of Montreal Release New Album UR FUN

Today, of Montreal released their new album UR FUN via Polyvinyl Record Co. prior to release, they shared electro-pop protest song "Peace to All Freaks," the pet-friendly video for "Polyanuerism" and the intimate, "You've Had Me Everywhere" giving us a taste for ten concise electro-pop songs to follow. It's a collection that exposes the depths of Kevin Barnes' current life, his private thoughts-both optimistic and brooding- and his passionate relationship with songwriter Christina Schnieder of Locate S,1.

The new love we heard about on the last of Montreal record, White is Relic/Irrealis Mood, is settling. If that was the falling-in-love record, then this is the staying-in-love record. That was the easy part; this is the interesting part, the challenging part, the next chapter of Kevin Barnes' autobiographical album streak, UR FUN.

The public diary that started with of Montreal's classic album Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? has continued into a growing string of increasingly personal works. On UR FUN, Barnes is more candid than ever, presenting. This ramped-up vulnerability has inspired Barnes to strip his stage persona of costumes and drag, just appearing as himself on recent tours for the first time in many years.

After several albums recorded with collaborators and various band members, Barnes opted to record this one completely alone. In his home studio in Athens, Georgia, Barnes isolated himself in creative hibernation, working obsessive 12-plus hour days arranging manic synth and drum machine maps on a computer screen with bouncy, melodic basslines, glam guitars and layered vocal harmonies. Inspired by albums like Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual and Janet Jackson's Control, Barnes set out to make UR FUN into the kind of album where every song could be a single, complete with huge hooky choruses and nostalgic dance grooves. The result is an unstoppably fun album that could also pass for a carefully sequenced greatest-hits collection if taken out of context.

Tour Dates

02/27 - Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre #
02/28 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel #
02/29 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle #
03/01 - Richmond, VA @ Broadberry #
03/02 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
03/03 - Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre #
03/04 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair #
03/05 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere #
03/06 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer #
03/07 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre %
03/08 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom %
03/09 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme %
03/10 - Madison, WI @ The Majestic Theatre %
03/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line %
03/12 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge %
03/13 - Cincinnati, OH @ The Woodward Theater %
03/14 - Nashville, TN @ Little Harpeth %
03/26 - Memphis, TN @ The Hi Tone $
03/27 - St. Louis, MO @ The Ready Room $
03/28 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room $
03/29 - Englewood, CO @ The Gothic $
03/30 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge $
03/31 - Missoula, MT @ Top Hat $
04/01 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos $
04/02 - Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall $
04/03 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's $
04/04 - Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre $
04/05 - Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theatre $
04/06 - Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole $
04/07 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent $
04/08 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sister $
04/10 - Dallas, TX @ Trees $
04/11 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk $
04/12 - New Orleans, LA @ Howlin' Wolf $

# w/ Lily's Band
% w/ Lily and Horn Horse
$ w/ Locate S,1

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