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.
Art Snob Solutions
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's time to take all all of the lives
Of the people who cannot see the somnolent genius of Tarkovsky
Come on authors grab your guns!
It's time to murder everyone who has never heard of Apollinaire
Send them all to hell it's only fair
Of the principles of Arte Povera
Or are unfamiliar with le serpent mascara
That's right mascara snake!!!
Come on painters alive or dead
Give all the cretins a boot to the head
If they don't extoll convincingly
Tempered Elan era Kandinsky
Throw them all into a well if they cannot tell
An Arto Parv feast of repitition from a Schoenburg 12 tone composition
Come on artists the day is here
And your mission is very clear
Put an end to the bourgoussie
And death to everyone who's never heard of me
The song "Art Snob Solutions" by of Montreal satirically critiques the elitism and exclusivity rampant in the art world. The lyrics are a call to arms for directors, authors, painters, and artists to gruesomely murder anyone who hasn't heard of certain artists or art movements. They believe that the only solution to the problem of people not appreciating certain forms of art is to kill them. The song's hyperbolic lyrics are meant to expose the absurdity of the art world and their elitist attitudes towards those who are not "cultured" enough to appreciate certain artistic styles.
The song's lyrics reference several artists and art movements, including Tarkovsky, Apollinaire, Arte Povera, Schoenburg, and Kandinsky. These references are meant to emphasize the sheer breadth of knowledge that one must have to truly be considered an art-snob. The lyrics suggest that the only way to truly appreciate art is by having an immense knowledge of the history of art, along with a deep understanding of specific artists and their movements. However, the song also critiques this approach, suggesting that the obsession with "cultured" art is both ridiculous and dangerous.
Overall, "Art Snob Solutions" is a biting commentary on the hoity-toity attitudes of the art world. of Montreal uses their satire to take aim at the art-snob mentality that promotes exclusivity and elitism in the art world. By suggesting that the only way to deal with those who don't appreciate certain forms of art is through murder, the song drives home the absurdity of the elitist attitudes that dominate the art world.
Line by Line Meaning
What's up directors? Grab your knives!
Calling all film directors to arms to defend the honor of Tarkovsky's genius.
It's time to take all all of the lives
A hyperbolic call to action, urging filmmakers to inflict symbolic violence on those who fail to recognize Tarkovsky's brilliance.
Of the people who cannot see the somnolent genius of Tarkovsky
Referencing those who lack the ability or attention span to appreciate Tarkovsky's slow, dreamy style of filmmaking.
Come on authors grab your guns!
A call to authors to take up arms to defend the reputation of Apollinaire.
It's time to murder everyone who has never heard of Apollinaire
A tongue-in-cheek exaggeration intending to highlight the importance of familiarizing oneself with key figures in literature.
Send them all to hell it's only fair
An ironic statement pointing out the absurdity of punishing people for literary ignorance with such severity.
Cast them all into the flames if they don't know any names
Suggesting a literal punishment of being burned alive for lack of knowledge in the field of contemporary art.
Of the principles of Arte Povera
Referencing a specific art movement and the lack of familiarity with its core tenets among the general public.
Or are unfamiliar with le serpent mascara
Poking fun at people who claim to be experts in art history yet are not familiar with this lesser-known piece of work.
That's right mascara snake!!!
A playful way to mock the pretentiousness of the art world.
Come on painters alive or dead
Inviting painters from all times to join the cause of elevating the status of art in society.
Give all the cretins a boot to the head
A humorous way to express contempt for those who can't differentiate between true art and kitsch.
If they don't extoll convincingly
Highlighting the importance of being able to articulate the merits of an artwork in order to be considered a true connoisseur.
Tempered Elan era Kandinsky
Referencing a specific period in Kandinsky's artistic career and the relevance of understanding its characteristics.
Throw them all into a well if they cannot tell
Suggesting a punishment of being thrown into a well for lacking the knowledge to discern between different art movements.
An Arto Parv feast of repetition from a Schoenburg 12 tone composition
Referencing two different musical styles and the importance of understanding their key features to appreciate them fully.
Come on artists the day is here
Urging artists of all types to rise up and showcase their talents.
And your mission is very clear
Giving a sense of purpose to artists to promote and elevate art in society.
Put an end to the bourgoussie
Encouraging artists to overthrow the bourgeois class and claim their rightful place in society.
And death to everyone who's never heard of me
A satirical way of highlighting the narcissism that often comes with artistic identity and notoriety.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind