Buff Montreal

Most of my review of the newest Of Montreal album was spent lamenting the passing of the band's old sound. Whimsical instruments, breezy melodies, quirky characters, a good natured old school vibe, all replaced by trashy europop. The band I saw performing comedy bits in between performing 100% live straight forward power pop taken over by a mechanical sounding disco monster full of S&M and miniskirts.

And now this.

Go read the Pitchfork report. Kevin Barnes performed half a show with his junk hanging out. Full frontal nudity. In front of monitors playing gay and straight porn. This is too much. Someone needs to grab Kevin Barnes and tell him to work out his personal issues under some other name because he is downright tarnishing Of Montreal's. On top of the disposal of a drummer in favor of beats and everything they recorded for the first eight years of their career in favor of the last two dance albums, it's nearly impossible to find photos of the band earlier than Sunlandic Twins promo shots. The band's website, once a charming little place that looked like a fan page from 1998, now opens up with Kevin putting make up on and has erased all the old photos. Their allmusic page is also photo-free, as is Kevin's solo page.

Of Montreal is quickly becoming the most frustrating of all my favorite bands. I'm all for a change in style; Hissing Fauna is a very good album but I do not want to see Kevin Barnes' sunlandic twins when I see them in concert. Now I'm glad I didn't buy tickets to their two night stand at Irving Plaza. I can get the same effect by putting on makeup and listening to the album naked.