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.
Born A Girl
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I could've been your boyfriend
I know it's not possible now
I just never met a girl I like half as much as you
And we could lay around in bed, stay there all day
Or at least until the afternoon
And I could make you spaghetti with tomato sauce
And then when you got sick
I could take the day off work
I could've made you chicken soup
And we could watch soap operas
Oh, those TV dramas
I could catch your cold
And you could take care of me
If I could've met you at school, or met you at work
It would have changed everything
Those years of losing, confusion and insecurity
They would have been shared
They would have been easier
Tim, wish you were born a girl
So I could've been your fiance
I'm not saying you can't be all these things for me
But it's just not the same because you're a man
And so am I
The song "Tim I Wish You Were Born A Girl" by of Montreal tells the story of a man who is in love with his male friend named Tim. The singer expresses his desire for Tim to have been born as a girl so that they could have had a romantic relationship. He imagines what their life together would be like, including cooking spaghetti with oregano and parsley stems, taking care of each other when sick, and watching soap operas. The singer wishes that he had met Tim earlier in life, possibly during their school days or at work, because it would have made their connection easier and less confusing.
The song can be interpreted as a commentary on gender and sexuality, and the limitations that societal expectations and norms place on individuals. The singer is attracted to Tim, but feels that their relationship is not possible because of their gender identities. The lyrics express a longing to break free of these constraints and embrace a love that transcends traditional ideas of gender and sexuality.
Interestingly, the song was written by Kevin Barnes, the lead singer of of Montreal, for his brother Tim. The lyrics were inspired by Barnes' close relationship with his brother, and the song reflects his desire to have a romantic relationship with someone with whom he already shares a deep emotional bond.
Line by Line Meaning
Tim, wish you were born a girl
Expressing the desire for Tim to have been born female.
So I could've been your boyfriend
Wishing to have a romantic relationship with Tim as a female.
I know it's not possible now
Acknowledging that the previous desire cannot be fulfilled in reality.
I just never met a girl I like half as much as you
Expressing the strong emotional attachment felt for Tim.
And we could lay around in bed, stay there all day
Imagining spending quality time together in a relaxed, intimate setting.
Or at least until the afternoon
Adding a lighthearted tone to the previous line.
And I could make you spaghetti with tomato sauce
Imagining cooking for Tim as part of a domestic fantasy.
With just a touch of oregano and a parsley stem
Adding specific details to the imagined meal.
And then when you got sick
Imagining a scenario where Tim falls ill.
I could take the day off work
Fantasizing about caring for Tim during a time of need.
I could've made you chicken soup
Further detailing the care that could be provided.
And we could watch soap operas
Imagining spending time together while recovering.
Oh, those TV dramas
Musing about the types of shows that might be watched together.
I could catch your cold
Willingness to share in Tim's pain.
And you could take care of me
Highlighting the mutual care and support that could exist in the relationship.
If I could've met you at school, or met you at work
Contemplating how things might have been different if they had met in a different context.
It would have changed everything
Belief that meeting Tim differently would have had a significant impact on their lives.
Those years of losing, confusion and insecurity
Reflecting on past struggles and difficulties.
They would have been shared
Belief that those struggles could have been alleviated through a supportive relationship with Tim.
They would have been easier
Confidence that together, they could have overcome past struggles.
Tim, wish you were born a girl
Repeating the opening line, highlighting the main desire of the song.
So I could've been your fiance
Musing about a hypothetical life together, taking the relationship to the next level.
I'm not saying you can't be all these things for me
Acknowledging that some aspects of the desired relationship can exist in reality.
But it's just not the same because you're a man
Explaining the intrinsic limitations of their current relationship.
And so am I
Pointing out that they are both of the same gender, unable to fulfill the desire for a romantic relationship.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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