of Montreal- Paralytic Stalks

of Montreal evolved out of the Elephant Six collective (E6), a conglomeration of Louisiana musicians who relocated to Denver then Athens, GA to form the following groups: Apples In Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Minders, Elf Power, and Olivia Tremor Control. Most of these outfits have been making records for over 15 years now. of Montreal started off as a Beatle-esque pop band then morphed into a more dance-oriented glam outfit. Their singer, Kevin Barnes, presents an androgynous image, singing in falsetto, occasionally getting totally naked on stage. They can be very melodic and rather chaotic at the same time, the music often reaching the highest ADD/ritalin-addled heights, with kaleidoscopic signature shifts accented by multi-layered vocals that are dense and wordy. Psychedelic pop would be the most apt description for their music.
Several tracks on Paralytic Stalks, the band's 11th studio album, stretch past the 7-minute mark, with forays into symphonic string interludes, acoustic breakdowns, and Revolution #9 style mind melts. Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel has achieved major cult status outside of the E6 while Robert Schneider and his Apples In Stereo crew have veered closest to mainstream success, but it's been Kevin Barnes and of Montreal that have consistently produced the most interesting and challenging music from the collective.

Buy this record if you wanna check out the collective consciousness of the collective's contributions.

www.ofmontreal.net

FRKWYS Vol. 5: Mirror Mirror

This is the second review I've done for the FRKWYS series. This volume was released in April of 2011 and features remixes of three songs from the Brooklyn-based duo Mirror Mirror, plus an original composition from Mirror Mirror and Stuart Argabright, of Ike's Yard, Comet Crew, and Dominatrix. Remixes are handled by British stalwarts Stuart Moxham of Young Marble Giants, Alig Fodder of Family Fodder, and Rico Conning of The Lines. The people responsible for the FRKWYS series, RVNG Intl., are big Mirror Mirror fans and wanted to bring more attention to the band while allowing some respected older British musicians to showcase their talents as well. Mirror Mirror's sound is an homage to 60's British psych pop and the British musicians enlisted to remix it do an outstanding job expounding on the originals' intentions, turning young artists musings into psychedelic masterpieces resplendent with meaty hooks, kaleidoscopic atmosphere, and varied nuance. It's a shame that the one new song here, "Nau Ser Ser Bil Uma Rah Rab", which stands amply on its own, didn't get the same remix treatment. However, with only four tracks this volume feels like a teaser and would benefit from a full player treatment, in case the good folks at RVNG Intl are listening.

Buy this record for the Ferris Wheel ride with a root beer float in hand.

www.igetrvng.com/discography/91