Party: OF MONTREAL + THE ANNA THOMPSONS

Party: OF MONTREAL + THE ANNA THOMPSONS

Defining of Montreal is impossible. There are too many perspectives to consider, angles to explore, layers to uncover. Just when you think you have a concept of what kind of creature they are, they transform into something unexpected and new. As a result, each album holds the opportunity for re-discovery, re-immersion, re-appreciation.

On Lousy with Sylvianbriar, this paradigm holds true once more. The record was created with a new songwriting approach, a different recording method, and a fresh group of musicians.

Seeking creative inspiration, Kevin Barnes re-located to San Francisco where he spent days soaking in the strange surroundings and channeling the city’s energy into his writing. After a very prolific period there, he returned to Athens, GA, and assembled the cast of musicians to begin the sessions.

Barnes eschewed computer recording -- with its pitch correction, limitless effects plug-ins and editing possibilities -- and instead, with the help of engineer Drew Vandenberg (Deerhunter, Toro y Moi), he recorded Lousy with Sylvianbriar in his home studio on a 24-track tape machine.

With no computer tricks to fall back on, the band -- Kevin Barnes (guitars,bass,vocals), Rebecca Cash (vocals), Clayton Rychlik (drums,vocals), Jojo Glidewell (keys), Bob Parins (pedal steel,bass), and Bennet Lewis (guitars,mandolin) -- could only get out of the recordings what they put into them. Most of the tracking was recorded live with the band in the same room together. They worked quickly, with the band members composing their parts on the fly and with little second guessing. The album was recorded in just three weeks.

Invited: Timothy Justin, Rufus Anderson, Kate Nacy, Nona Ethington, Frances Thoms Provine, Alexander Coggin, Jessica Lauren Elizabeth Taylor, Godiva Green, Ariel Sharratt, Michelle Jezierski, Daniel Johnson, Martha Zoom-cheeks Breeze, Jäems Möfy, Mary Lou, Helena Friebel, Manu Mantero, Katerina Pavlou, Christoph Linder, Alisha Jane, Dylan Cram, Lehua Lií Ludlow, Jörg Hoppenstedt, Kati Räbiger, Oklahoma Watt, Shawn Barber, Sebastian Hoffmann, Jul Ia, Luise Katharina Mueller, Lisa Milloy, Andrea Shettler, Till Richter, Melody Panosian, Ian Schranz, Julian Colin Sylvester, Mike Ael, Steve Winkler, Emma Stuart, Oliver Chwat, Briony Warren, Adam Sandahl, Katrin Turner, Gary Flanell, Dana Innit O'Moustache, Stu Mead, David Strauss, Antoinette Antonietta, Mark Andre Pennock, Chad Cornies, Ambika Thompson, Emil Bange, Ana Yollouh, Andres Martinez, Barry Cliffe, Fred Fredovitch Bourdil, Tom Deininger, Ana Catalá, Cindy Wunderbar, Bee Fattal, Celine Baumann, John W. Nuclear, Uli Brase, Otih Uarf Gat Netug, Andrea Augustin, Niels Fischer, Javier Hernandez, Simone Visentini, Richard Wilson, Annika Line Trost, Christian Goebel, Nay Than, Grinni Sackratte Von Stangner, Aleks Slota, Nina Atkinson, Marine Legrand, Maya Zachariassen, Gab Ri Ela, Leona Kurt-José, Michael Fletcher, Sylvia Meier, Karen Bobo Rumpling, Nadia Zitouni, Nifi Seti, Marijana Jocic, April von Barlow, Marco Baresi, Sada Leigh, Solaris Empire, Nathaniel Hawthorne Lewis West-Novoline, Tatjana Kaube, Jennifer Schild, Hwi Noree, Adam Zaid Afiff, Jim Avignon, Richie Murphy, Cloat Culterior, Matthew Potter, Byrdie Sixties, Schorle S. Glietsch, Martin Hoffmann, Eddie Argos show more »