Weird and wonderful American act Of Montreal are due to release a new single over the summer, after completing a series of newly announced British tour dates.
Despite their name, Of Montreal aren’t from Canada. Instead the Elephant 6 mainstays formed in Athens, Georgia with singer Kevin Barnes choosing the name after a failed romance with a woman from the Canadian city.
That lingering sense of romance, of a longing for the past filters through Of Montreal’s work. Cult favourites, the band’s mixture of indie rock and almost vaudeville tendencies perhaps reached its pinnacle with last year’s album ‘Skeletal Lamping’.
Celebrated as a work of breathtaking individuality and ambition, the album was greeted by fans as their finest work to date. To listen to a track from ‘Skeletal Lamping’ then just click HERE!
The band are currently gearing up to release their second single from the album, following on from this year’s EP ‘An Eluardian Instance’. Accentuating Kevin Barnes’ scattered approach to songwriting, the single ‘For Our Elegant Caste’ explores gender roles and the means of their construction.
Bringing the songwriter’s dreams and nightmares to the surface the song intones ‘we can do it soft core if you want, but you should know, I take it both ways’ before moving on to say ‘The mutual conclusion was that I’m not worth knowing, cause I’m probably dead’.
The single will be available as a download and limited edition seven inch, with a special remix on the flipside. Of Montreal have recruited members of Omaha Creek band The Faint to re-work the song, turning ‘For Our Elegant Caste’ into a four and a half minute stomp.
The band last toured the UK back in January, breezing away the Winter chills with a series of mind-melting live shows. Of Montreal seem to become a different band in the live arena, with their outrageous costumes blending with the music to create something quite unique.
Supporting Franz Ferdinand on their comeback tour, Of Montreal captured the audience’s imagination wherever they travelled royally upstaging the returning Scots.
Of Montreal are set to release their new single ‘For Our Elegant Caste’ on July 6th. In addition to scheduled appearances as T In The Park and Oxegen, the band will play the following tour dates:
July
14 London Shepherd’s Bush Empire
