Although Of Montreal originate from Athens, Georgia, USA, the band’s sound is unmistakably rooted in the mid-60s psychedelic era of UK pop, with obvious nods to the Beatles and the Kinks. Formed in the mid-90s, Of Montreal have often been compared to other similarly styled psych pop acts that emerged around the same time, including Apples In Stereo, Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Elf Power. While Of Montreal is indeed a unit, the band’s leader is unquestionably vocalist, guitarist, and main songwriter Kevin Barnes, who originally came from Florida before settling in Georgia. A few musicians came and went, including Elf Power’s Bryan Helium (Bryan Poole), but Barnes eventually came across a stable line-up by the late 90s and was joined by Derek Almstead (bass), James Huggins (drums), Andy Gonzales (guitar), and Dottie Alexander (keyboards, clarinet, flute, percussion). Over 40 additional vocalists and musicians were added to the line-up for 1999’s excellent The Gay Parade. The majority of the band’s albums during this period appeared on the Bar/None and Kindercore record labels.
Following the release of 2002’s Aldhils Arboretum the stable line-up disintegrated, with both Gonzales and Almstead electing to pursue other projects. Barnes’ wife Nina was added to the line-up on Of Montreal’s first album for the Polyvinyl label, Satanic Panic In The Attic. This 2004 release was greeted by critics as the band’s most cohesive and accessible recording to date.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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Although Of Montreal originate from Athens, Georgia, USA, the band’s sound is unmistakably rooted in the mid-60s psychedelic era of UK pop, with obvious nods to the Beatles and the Kinks. Formed in the mid-90s, Of Montreal have often been compared to other similarly styled psych pop acts that emerged around the same time, including Apples In Stereo, Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Elf Power. While Of Montreal is indeed a unit, the band’s leader is unquestionably vocalist, guitarist, and main songwriter Kevin Barnes, who originally came from Florida before settling in Georgia. A few musicians came and went, including Elf Power’s Bryan Helium (Bryan Poole), but Barnes eventually came across a stable line-up by the late 90s and was joined by Derek Almstead (bass), James Huggins (drums), Andy Gonzales (guitar), and Dottie Alexander (keyboards, clarinet, flute, percussion). Over 40 additional vocalists and musicians were added to the line-up for 1999’s excellent The Gay Parade. The majority of the band’s albums during this period appeared on the Bar/None and Kindercore record labels.