Of Montreal

Of Montreal plays borderline-insane, psychedelic pop, commanding live shows that have been known to include a real horse onstage, copious body paint, and lots of writhing. The group’s 2008 album, Skeletal Lamping, flirted with disco, funk, and intergalactic pop; the band’s follow-up, False Priest, boasts a heavy R&B influence, as well as guest spots from Janelle Monáe and Solange Knowles. The latest, Paralytic Stalks, finds frontman Kevin Barnes once again attempting to exorcise his personal demons through a dizzying pop whirlwind. It’s a further refinement of his defiantly complex sound, which this time reconciles the naiveté of his ’60s psych-pop roots with his recent post-Prince sex jams.

Updated 03/19/2012