Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes Speaks: A Sneak Preview of the Band's Tour

Music blogs exploded this morning after Saturday night's Of Montreal show in New York City, which featured, among other things, a cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" with a member of MGMT, vocalist Kevin Barnes dressed like a cardinal, covered in shaving cream, becoming a centaur AND parading out on a white horse, mostly naked. See accounts of this debauched insanity at You Ain't No Picasso, Fluxblog and Stereogum. After the jump, video of the Nirvana cover.

All of this has certainly ramped up excitement for Of Montreal's Pageant show next Friday, October 24, just three days after the band's new album, Skeletal Lamping, hits stores. (Bad news: The horse isn't coming to St. Louis, though. Aww.) Keegan Hamilton is penning a feature on the band for next week's paper, but here's a sneak peek at what Barnes told him he was listening to when recording Lamping: "I listened to a lot of Prince, I listened to a lot of Curtis Mayfield and Sly and The Family Stone. And Erykah Badu is a big influence."

Hamilton: Erykah Badu?

Barnes: Definitely, it's just this sort of playful yet intellectual funk music. It’s upbeat and positive but also kind of more bizarre and creative. I think Sly Stone is just fantastic, just such an ambivalent thing. It can be violent and political, and sometimes it can be sweet and positive. Erykah is great because her music lets her freak out in a way. Missy Elliott is like that too. She’s in the club but takes chances and can be out there sometimes."

"Smells Like Teen Spirit":

-- Annie Zaleski