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.
Butterscotching Mr. Lynn
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's neck to get to fruit in a tall tree.
You're always occupied with girly things your room
Is filled with girly posters of teen idols
And roller coasters and funny things like that
You've got a red and purple striped stuffed animal cat
That takes up half the bed.
I like to pretend you're made out of a drawbridge
"argh, you're listening to 81.3 sound of the sea"
While I'm training troops in parachutes how to act
Froufrou so when their seargents return from butterscotching Mr. Lynn
They can do the charlston while I paint the face of Private Fontaine
On his enemies face and do the same to him
Until the ballrooms filled with soldiers wondering
If they like them selves and all are forced to forgive and forget
The lyrics of of Montreal's Butterscotching Mr. Lynn are a vivid description of one person's infatuation with another. The singer is fascinated by the object of their affection, who is always engaged in girly pursuits and has a room filled with posters of teen idols and roller coasters. The singer finds the object of their affection's stuffed animal cat endearing, but also sees them as a drawbridge operator's favorite radio program.
In contrast to the object of their affection's preoccupations, the singer fantasizes about military training and painting the face of Private Fontaine on his enemies' faces. The vivid imagery of troops being trained to "act Froufrou" and soldiers wondering about their own self-esteem creates a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere that contrasts with the reality of the object of the singer's affection. Overall, the lyrics capture the singer's fascination with someone who is very different from them and the vividness of their own imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
I like you cause you look like a giraffe stretching out
I appreciate the way you reach for what you want like a giraffe stretching its neck out for fruit in a tall tree.
It's neck to get to fruit in a tall tree.
You have a determined spirit, always reaching high for what you want.
You're always occupied with girly things your room
You have a fondness for things perceived as traditionally feminine, as evidenced by your room adorned with posters of teen idols, roller coasters, and other playful items.
Is filled with girly posters of teen idols
You have a passion for pop culture icons, particularly teen idols often idolized by young girls.
And roller coasters and funny things like that
You enjoy playful and lighthearted experiences, like the thrill of riding a roller coaster or indulging in other silly activities.
You've got a red and purple striped stuffed animal cat
You have a playful and imaginative side, as evidenced by your oversized stuffed animal cat that takes up half your bed.
That takes up half the bed.
Your whimsical nature extends to your personal living space, where even your most cherished items are full of character and charm.
I like to pretend you're made out of a drawbridge
I enjoy imagining you as something unique and fascinating, like a drawbridge with the power to control who can enter and who must stay out.
Operator's favorite radio program
In my mind, you are the operator of a radio station, broadcasting your favorite music and programs to an eager audience.
"argh, you're listening to 81.3 sound of the sea"
As the imaginary radio operator, you announce the station's name and tagline for all to hear, evoking the soothing and calming sound of ocean waves.
While I'm training troops in parachutes how to act
In my own imagination, I am engaged in military training, teaching paratroopers how to conduct themselves in battle.
Froufrou so when their seargents return from butterscotching Mr. Lynn
I instruct the soldiers to act with precision and grace, so that they can impress their sergeants and earn their respect even after engaging in difficult and dangerous missions like "butterscotching Mr. Lynn."
They can do the charlston while I paint the face of Private Fontaine
I use colorful language to describe the soldiers' movements, instructing them to dance the Charleston as I paint the face of one of their comrades, Private Fontaine.
On his enemies face and do the same to him
I imagine the soldiers smearing war paint on their faces before engaging in battle, seeking to intimidate and defeat their enemies using unconventional and creative tactics.
Until the ballrooms filled with soldiers wondering
In this imaginary world I've concocted, the soldiers have become so skilled and disciplined that they move with the synchronized grace of a ballroom dance troupe.
If they like them selves and all are forced to forgive and forget
Through their training and shared experiences, these soldiers have learned to value themselves and each other, while also embracing the importance of forgiveness and moving past past mistakes or grudges.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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