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 bandβs 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 bandβs 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 βgroupβ 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 Rabbitβs Flower and The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy.
A number of singles and a re-release of The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbitβs Flower occurred before the release of the bandβs 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 Kevinβs 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 Coastβs 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 wasnβt 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 Montrealβs sound, with more danceable rhythms than ever before, especially on the albumβs closer, βDeath Dance Of The Omipapas and Sons For Youβ. A successful tour ensued, including of Montrealβs first trip to the UK, along with a tour-only EP.
Kindercore Records would fold shortly after the release of Arboretum, and of Montrealβs 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 Kevinβs 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 2005βs 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 βSo Begins Our Alabeeβ and the MTV clip for βWraith Pinned to the Mist (and Other Games)β.
The band released several collections of singles in early 2006. Barnes recorded most of the bandβs 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 βTim, I Wish You Were Born A Girlβ, from Cherry Peel. This style, however, changed with The Gay Parade, where many songs involve small narratives surrounding invented characters (in songs such as βJacques Lamureβ, βThe Autobiographical Grandpaβ, βMimi Merlotβ and βRose Robertβ). Others act as extracts from fictional conversations (βAdvice From a Divorced Gentleman to His Bachelor Friend Considering Marriageβ and βGood Morning Mr. Edmintonβ 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 βDoing Nothingβ and βOld People in the Cemeteryβ 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 Onoβs βI Felt Like Smashing my Head Through a Clear Glass Windowβ from The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbitβs Flower.
True to the style of most Elephant 6 recording artists, of Montrealβs 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 βThe You I Createdβ on the Kindercore singles club. of Montreal acted as her backing band.
City Bird
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hasn't anybody told you?
These city blocks can't hold you
Your place is in the sky how can I show you?
City bird haven't you learned
Of the boundlessness of your freedom
The sky is your blue kingdom
City bird maybe these hands that feed you need you
Maybe you understand that city bird
The song "City Bird" by of Montreal is a contemplation of the life of a bird living in an urban environment. The lyrics speak directly to the bird, asking if it has ever heard that it belongs in the sky where it can truly be free. It suggests that the bird may not even realize its own potential and neglects its wings. The title "City Bird" takes on a double meaning, referring to both the physical location of the bird and its current state of being. The lyrics serve to question the limitations that exist within the city environment and encourage the bird to embrace its true nature.
The song can also be interpreted as a commentary on human society and the restrictions we often impose on ourselves. The metaphor of the bird in the city can be viewed as a representation of individuals who feel trapped by societal expectations and limitations. The call to embrace one's true potential and innate abilities is a message of empowerment that can be applied to all aspects of life.
Line by Line Meaning
City bird haven't you heard
Hey bird, are you aware?
Hasn't anybody told you?
Hasn't anyone informed you about your true nature?
These city blocks can't hold you
The urban environment can't restrict your movements.
Your place is in the sky how can I show you?
Your true habitat is the sky, but how can I convince you to fly?
City bird haven't you learned
Bird, haven't you gained knowledge and understanding of yourself?
Of the boundlessness of your freedom
How limitless your freedom is from any human-made boundaries.
The sky is your blue kingdom
The sky is where you belong, and it's your empire.
You neglect your wings like you don't need them
You seem to ignore your wings, as if you don't realize how important they are to you.
City bird maybe these hands that feed you need you
Perhaps the people who provide for you also require your assistance in some way.
Maybe you understand that city bird
Possibly, you fathom a more profound level, city bird.
Lyrics Β© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind