The band formed in late 2000, when ex-member Brent Knopf graduated from Dartmouth College and returned to Portland to collaborate with Harris and Seim. They played their first show in July 2001, at The Meow Meow, a now-defunct all ages venue in Portland.
Menomena self-released their debut album, I Am the Fun Blame Monster!, on May 20, 2003. The album was elaborately packaged in an 80-page flipbook that Seim designed and individually hand-assembled. It later received nationwide distribution through FILMguerrero in 2004. The title is an anagram for The First Menomena Album.
In 2005, Under an Hour was released as a three-track album of instrumental music written for and performed with Monster Squad, an experimental dance company based in Portland.
In August of 2006, Menomena signed with Barsuk Records although the band still maintains a relationship with their old label, FILMguerrero. It was stated that FILMguerrero would still be involved in their old catalog and future vinyl releases.
Menomena released their next album in 2007, titled Friend and Foe. It received relative critical acclaim -- while some websites like Pitchfork Media praised the album for its effective modular pop, others like PopMatters criticized it for presenting a sense of feigned maturity. Their record release show was held in their home town of Portland, Oregon. The packaging features artwork by graphic novelist/cartoonist Craig Thompson, consisting of die-cut shapes, decoder rings, and hidden messages. It was nominated for "Best Recording Package" at The Grammy Awards.
The band's following album, Mines, was released in July 2010.
In January 2011, Brent Knopf's departure was announced. He left the band under good terms in order to focus on his other project Ramona Falls.
Without Knopf, Menomena released their most recent album, Moms in September of 2012.
The band's name was chosen for "the way it rolls off the tongue, sexually, or something" and has no specific meaning, although it is often assumed to refer to the Piero Umiliani song "Mah Nà Mah Nà", a staple of The Muppet Show.
Danny Seim also has a side project began in the late 90's titled Lackthereof.
Air Aid
Menomena Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her fate is something she brought upon herself
Writes a suicide note into the movie
"I love you all too much to carry on"
Everyone will think back to what they were wearing
Or who they were dating when the bones were found
People of the future won't remember names
But their betrayal smells the same
Rain is coming rain is coming
Rain is falling through the floor
Cover your ears, cover your eyes, cover your mouth
Silence, blindness, tasteless violence
Air aid
Bring me the kite tied to the key, covered in fire
Downpour, thunder laced with lightning
Air aid
People of the future
Take it back
(I can't understand most of this whole part)
Cover your ears, cover your eyes, cover your mouth
Silence, blindness tasteless violence
Air aid
Bring me the kite tied to the key, covered in fire
Downpour, thunder laced with lightning
Air aid
Brought upon herself
Cover your ears, cover your eyes, cover your mouth
Silence, blindness tasteless violence
Air aid
Cover your eyes
Brought upon herself
Cover your eyes
The song "Air Aid" by Menomena is a dark and enigmatic piece that delves into the concept of suicide and its repercussions on those who are left behind. The first verse sets the scene for a tragic event that will mark the lives of those who witness it. The lyrics "People of the future will remember, her fate is something she brought upon herself" suggests that this event will be remembered for generations to come, and that the victim was responsible for her own demise.
The next verse is equally haunting, as it paints the picture of a person writing a suicide note while watching a movie. The line "I love you all too much to carry on" implies that the person feels burdened by their love for others and cannot bear to live with their pain any longer. The following lines speak to the fact that people are often defined by the events that happen around them, such as what they were wearing or who they were dating when a tragedy occurred. The final line of the verse, "But their betrayal smells the same," suggests that the people who knew the victim may feel guilty or responsible for what happened.
The chorus of the song is repetitive and urgent, repeating the line "Air aid" over and over again. This phrase is sandwiched between commands to cover one's ears, eyes, and mouth, which could suggest a desire to block out the pain of the tragedy or even a need to protect oneself from its aftermath. The lines "Bring me the kite tied to the key, covered in fire/Downpour, thunder laced with lightning" bring to mind the famous experiment conducted by Benjamin Franklin, in which he flew a kite during a thunderstorm to prove that lightning was a form of electricity.
Overall, "Air Aid" is a complex and thought-provoking piece that uses haunting imagery to explore the aftermath of tragedy.
Line by Line Meaning
People of the future will remember
Future generations will recall
Her fate is something she brought upon herself
Her destiny was a self-inflicted one
Writes a suicide note into the movie
Puts suicide message in the movie script
"I love you all too much to carry on"
Loves everyone but can't go on living
Everyone will think back to what they were wearing
People's clothing will be recollected
Or who they were dating when the bones were found
Their relationships during the discovery will be recalled
People of the future won't remember names
Names won't be remembered by future humans
But their betrayal smells the same
The betrayal stinks alike
Rain is falling through the floor
Water drops through the ground
Rain is coming rain is coming
The rain is about to arrive
Cover your ears, cover your eyes, cover your mouth
Shield yourself from the pain
Silence, blindness, tasteless violence
Suffer in silence, without sight, joyless violence
Air aid
Help from the air
Bring me the kite tied to the key, covered in fire
Fetch the burning kite with the key attached
Downpour, thunder laced with lightning
Heavy rain, with thunder and lightning
Air aid
Help from the air
People of the future
Future generations
Take it back
Revert from it
(I can't understand most of this whole part)
Unknown
Cover your ears, cover your eyes, cover your mouth
Shield yourself from the pain
Silence, blindness tasteless violence
Suffer in silence, without sight, joyless violence
Air aid
Help from the air
Bring me the kite tied to the key, covered in fire
Fetch the burning kite with the key attached
Downpour, thunder laced with lightning
Heavy rain, with thunder and lightning
Air aid
Help from the air
Brought upon herself
Self-inflicted
Cover your ears, cover your eyes, cover your mouth
Shield yourself from the pain
Silence, blindness tasteless violence
Suffer in silence, without sight, joyless violence
Air aid
Help from the air
Cover your eyes
Shield your visual senses
Brought upon herself
Self-inflicted
Cover your eyes
Shield your visual senses
Contributed by Elizabeth N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.