You probably know them from their photos dressed as giant eyeballs in top hats. Originally from Louisiana, The Residents, whose music is the definition of psychedelic eccentricity, moved to the Bay Area in the 70’s and began incorporating SF counter culture into the dark tales of the South told in music and video format. Over their numerous releases since then the band has continued to elude fans, never giving interviews and remaining shrouded in a variety of masks, the most common of them being the top hat/eyeball variation.

Beginning this weekend MOMA gives fans a different way of getting to know The Residents, in a four-day exhibition featuring the music videos and films of this multimedia inclined band. Also a part of the exhibition is a screening series featuring videos based on a 90-second segment from the band’s River Of Crime digital release series. The six videos on display are by international artists chosen from the hundreds of entries submitted for inclusion in the exhibition. For those of you who can’t make it to the MOMA, the best 11 are featured on YouTube now.

River Of Crime: Episodes 1-5 (Special Edition) with CD soundtrack is out November 7, 2006 on Cordless.
Their new album Tweedles is out October 31, 2006 on Mute.