of Montreal is an indie pop band which formed in Athens, Georgia, United St… Read Full Bio ↴of Montreal is an indie pop band which formed in Athens, Georgia, United States in 1997. The band is fronted by Kevin Barnes, who writes, composes, and plays most of the music for his albums.

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.

Emily
of Montreal Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Emily do you think it's safe to guess
That you'll be different from the rest
Emily I don't know if you're truly make believe
But my mind is open to you anyhow
Oh someday I will say the following words to you
Emily you're very different from the rest
You have me really quite impressed
Emily I don't know if you're truly someone's dream

But my mind is open to you now

Now Emily brings a tray of parfait
To the troops of sinuous felines
Lounging in her chaise longue
Now Emily with an ardent oratory
Inspires the troops of sinuous felines
To do the bidding of

Emily you know I'd love to know you best
But are your confessions just in jest?

Emily I hope that you are truly what you seem
Cause my heart is open to you

Overall Meaning

The song "Emily" by of Montreal is an upbeat and whimsical tune about a mysterious and captivating girl named Emily. The lyrics suggest that she is different from everyone else and may even be make-believe, but the singer's mind is open to her nonetheless. He is intrigued by her, impressed by her, and even infatuated with her. The song paints Emily as a figure of fascination, someone who inspires others with her words and her presence.

The lyrics, however, also reveal a sense of uncertainty and even skepticism. The singer wonders if Emily's uniqueness is genuine or just an act, and he hopes that she is truly what she seems. This ambiguity adds depth and complexity to the song, as it reflects the often contradictory nature of attraction and desire. It is also interesting to note the use of animal imagery, with the troops of sinuous felines lounging around Emily's chaise longue and doing her bidding. This creates a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere that fits with the overall tone of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Emily do you think it's safe to guess
The singer is asking Emily if he can assume that she is different from other people.

That you'll be different from the rest
The singer is wondering if Emily is truly unique and different from everyone else.

Emily I don't know if you're truly make believe
The singer is unsure if Emily is real or just a figment of his imagination.

But my mind is open to you anyhow
Despite his uncertainty, the singer is willing to give Emily a chance and keep an open mind about her.

Oh someday I will say the following words to you
The singer is anticipating a future moment when he will express his admiration for Emily.

Emily you're very different from the rest
The singer now believes that Emily is distinct and sets her apart from other people.

You have me really quite impressed
Emily has made a strong impression on the singer and he is impressed by her.

Emily I don't know if you're truly someone's dream
Despite his growing admiration for Emily, the singer is still uncertain if she is real or just a dream.

But my mind is open to you now
Once again, the singer is expressing his willingness to keep an open mind about Emily and see where things go.

Now Emily brings a tray of parfait
Emily is serving her sinuous feline pets a tray of parfait.

To the troops of sinuous felines
Emily's pets are feline creatures, and they are being attended to by their owner.

Lounging in her chaise longue
Emily is relaxing on her chaise longue while her pets enjoy their parfait.

Now Emily with an ardent oratory
Emily is now speaking with fervor and passion.

Inspires the troops of sinuous felines
Emily is motivating and encouraging her pets to take action.

To do the bidding of
It is unclear what Emily is instructing her pets to do, but they are following her lead.

Emily you know I'd love to know you best
The singer is expressing his desire to get to know Emily better and form a deeper connection with her.

But are your confessions just in jest?
The singer is wondering if Emily's feelings and emotions are genuine or just a joke.

Emily I hope that you are truly what you seem
Despite his doubts, the singer is hopeful that Emily is as authentic as she appears to be.

Cause my heart is open to you
The singer's heart is open to Emily, and he is willing to take a chance on her despite his doubts and uncertainties.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KEVIN BARNES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind