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.
Death Is Not a Parallel Move
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All of my thoughts are from a foreign host
Now I feel just like a ghost [Repeat: x4]
Don't be afraid lille vän of violence
I'm only poisoning you, not gonna stab you.
Don't be afraid lille vän of my troubled mind
I'm just poisoning you a little
This far too much like a noise
It happens to be not so nice
I must nod
I must shatter
I must diffuse
This fractured consciousness
This soft abuse
The identity I composed out of terror has become oppressive now
I must (not) defy (defeat) this dark assignment
I'm over it now
I'm so over it now
Don't be afraid lille vän of violence
I'm only poisoning you, not gonna shoot you.
Don't be afraid lille vän of my troubled mind
I'm just poisoning you a little
Every day
is a struggle for the singer in of Montreal’s song “Death Is Not a Parallel Move”, as they are plagued by foreign thoughts that leave them feeling like a ghost. The repetition of the opening lines emphasizes the all-consuming nature of these thoughts, which seem to come from an outside source beyond their control. Despite this struggle, the singer is attempting to reassure someone close to them, referred to as “lille vän,” not to fear the violence or troubled mind they may encounter. This reassurance, however, is tinged with an ominous tone, as the singer admits to only “poisoning” them - not stabbing or shooting - but still using language that evokes harm.
The second half of the song delves into the themes of identity and mental illness, as the singer describes their struggle to maintain a sense of self and consciousness in the face of their fractured state. The lines “The identity I composed out of terror has become oppressive now / I must (not) defy (defeat) this dark assignment / I'm over it now / I'm so over it now” suggest that the singer has constructed a persona as a coping mechanism, but it has become too much for them to bear. The repeated phrases of “nod”, “shatter”, and “diffuse” add to the sense of internal struggle and instability.
Overall, “Death Is Not a Parallel Move” is a haunting exploration of the effects of mental illness on one’s sense of self and relationships with others. The use of repetitive phrases and references to violence give the song a sense of unease and tension, while the singer’s attempts to reassure their loved one can be read as both sincere and threatening.
Line by Line Meaning
All of my thoughts are from a foreign host
My thoughts and ideas are not my own, but rather influenced by external factors.
Now I feel just like a ghost
I feel disconnected and invisible, like I'm not truly present.
Don't be afraid lille vän of violence
I'm not going to physically harm you, so don't be scared.
I'm only poisoning you, not gonna stab you.
I'm not trying to hurt you in a violent sense, but my words and actions might have negative effects on you.
Don't be afraid lille vän of my troubled mind
My mental state might seem unstable, but I won't harm you physically.
I'm just poisoning you a little
My negative thoughts and emotions might have an impact on you, but it won't be severe.
This far too much like a noise
My current state of mind is too chaotic and overwhelming.
It happens to be not so nice
My situation is not pleasant or enjoyable.
I must nod
I need to acknowledge my issues and accept them.
I must shatter
I need to break free from my negative mindset and destructive habits.
I must diffuse
I need to overcome my fractured consciousness and find a sense of clarity.
This fractured consciousness
My state of mind is broken and difficult to piece together.
This soft abuse
My emotional and mental suffering is subtle, but still harmful.
The identity I composed out of terror has become oppressive now
The coping mechanisms I developed to deal with my fears and anxieties are now restricting and hindering me.
I must (not) defy (defeat) this dark assignment
I need to overcome the negative expectations I've placed on myself, and not let them control me.
I'm over it now
I'm ready to move on from my struggles and find a sense of peace.
I'm so over it now
I'm completely done with my past issues and ready to embrace a new chapter in my life.
Every day
Each day is a struggle, but I'm making progress towards healing and growth.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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