209 replies to this topic

[petras]

Calm down we have no fish in this thread.
But the album is done according to his myspace page. And what he wrote there really sounds exciting so I am thinking this album deserves a thread.

I've finished the new album. i've been working on it for over a year. it's mastered and ready to go.
it won't come out till october though. i am very happy with it. i worry that some people are going to misunderstand it. there's nothing i can do about that though, now, it is done. anyways,i didn't create it to give people something to like. i created it because i was compelled to.

it is possible to view this album as one long composition, with lots of different movements, or just as a collection of pop songs. i wanted to make an album that was unpredictable and, at times,startling, yet always hummable and catchy. some of the transitions are intentionally awkward. i did this to keep the listener off guard and to dismantle people's perception of how an album is supposed to be constructed. i am so bored with art that makes sense and "works". i wanted to do somethings that didn't "work". very few things pique our interest while they are working as we expect them to, things are far more interesting when they are not working. shocking people though, just for the sake of it, is so mundane. nothing on Skeletal Lamping was intended to shock. i just feel that,in most contemporary songs, you can basically finish the artist's sentences,musically and lyrically. i wanted to make an album where that was not possible.
i wanted to make a record that could truly surprise a listener. to create something that was, in turns, enraging,joyous,discomforting,playful,lovely,unpleasant,freaky,mesmeric...someth
ing that came close to capturing the labyrinthine complexity of this human consciousness.

Sounds like we might be in store for something akin to SMiLE. Between this and Deerhoof it's gonna be a great fall I think.

[cerebralcaustic]

Sounds like we might be in store for something akin to SMiLE.

Don't see how you can jump to that conclusion. Unless you think his rambling post is akin to Brian Wilson's state of mind in 1967.

Weird trajectory for me with this band. I went from kind of liking them to adoring them for like a week to gradually disliking them to outright loathing them. I think they represent everything wrong with "indie rock" today: Unoriginal and bloated music that's overstuffed with whatever bells and whistles are trendy that year, and seemingly obsessed with their image and critical/hipster standing. They're catchy though I guess, and I'll probably end up loving the new album. Go 2008!

[avec]

i am so bored with art that makes sense and "works". i wanted to do somethings that didn't "work".

uh oh

[petras]

Sounds like we might be in store for something akin to SMiLE.

Don't see how you can jump to that conclusion. Unless you think his rambling post is akin to Brian Wilson's state of mind in 1967.

I was refering specifically to

it is possible to view this album as one long composition, with lots of different movements,

Would that not be a fitting description of the SMiLE album?

[RabbiSchmoiley]

I really loved Hissing Fauna when it came out, and I still do. But Kevin Barnes scares the fuck out of me. Every time he opens his mouth (or laptop) he spews out some stupid, stupid shit. I plan on listening to (and most likely enjoying) the new album when it comes out, but I seriously think I'm going to need to put on the blinders when it comes to his blogging. Blech.

[petras]

I really loved Hissing Fauna when it came out, and I still do. But Kevin Barnes scares the fuck out of me. Every time he opens his mouth (or laptop) he spews out some stupid, stupid shit. I plan on listening to (and most likely enjoying) the new album when it comes out, but I seriously think I'm going to need to put on the blinders when it comes to his blogging. Blech.

I'm not sure where he's spewing stupid shit here. He's saying most music is rather predictable. He tried to make an album that's not predictable and yet is still catchy, some people might not like it. This all sounds reasonable to me, i'm not really seeing him spewing stupid shit.

[Waylon]

Weird trajectory for me with this band. I went from kind of liking them to adoring them for like a week to gradually disliking them to outright loathing them.

Me too.

[RabbiSchmoiley]

I've finished the new album. i've been working on it for over a year. it's mastered and ready to go.
it won't come out till october though. i am very happy with it. i worry that some people are going to misunderstand it. there's nothing i can do about that though, now, it is done. anyways,i didn't create it to give people something to like. i created it because i was compelled to.

it is possible to view this album as one long composition, with lots of different movements, or just as a collection of pop songs. i wanted to make an album that was unpredictable and, at times,startling, yet always hummable and catchy. some of the transitions are intentionally awkward. i did this to keep the listener off guard and to dismantle people's perception of how an album is supposed to be constructed. i am so bored with art that makes sense and "works". i wanted to do somethings that didn't "work". very few things pique our interest while they are working as we expect them to, things are far more interesting when they are not working. shocking people though, just for the sake of it, is so mundane. nothing on Skeletal Lamping was intended to shock. i just feel that,in most contemporary songs, you can basically finish the artist's sentences,musically and lyrically. i wanted to make an album where that was not possible.
i wanted to make a record that could truly surprise a listener. to create something that was, in turns, enraging,joyous,discomforting,playful,lovely,unpleasant,freaky,mesmeric...someth
ing that came close to capturing the labyrinthine complexity of this human consciousness.

That to me is dumb shit. Sorry Petras, I'm honestly not trying to troll here... I love Of Montreal and I'm really interested to hear this album... I just am starting to get tired of Barnes's misunderstood artist bit.

[Nixon]

Yeah come on I'm sure the album will be good and all but he forever be spewing out some dumb pretentious shit.

[cerebralcaustic]

it is possible to view this album as one long composition, with lots of different movements,

Would that not be a fitting description of the SMiLE album?

That would be a fitting description of any number of albums. See: Rock, Progressive, 1970s.

And if anything, Smile is the antithesis of "one long composition". If it was, Brian Wilson wouldn't have had such a hard time fitting all of the fragments together.

[petras]

it is possible to view this album as one long composition, with lots of different movements,

Would that not be a fitting description of the SMiLE album?

That would be a fitting description of any number of albums. See: Rock, Progressive, 1970s.

Yes but Barnes was clearly very heavily influenced by the 60's and the Beach Boys/Beatles. So I think the end result will be more like a 60's album then a 70's progressive album.

And if anything, Smile is the antithesis of "one long composition". If it was, Brian Wilson wouldn't have had such a hard time fitting all of the fragments together.

Tell me more of this crack your smoking?

[cerebralcaustic]

Yes but Barnes was clearly very heavily influenced by the 60's and the Beach Boys/Beatles. So I think the end result will be more like a 60's album then a 70's progressive album.

But he is getting proggier. Just saying, there are tons of album-long "compositions" out there, across many many genres.

And if anything, Smile is the antithesis of "one long composition". If it was, Brian Wilson wouldn't have had such a hard time fitting all of the fragments together.

Tell me more of this crack your smoking?

Though he did a fantastic job putting all the pieces together into a cohesive album with "movements" in 2004, Smile was a far cry from cohesion in 1967, when it was nothing more than scattered songs and snippets of music. Note those snippets and scattered songs probably constitute my favorite music ever, and the fact that they can be cut and pasted in an infinite number of ways make it even better.

[farawaysoclose]

I talked to Late BP Helium about this album after a Dark Meat show a couple weeks back. He said Skeletal Lamping is extremely "schitzofrentic" and is a lot raunchier than anything they've done before. He also said they're not doing very much touring for the album, but there will be a show in Chicago. Album comes out October 7th but he's expecting it to leak way before.

[Easily Fooled]

Hissing Fauna kicked all kinds of ass last year and I can't wait to hear this one. I don't care how weird and/or pretentious Barnes continues to get, I will keep buying these albums.

[vamos]

I don't see in ANY way whatsoever how Of Montreal represents what is wrong with "indie rock" today. There are several other bands that represent that much more.

To say that Of Montreal doesn't create brilliant music would be slightly foolish, I think. It takes a brain and a lot of talent to put together harmonies like Barnes does, no joke. How can you go from loving a band to loathing it just because of what it represents in your mind in relation to fucking "indie music?"

Personally, I don't give a flying fuck about the scene, the pricks IN the scene, or the scenes in the scene. Music is music, and when I feel that beauty running through my brain and I feel those shivers every once in a while, all that bullshit gets flushed far, far away.

And what Barnes wrote doesn't seem to be stupid in any way to me. He's an artist, he has good ideas.

You have to realize how fucking moronic it sounds when you call everything that you don't understand "pretentious." Instead of thinking that it's a load of bullshit, try to see what the artist is saying. And to think Kevin is anything less than an artist is ridiculous.

All in my opinion, of course. I'm really looking forward to this. I have a feeling it won't be able to live up to the heights of Hissing Fauna though.

[petras]

I talked to Late BP Helium about this album after a Dark Meat show a couple weeks back. He said Skeletal Lamping is extremely "schitzofrentic" and is a lot raunchier than anything they've done before. He also said they're not doing very much touring for the album, but there will be a show in Chicago. Album comes out October 7th but he's expecting it to leak way before.

Not much touring...that sucks....they are one hell of a live act. Here's hoping one of their few shows is in my area.

As far as the leak....if it's anything like the last few OM albums it should be leaking any day now. Hissing Fauna leaked what? 5 months in advance? Something like that. I know it was a summer leak for a winter album.

[Easily Fooled]

I don't see in ANY way whatsoever how Of Montreal represents what is wrong with "indie rock" today. There are several other bands that represent that much more.

To say that Of Montreal doesn't create brilliant music would be slightly foolish, I think. It takes a brain and a lot of talent to put together harmonies like Barnes does, no joke. How can you go from loving a band to loathing it just because of what it represents in your mind in relation to fucking "indie music?"

Personally, I don't give a flying fuck about the scene, the pricks IN the scene, or the scenes in the scene. Music is music, and when I feel that beauty running through my brain and I feel those shivers every once in a while, all that bullshit gets flushed far, far away.

And what Barnes wrote doesn't seem to be stupid in any way to me. He's an artist, he has good ideas.

You have to realize how fucking moronic it sounds when you call everything that you don't understand "pretentious." Instead of thinking that it's a load of bullshit, try to see what the artist is saying. And to think Kevin is anything less than an artist is ridiculous.

All in my opinion, of course. I'm really looking forward to this. I have a feeling it won't be able to live up to the heights of Hissing Fauna though.

I haven't ever, nor will I ever, attack Kevin Barnes artistic ability. That being said, I can still roll my eyes when I read some of the stuff he says.

[cerebralcaustic]

I don't see in ANY way whatsoever how Of Montreal represents what is wrong with "indie rock" today. There are several other bands that represent that much more.

To say that Of Montreal doesn't create brilliant music would be slightly foolish, I think. It takes a brain and a lot of talent to put together harmonies like Barnes does, no joke. How can you go from loving a band to loathing it just because of what it represents in your mind in relation to fucking "indie music?"

Personally, I don't give a flying fuck about the scene, the pricks IN the scene, or the scenes in the scene. Music is music, and when I feel that beauty running through my brain and I feel those shivers every once in a while, all that bullshit gets flushed far, far away.

And what Barnes wrote doesn't seem to be stupid in any way to me. He's an artist, he has good ideas.

You have to realize how fucking moronic it sounds when you call everything that you don't understand "pretentious." Instead of thinking that it's a load of bullshit, try to see what the artist is saying. And to think Kevin is anything less than an artist is ridiculous.

All in my opinion, of course. I'm really looking forward to this. I have a feeling it won't be able to live up to the heights of Hissing Fauna though.

This is the most pretentious post I've seen in ages. It represents everything that is wrong with the SOMB today.

How can you go from loving a band to loathing it just because of what it represents in your mind in relation to fucking "indie music?"

I could give a shit about Of Montreal's relation to anything. I think the reason I and others went from love to hate is because the music is shallow and has no staying power. It starts off sounding fresh and unique and catchy, but the novelty wears off and there's nothing underneath.

Plus the guy's nasaly voice becomes unbearable after a while.

[vamos]

Nah. There are a few songs on Hissing Fauna that have a great deal of staying power. Pretty emotional stuff, I think.

[vurt]

I remember listening to some early Of Montreal albums a few years ago, when I got all excited and jizzful over the Elephant Six shit. Even those were queasy stuffed-full-of-cotton-candy-and-puking-on-the-ferris-wheel stuff and that's relatively restrained compared to the outpouring of nauseating, nasal, sugared-up nonsense that was Hissing Fauna. I hate few albums in the grand overall scheme, but that is one of them. Almost a visceral, physical hatred of the sound.