Of Montreal

On Monday, January 25th, indie-rock band Of Montreal played the RamsHead Live club in Baltimore. Of Montreal, who are actually from Athens, Georgia, have been around the indie rock scene, really, before there ever was one. The band has become known for their energetic and visual live shows. While there are officially five people in the band, there were four more on stage to create the visual effects. Of Montreal is primarily the work of front man Kevin Barnes, and have undergone many line-up changes in their history.

In fact, the opening act was former Of Montreal member James Husband, and his band included many musicians who are currently in Of Montreal. Husband's act was more straightforward than his former mates, with more of a bluesy kind of rock sound.

Of Montreal, however, have spent years honing a kind of dance pop sound. They have a tendency to write lyrics with vaguely depressing or dramatic undertones, but that are buoyed by upbeat melodies. The Baltimore crowd seemed to enjoy the mix, and there were definitely some instances of pogo dancing.

The band's breakthrough, into the indie world, was cemented with 2007's Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, which made several critics' year's best list. In 2008, they followed that up with Skeletal Lamping, which did not do as well. Now, they are touring to support this years upcoming album, tentatively titled False Priest.

Of Montreal have found a sweet spot when it comes to pop song writing with experimental sounds and interesting visual shows. Hopefully, they will continue to be a successful indie band well into this decade.