They were among the second wave of groups to emerge from The Elephant 6 Recording Company and the group has a style that is typical of many Elephant 6 bands due to their interest in combining musical experimentation with the basic tenets of pop i.e. catchy melodies and sing-along choruses. The band’s style has been influenced by conventional indie pop, psychedelic music, vaudeville and music hall on their earlier releases and by afrobeat, funk, krautrock and reggae on their recent releases.
The band’s style has been known to change between albums. At first, the band embraced a more simple, quirky, lo-fi indie pop sound, which occasionally bordered on twee pop. The band was created by Kevin Barnes and named after a failed romance with a woman from Montreal, though the story changes in various interviews. Barnes was the only member of the “group” prior to his relocation to Athens, Georgia. There, he met Derek Almstead, later of Circulatory System, M Coast, Elf Power etc., and Bryan Poole, who also performs as The Late B.P. Helium.
Together, they recorded their first album, Cherry Peel, as well as The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit’s Flower and The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy.
A number of singles and a re-release of The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit’s Flower occurred before the release of the band’s third album, The Gay Parade in 1999. With contributions from several members of the Elephant Six collective at the time, it also featured artwork from Kevin’s brother David Barnes, who would continue to do artwork for future albums.
This album marked that the band had moved to a fuller sound, which is also found on its follow-up, Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse. These two albums contain more narrative lyrics, as opposed to the rather personal lyrical matter of those preceding it, and often imitating the style of old 1950s radio plays.
After production on The Gay Parade began in 1998, Poole left the band to focus on his duties with Elf Power, another Elephant Six band from Athens. Barnes also recruited Jamey Huggins and Dottie Alexander, who had been performing together as Lightning Bug vs. Firefly, to play various instruments. Derek moved from drums to bass. The band was joined soon after by Marshmallow Coast’s Andy Gonzales.
Following the release of The Gay Parade, the band signed with Kindercore Records, who would release a number of singles and compilations. It wasn’t until 2001 that Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse would be released as a new album with original material. The album again featured contributions from across the Elephant 6 spectrum.
In 2002, Aldhils Arboretum was released, with a slightly different sound than its predecessors, as the songs were more directly structured. This album marks the beginning of the change in of Montreal’s sound, with more danceable rhythms than ever before, especially on the album’s closer, “Death Dance Of The Omipapas and Sons For You”. A successful tour ensued, including of Montreal’s first trip to the UK, along with a tour-only EP.
Kindercore Records would fold shortly after the release of Arboretum, and of Montreal’s status was also threatened. Kevin got married, and Andy and Derek left the band. Barnes, being uncomfortable with the unrest, as well as some divisions within the band, took to writing and performing their 2004 album Satanic Panic in the Attic mostly by himself. Released by Polyvinyl Records, it became one of their more successful efforts to that point. The 2004 tour saw The Late B.P. Helium (Bryan Poole) rejoin the band, with some bass played by Kevin’s partner Nina Barnes. The album marked a shift to something more electronic with traditional structures, to be further advanced in later albums and new songs. In their most recent releases and concerts, the band has fully embraced a sort of techno-pop glam image, with little of their previous incarnations surfacing. This style is featured in singles such as Disconnect the Dots. The style would continue to evolve into 2005’s The Sunlandic Twins, which was even more a Barnes solo effort. Recorded in Athens, with the exception of one track recorded in Norway, it was a much more pronounced electronic album. The album became a success, mostly due to the singles “So Begins Our Alabee” and the MTV clip for “Wraith Pinned to the Mist (and Other Games)”.
The band released several collections of singles in early 2006. Barnes recorded most of the band’s 2007 release, Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, by himself while living in Norway and Athens, Georgia. The switch to autobiographical themes of suicide, depression and isolation of the album was a direct product of his troubled personal life during that period.
of Montreal released Skeletal Lamping on October 21, 2008 followed by False Priest on September 14, 2010, Paralytic Stalks on February 7, 2012, and Lousy with Sylvianbriar on October 8, 2013. Aureate Gloom is scheduled for release by Polyvinyl Records on March 3, 2015.
Lyrically, their style has changed dramatically throughout the years. In the beginning, many songs were narratives of personal or humorous situations, such as “Tim, I Wish You Were Born A Girl”, from Cherry Peel. This style, however, changed with The Gay Parade, where many songs involve small narratives surrounding invented characters (in songs such as “Jacques Lamure”, “The Autobiographical Grandpa”, “Mimi Merlot” and “Rose Robert”). Others act as extracts from fictional conversations (“Advice From a Divorced Gentleman to His Bachelor Friend Considering Marriage” and “Good Morning Mr. Edminton” as examples). With Aldhils Arboretum came a slight return to the previous writing style, except following more poppy, classical lyrical structures (such as the use of choruses, which are generally absent in the Gay Parade/Coquelicot years). This style continued throughout Satanic Panic and The Sunlandic Twins to some extent. On the album Hissing Fauna: Are You The Destroyer? the lyrics are much more personal than previously used, with songs detailing emotions within the speaker.
Another unique quality of the band is the fusion of ostensibly gloomy lyrics with bouncy, upbeat melodies and hooks. On Aldhils Arboretum, for example, the lyrics for tracks like “Doing Nothing” and “Old People in the Cemetery” focus on apathy, loneliness or death while being contrasted with cheerful instrumentation. Another example of this tendency is shown in their choice of covers; for example, Yoko Ono’s “I Felt Like Smashing my Head Through a Clear Glass Window” from The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit’s Flower.
True to the style of most Elephant 6 recording artists, of Montreal’s members have been in a variety of side projects and other bands:
The band itself has performed as the backing band for Marshmallow Coast on record and on tour.
My First Keyboard was the pseudonym used by Dottie Alexander to release the song “The You I Created” on the Kindercore singles club. of Montreal acted as her backing band.
Around the Way
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just going to root there in space
So because there ain't nobody really joked about your inventory
Sub-celestial articles from neutral stations
From the game participants and by far most lineal family
Break strike pattern stripe break to face
When you get so quiet and depressed, hidden
Can't understand, I want to die again
I'm out here in the swell
Getting fucked up trying to cure you
It's so draining
Really, how can I help if you won't talk to me?
Thought you were a runaway
Not just a cliche
When you get so quiet and depressed, hidden
And I drop away again
Can't understand, I want to die again
I'm splashing in the waves
Getting fucked up trying to cure you
It's so draining
How can I help if you won't talk to me?
I thought you were a special friend
I'm your friend
The lyrics to of Montreal's song "Around the Way" are quite abstract and open to interpretation. The song appears to be about a person who is feeling low and withdrawn, and their friend's attempts to help them. The opening lines describe the person's desire to "stand there and dim out", to retreat into a sort of inner space where they don't have to engage with the world. The friend is concerned about this and wants to help, but the person won't talk to them or let them in. The second verse suggests that the friend is getting increasingly frustrated and despairing, feeling like they can't do anything to make things better. The repetition of the line "I want to die again" may suggest that the friend is struggling with their own mental health as a result of trying to support this person.
The chorus repeats the same lines about the friend feeling drained and powerless, and not understanding how to help. The final line, "I'm your friend", seems to indicate that the friend is determined to stick it out and support this person despite their struggles.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of frustration and helplessness in the face of someone else's mental health struggles. It's unclear whether the person in question is dealing with depression, anxiety, addiction, or something else entirely, but the lyrics capture the difficulty of trying to support someone who won't or can't open up.
Line by Line Meaning
You say you just want to stand there and dim out
You express your desire to simply stay put and disengage from your surroundings
Just going to root there in space
You plan on staying in that position and not moving, becoming almost like a fixture in the environment
So because there ain't nobody really joked about your inventory
It seems like no one has taken the time to acknowledge or make light of your personal struggles and issues
Sub-celestial articles from neutral stations
You might be receiving messages or influences from a variety of sources that don't necessarily align or connect with each other
From the game participants and by far most lineal family
The people or groups who are playing a role in your life and potentially influencing you are your closest relatives and friends
Break strike pattern stripe break to face
You may be facing a jarring or uncomfortable reality that conflicts with your expectations or previous patterns of behavior
When you get so quiet and depressed, hidden
When you become withdrawn and exhibit signs of sadness or depression without sharing or expressing what's bothering you
And I drop away again
When I try to help or offer support, but you push me away or ignore my efforts
Can't understand, I want to die again
I feel helpless and overwhelmed, to the point where I'm questioning the point of living or suffering along with you
I'm out here in the swell
I'm trying my best to navigate a difficult situation, amidst turbulent and uncertain circumstances
Getting fucked up trying to cure you
I'm resorting to unhealthy or extreme measures in order to try and alleviate your pain, which is ultimately not sustainable or effective
It's so draining
This situation is taking a toll on me, mentally and emotionally, and I'm feeling exhausted and depleted
Really, how can I help if you won't talk to me?
I'm frustrated and confused by your lack of communication or willingness to open up, and I feel like I can't do anything useful without knowing what's going on
Thought you were a runaway
I had hoped that you were someone who was actively seeking freedom or liberation from some kind of restraint or pain, but now I'm not so sure
Not just a cliche
I want to believe that your struggles are genuine and uniquely your own, rather than just a stereotypical or superficial problem
I'm splashing in the waves
I'm struggling to keep my head above water, both literally and figuratively, as I try to support and help you in this situation
How can I help if you won't talk to me?
I feel helpless and powerless to make any positive difference if you don't let me in or communicate with me
I thought you were a special friend
I had hoped that our relationship was built on more than just superficial or casual interactions, and that we had a deeper bond or connection
I'm your friend
Despite all the difficulties and obstacles we're facing, I still care about you and want to help you in any way I can
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind