on... Of course, mp3 and flac files for the NYC show are available at nyctaper.com in case you've missed them first time around!!

Merry Christmas to y'all and see you in the new year!


(there are two many exclamation points in this post, but hey! I'm excited!!!!!!!!!)

New Videos

The band posted two new videos on their YouTube channel yesterday.

The first one is about Davey's wrist (the new, enhanced, bionic wrist, that is) and if you are the kind of person who is grossed out by medical procedures, you may want to avert your eyes from the 2nd minute mark on. Otherwise, just stare and you may learn a few things about bones and pins.

The second one, 24 Hour Party Purple (you gotta love the title, if you don't, there's something wrong with you) looks like a trailer for a documentary of some sort (but I'm probably imagining things, plus we've already got two DVDs and a documentary to look forward to). It was shot before, during and after the Fashion Week party of Montreal threw at Santos in NYC two weeks ago.

I am now kindly reminding you facebook users that in order to watch the videos and get your weekly dose of oM goodness, you need to come here (i.e. The Booty Patrol page, outside of fB, on the web), because they are not embedded on the fB Booty Patrol page and won't show up in your newsfeed and I know you're going to get frustrated and tell me there's something wrong and yell and stomp and cry when there's nothing I can do about it.

Kevin in new Music Tapes video

The website that dares not speak its name posted the video for "For The Planet Pluto 3" by mi amor, the Music Tapes. Oh, I can hear you moan why the hell should I care... well, (a) it is a very good as-yet-unreleased song (I would put it up there with "Nomad Tell Us" and "Song For The Death Of Parents"), (b) the video is both silly and poignant and (c) Kevin plays the part of an anti-Pluto astronomy teacher (or something along those lines, you'll need to watch the video for it to make any sense, and even then...)

watch it there if the video isn't starting for you...

Thanks to Townhaller Abel for the link.

Pitchf**k also put The Past Is A Grotesque Animal at number 168 in their top 500 best songs of the 2000s (this is getting way worse than High Fidelity), right between "Southern Hospitality" by Ludacris and "The Other Side Of Mt. Heart Attack" by Liars. Go figure.
EDIT : Thanks to Marc for letting us know that P4K also had Disconnect the Dots on the list at number 260, between Sonic Youth's "Incinerate" and Neko Case's "I wish I was the Moon".

Lollapalooza videos & reviews

Well, folks, another weekend, another festival, another kick-ass show... This time it was a teeny weeny bit rainy, so they had to throw in an inflatable raft, and, in keeping with Kevin's latest blog post, they (kind of) crucified some of the crew. (on oM's shopping list : two big wooden crosses, a dozen nails, more fake blood...)

Pictures by Nicole Buntsis (WindyCitizen).

This time Rolling Stone has a cool backstage/onstage video footage (including an a capella rehearsal of For Our Elegant Caste ft. Janelle & Kevin), and Illuminated (much indebted to you, girl!) captured the whole show and posted it there.


Reviewers, from Pitchfork to Spinner via VenusZine, seem pretty ecstatic, with a special mention to WindyCitizen, who either has the best memory in music writing, or managed to take pictures and notes during the show...

Photo by: Cambria Harkey

~~~---~~~---~~~ (added on August 10th) ~~~---~~~---~~~

Hear Dottie & Jamey reminisce about the e6 days and explain what kind of discussions they're having backstage before their shows...

Bryan on the e6 scene, the relationship between David & Kevin, playing the Hollywood Bowl...

~~~---~~~---~~~ (added on August 13th) ~~~---~~~---~~~


More interviews from Fuse. They are also running a Lollapalooza special this Saturday - but I don't know whether of Montreal's show will be on or not (that's in case you missed it first time around)


Hear Kevin and Bryan about music technicalities (ahem), festivals vs. clubs, and performing while trying to keep up with all the weird things happening in the background...

Lollapalooza

LP33.tv will soon start to stream live videos from Lollapalooza (along with exclusive interviews and the usual more or less boring festival stuff).
Methinks of Montreal is on at 7p.m. (central time) today, but since Andrew Bird is on at the same time, who knows who the channel will choose to broadcast? Anyway, just thought I'd give you Patrollers the heads-up, and as usual, if oM is on and you can capture the show (audio or video), please share!

UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!!

Thanks to both Patroller Michael G. and Townhaller Illuminated for pointing out to me (and others) that of Montreal's set was (fo sho) going to be webcast from Lolla's blog!

(unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work outside of the US, again)

Mingusings Video

Dottie just informed us that the new video for Mingusings is going to be premiered today on Stereogum. Here's what she said : "Made by Nick Gould, our very own video tiger, the vid features the adventures of ninja David as he travels the world. See if you recognize scenes from our Spin photo shoot!"

The Spin photo shoot (which would have been perfect without the infamous moustache!) :

Of course, you will also remember that the video comes free with of Montreal's latest single, which is not "Mingusings" (because why make sense when you can just confuse people, uh?), but "For Our Elegant Caste." Buy it from Polyvinyl if you haven't done so already.

And here is the video! The best since Heimdalsgate, don't you think? Or maybe just the Best.

(Also, for those of you who are lucky enough to go and see the band (+ Jon fucking Brion) in Oakland this very Friday and haven't heard about it yet, the plan is to turn this show into a balloon fest... Bring your own balloons, or at least save your breath to help Townhallers and Booty Patrollers blow theirs!)

Snippets from upcoming documentary

As you probably already know (because you are very well-informed fans and you've been doing your homework), of Montreal commissioned their (my, your, everybody's) friend Spenser Simrill to follow them around and shoot them as they touring Europe earlier this year, and Spenser has started posting excerpts on his vimeo account a couple of weeks ago.

The first excerpt features the band at a karaoke bar in Glasgow, and the second one Kevin's musings (set to the incessant, poignant croaking of seagulls) on the historic beach of Brighton (would have Kevin sided with the mods or the rockers?).
The editing is, in my humble opinion, quite fantastic (live action, interview, candid camera moments, Al Pacino making a guest appearance - it's got it all!), both artsy and watchable. About a million light years from of Montreal's previous effort (the rather dull "Cause We Were Virgins To Your Kisses" DVD that came out last year)

Of Montreal: Glasgow Karaoke from Spenser Simrill, Jr. on Vimeo.

"Welcome to the psychiatric patient ward, America"

On January 25, 2009, Scotland celebrated the 250th birthday of Robert Burns, its national poet. Of Montreal had the day off in Glasgow, and so the band decided to check out the festivities, which concluded with Karaoke at a local bar. Most gracious Glaswegians, Dez and Charlie, bought round after round, as Davey, Michael, and BP belted out hit after hit. Incidentally, the night revealed a striking resemblance between Kevin Barnes and Robert Burns, two poets known for their unique mixture of mirth and melancholy.

Kevin Barnes

Robert Burns

Of Montreal: Brighton Beach Fever from Spenser Simrill, Jr. on Vimeo.

"But then I realized that I wasn't supposed to attact the Terradactyl."

More to come on Spenser's documentary as the Booty Patrol gets more information.

Bonnaroo video and audio

Hats off to MozzaC for taping his third of Montreal show this year, and once again for sharing it with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the band's set was marred by technical difficulties and poor sound quality, and the recording reflects that. You've been warned!! That being said, of Montreal premiered a new song, tentatively called "Girl Named Hello" (41 minutes into the set, if you want to jump straight to it), and even though you can't really hear half of the lyrics, or the keyboards at all, it gives you a very rough idea of what it may sound like on record. Check out Mozza's other Bonnaroo recordings!

For a better sound, there's always nemi doonam's video - it is the same one that streamed on Sunday afternoon, so it's unfortunately not the full set, but the 40 first minutes, and it doesn't include the new song nor The Past Is A Grotesque Animal.

Kevin in Paris (Oct. 15th, 2008), prancing about in an outfit (or lack of) that would have been more appropriate for summer in Tn.