well…. here’s some more video bits..

kevin and i did a short set at les inrockuptibles in paris, france on december 14, 2007.
we performed “bunny ain’t no kind of rider”, “heimdalsgate like a promethean curse”, “suffer for fashion” and a cover of the kinks’ “days”.

(click on kevin)

we were a bit tired. (whats new?)
actually, only the 2nd time we had ever played “days”.
the first was about 30 minutes before on french radio.
one of my alltime favorite kinks songs.

Pitchfork, on their Guest List, has allowed a number of artists to name their top ten albums of 2007.  Here’s Kevin’s:

1. Caribou: Andorra
2. Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity
3. M.I.A.: Kala
4. Robert Wyatt: Comicopera
5. Liars: Liars
6. MGMT: Oracular Spectacular
7. Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam
8. Panda Bear: Person Pitch
9. Fiery Furnaces: Widow City
10. A Hawk and a Hacksaw: A Hawk and a Hacksaw and the Hun Hangar Ensemble

Rolling Stone has “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” listed as #13 on their list of the top 100 songs of 2007.  Thanks to spikyfred of the E6 Townhall for catching this.

heylo all,

due a pensioners’ strike in Athens, Greece, our show
tonight has been CANCELLED!

we are extremely disappointed!
we hope we can book a makeup show for April/May.

we are still in Amsterdam and have been added to the bill
for tonight’s Girl Talk and Stereo Total show at the Paradiso.

our set time is at 2am.

if you have your ticket stub from last night you can go to the show
free!

<3 of Montreal

In 2001 Athens label Orange Twin Records issued a mysterious record called Major Organ and the Adding Machine. Featuring the songs of the “Major” as interpreted by the Elephant 6 Orchestra, the album featured 19 tracks that alternated between avant-garde sound collages and densely psychedelic pop. While the actual participants of the album have remained anonymous, the album was rumored to feature members of of Montreal, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, and The Olivia Tremor Control, as well as other members of the Elephant 6 collective. As these rumors go, the recordings were passed between musicians, and added to and remixed until the final result was a true collaborative effort. Since we can neither confirm nor deny anyone’s involvement, I will only attest that it certainly sounds like Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum singing on “Madam Truffle,” and if I were a betting man I’d claim that’s Kevin Barnes singing “Water Dripping on Bread Makes Bread Taste Not So Tasty.” But let’s just say that it all comes from the imagination of the prolific Major Organ and his Adding Machine.

Now we are about to be visited by the feature film adaptation of the Major Organ album. It’s a proudly low-budget, low-fi production, filmed in Athens with a cast including many Elephant 6 musicians, some of whom you might recognize behind fake mustaches and beards in the trailer now available at Orange Twin’s website. The trailer’s in Flash format, so you’ll have to download a Flash player to see it (but it’s worth it). It will soon be available on YouTube, undoubtedly. Some claim to recognize two Barneses and an Almstead. Here’s an MP3 from the album, now six years old.

Major Organ and the Adding Machine - Water Dripping on Bread Makes Bread Taste Not So Tasty.

The band’s performance at the Paradiso in Amsterdam was taped for Fabchannel, and while the website’s live broadcast should have just recently ended, it’s been archived and will be available for streaming on the site shortly.  I bet this will look really amazing, and I’ll embed the concert here as soon as it comes online.  Watch this space (or that one).

NPR.com and All Songs Considered is hosting a “Best CDs of 2007″ poll in which you can participate.  Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? is among the selections for best album of the year.  Cast your vote here.

Well, almost the band’s complete discography.  Polyvinyl currently has a holiday sale in which you can purchase 10 of the band’s albums and EPs for the discount price of $70.00.  That’s everything that’s currently in print on Polyvinyl, at a savings of almost $30.  I know, you have them all already because you’re reading this blog–but you can tell a friend.  Many other artists are featured in the “discography” holiday sale, including Mates of State, matt pond PA, Saturday Looks Good to Me, and more.

of Montreal is also featured on the new Polyvinyl 2008 sampler disc (pictured), which comes free with every purchase from their online store.

I thought I’d start a new series looking at of Montreal’s past; first up is a pair of concert reviews from 1999 written by Mike Turner for his (late, lamented) zine Bee’s Knees. Bundled with this zine was the CD comp Happy Happy Birthday to Me Volume 1, which officially launched the HHBTM record label (for whose singles club OM will be releasing a track in a couple months).