Thursday, October 30, 2008

Of Montreal's Sex Sells

So when did Of Montreal morph into oversexed, funk pervs? In the late 1990s, they were a quaint little indie band who hung out with the pasty, horn-rimmed Wilson worshippers of the Elephant 6 collective. Powered by mastermind Kevin Barnes, Of Montreal's earnestness and whimsical lyrics provided precious respite from the whiny screamo and brawny frat rock (read: Limp Bizkit) of the era. Now Barnes—apparently hopped up on Viagra, oysters, and electronica—is drawing comparisons to David Bowie and Prince. Did I miss something over the past decade?

It's obvious when analyzing Of Montreal's approach to the love song:

From 1997's Cherry Peel: "I could make you spaghetti with tomato sauce/With just a touch of oregano/And a parsley stem"

From 2008's Skeletal Lamping: "Maybe I'll blow you/Whatever kind of kisses you want/Because you've got so much in common/With my big cock creator"

The kicker is that Of Montreal are now a total "It" band, beloved in college towns and topping the "staff picks" in record stores. I guess Barnes is doing someone—er, something—right.