Of Montreal – not of Montreal, Quebec, but of Athens, Georgia — has now been making music for about 15 years. Throughout those years, the band has delivered a variety of sounds, ranging from zany twee-pop and neo-psychedelia to glam and funk, while hitting all kinds of notes in between with lead singer Kevin Barnes’s witty lyrics. Barnes says his mission for his band — and himself, for that matter — is to remain “always melodic, yet unpredictable,” and describes Of Montreal’s sound as basically a “celebration of life.” Of Montreal released their 11th album, Paralytic Stalks, earlier this month, and kicked off their current tour in their hometown with Houston’s own local darlings Wild Moccasins.
This article appears in Mar 8-14, 2012.