story by Garin Pirnia
The band name Of Montreal is a bit of a misnomer. They are not in
fact from Montreal, but instead from illustrious Athens, Georgia,
where such legendary bands like REM, Widespread Panic and the B52's
have emerged. Kevin Barnes formed the group after a stint with the
Elephant 6 collective, which featured members from Elf Power, Neutral
Milk Hotel and Apples in Stereo. After several members came and went,
Barnes' wife Nina joined the band along with Dottie Alexander and
James Huggins to form the current lineup.
Of Montreal's debut album Cherry Peel was released in 1997, evoking
a '60s pop sensibility inspired by the influential Kinks. They followed
it up with albums containing whimsical titles such as The Bedside
Drama: a Petite Tragedy, The Gay Parade, Coquelicot Asleep in the
Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse, Then Who Will Protect Big Oil,
Our Children? and this year's Satanic Panic in the Attic. The albums
include solid narrative songs about interesting characters like "Jacques
Lamure," a volunteer firefighter who wants to leave his hometown
after he loses the woman he loves, and "Chrissy Kiss the Corpse,"
a tune about a young girl fondling a dead woman. Of Montreal have
been compared to sunny pop acts like The Beach Boys and Beatles, but
in fact, their sound is more akin to The Decemberists, New Pornographers
and even their personal favorite The Shins - a band that they cover
on the new album.
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BARNES' INNER VIEW
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"I think if you focus on making money,
your art will suffer."
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Of Montreal is an atypical pop band because each song and album is
developed with originality and comprises completely beautiful, psychedelic
artwork. On Satanic Panic in the Attic, the band's sixth album, they
seem to have hit their stride with a more melodic, romantic and glossy
disc that is poised to become an instant pop classic. Chicago Innerview
recently performed an unusual e-mail interview with lead singer Kevin
Barnes.
Chicago Innerview: Who are some of your influences?
Kevin Barnes: Ray Davies, Os Mutantes, Clare Quilty.
Chicago Innerview: What inspires you?
Kevin Barnes: The sound of the sea swallow being administered a shot
of rabbis from a born-again virgin with fish oil or plum.
CI: Tell me about the Elephant 6 collective: how did it get started,
who's involved, what projects are you working on, etc.
KB: I don't really remember. It all seems like a dream now.
CI: Do you read your own album reviews? If so, do you ever take them
personally?
KB: I hate reading reviews unless the writer knows what they are
talking about, which is rare. Most rock 'journalists' don't know the
first thing about recording music and only have a cursory knowledge
of pop music history. People have actually compared us to the Beach
Boys! That always blows my mind. It is almost like if you have vocal
harmonies on a song then it must be influenced by the Beach Boys.
The two bands we are always compared to are the Beach Boys and the
Beatles. That is fine with me though because that is great company
to be in. I do take some reviews personally if they are way off base.
I just hate being misrepresented in the press because some people
who have never heard your music might take the bullshit review for
the truth and be prejudiced against the band as a result. I try not
to read reviews though because they can't really do anything for me.
It isn't important for me to know what some person who has listened
to the record one time has to say about it. The really good journalists
will spend at least a week with a record and really try to get into
it and see why it is special. Most don't have the time for that though.
CI: In any creative medium, there is always the pull of art versus
commerce - doing what you love yet trying to make money. How do you
deal with that?
KB: I think if you focus on making money, your art will suffer. I
don't think it is wrong for bands to try and create an image or spend
time on superficial things on the side, but the main focus should
always be developing the music and making sure the inspiration is
coming from a pure and genuine place. It is natural if you are an
artist who struggles financially to dream of a day when your art will
support you, but I think it is imperative that you don't let that
desire pollute your vision.
CI: You guys hail from Athens, where such legendary bands like REM
and B-52's have emerged from. Do you feel any sort of pressure to
uphold that tradition to represent the city or do you just try to
do your own thing?
KB: No, I could care less about Athens past. It is just the place
where I happen to be living at the moment.
CI: How collaborative is the band? Is it just one person making all
the decisions or is everyone involved?
KB: We have gone through different phases as a band. I have always
written the songs and some of the records have been more collaborative
from an arrangement and orchestration standpoint than others. The
last record, Satanic Panic in The Attic, and the next record, The
Voice of the Vanishing Twins, were more of a solo effort. I think
in the future I will collaborate more with other people.
CI: How would you describe your sound? Is it pop music or something
else?
KB: It is definitely pop music, but nowadays that term is so broad.
Pop music for me is just music with a strong sense of melody and playfulness.
I think it is great how far pop music has gone since the turn of the
last century. It is really exciting to think about the future. I just
hope people don't lose their love for a pretty tune. I do worry a
little that pretty tunes will be devoured by all of the young white
suburban kids screaming about how much pain they are in. That kind
of music I can do without.
CI: When you play live, do you ever improvise?
KB: Most of the songs are completely composed and set in stone, but
we try and have a few moments in the set where we can create something
on the spot. It is good because on a long tour, the set can become
like a millstone around your neck and you need that moment of uncertainty
to keep the magic alive. I really like improvising but the fear is
that if people aren't prepared for it, they might get annoyed by a
20-minute free jam.
Of Montreal :: with The Late B.P. Helium :: Schubas :: September
27.
Listen to an mp3 of Of Montreal's "Disconnect the Dots,"
courtesy of Better
Propaganda.