of Montreal film trailer released, film tour announced

Two years ago the Athens-bred psych-pop darlings of Montreal launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the release of the then-titled documentary Song Dynasties, which was set to cover the band’s theatrical (and occasionally equestrian) Skeletal Lamping tour. Numerous goodies were offered to backers of varying price levels that included such gems as a 10-foot dress worn by lead singer Kevin Barnes, the canoe used in their “Coquette, Coquette” video, and even a flight to Athens to watch the movie with the band themselves.

After much deliberation and a name change to The Past Is A Grotesque Animal, a trailer for the documentary was finally released along with a string of movie showings in June that will start in Dallas, wrap around the coutnry and end up at the Plaza Theatre on June 27.

Judging from the trailer the documentary has shifted away from the live focus and serves as more of a retelling of Barnes’ struggle between burgeoning creative success and an increasingly tumultuous personal life. Fittingly enough, this is also exactly the theme of the group’s excellent, epic 12 minute self-conscious opus, also titled “The Past Is A Grotesque Animal.”

Los-Angeles based filmmaker and longtime of Montreal friend Jason Miller directs the film and it’s distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories, an independent film distribution company co-founded by the late Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch.

For those that can’t make it to any of the film screenings, a $9.99 pre-order will guarantee an iTunes download of the film that is available June 24.