Part of the beloved, Athens, GA-centric Elephant 6 collective, which yielded countless seminal bands of the ’90s, indie and psych-pop genre-benders of Montreal were formed in 1996 by frontperson, creative helmer, and only constant member Kevin Barnes. Initially influenced by retro, 1960s inspired psych pop, the band debuted with 1997 LP Cherry Peel, and began to gain more traction by conceptual 1999 third album The Gay Parade. Praised for their musical complexity, accessible pop hooks, and dense and clever lyricism, the band broadened their influences to wider indie pop, glam rock, electro-funk, art pop, folk, and proto-punk throughout the 2000s, benefitting from the late ’00s and early ’10s hipster-fueled indie rock boom, catapulting them to more widespread critical recognition and mainstream attention by eclectic 2007 eighth album Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?. Subsequent efforts like 2008’s funky Skeletal Lamping, 2010’s dance and r&b informed False Priest (featuring Janelle Monáe and Solange Knowles, and notably of Montreal’s most commercially successful record to date), 2012’s experimental Paralytic Stalks, and the follow year’s folky Lousy with Sylvianbriar continued to resonate with wider audience, and though, over the last decade, the indie rock scene as a whole has receded a bit from the mainstream, of Montreal have continued to craft a prolific string of bold, genre-bending efforts, with high points like 2020 synth-pop leaning 16th album UR FUN, and recent 19th LP Lady on the Cusp, the first effort recorded since Barnes left his longtime home of Athens for Vermont.
No strangers to Music City, of Montreal seemed to hit Nashville nearly every year back in No Country’s early days in the 2010s, but slowed a bit towards the end of the decade, and have only been back once since the pandemic. Out in support of their latest, Barnes and co. are set to headline Exit/In on June 28, with support from eclectic Texas indie pop duo Tele Novella! Tickets are still available while they last right here, but we’re excited to announce that we’re also giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky fan! Preview the lineup and enter for a chance to win below.
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of Montreal and Tele Novella will perform Friday, June 28 at Exit/In. The show is 18+, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase for $30.25.