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.
Hello from Inside a Shell
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The song "Hello from Inside a Shell" by of Montreal presents a fantastical narrative about an unseen protagonist who resides inside an invisible shell that was specially crafted by a brilliant inventor named Lecithin E. The singer, who introduces themselves by saying "Hello from inside a shell," describes riding a unicycle downstairs to Lecithin E's laboratory to witness their, at times, explosive experiments. They then talk about their experiences riding their boat car through the rays of Lecithin E's reverse magnetitizer, causing everything they touch to shoot into space and anger astronauts who shake their fists. Despite this, Lecithin E promises to build a new world for them, far away from our own, in uncharted regions near the North Pole, where they will not feel alone. This world will be populated with exotic and strange animals that Lecithin E will invent.
The lyrics in this song serve as a metaphor for the human desire to create new worlds and alternate realities. The singer, who remains hidden within their shell, wants to escape from the current world and find a new, uninhabited space where they can feel free and looked after. Lecithin E represents the imaginative capacity to invent new technologies and systems that the singer relies on for protection and comfort. The song's dreamy tone and whimsical lyrics are characteristic of of Montreal's discography and speak to the band's enduring fascination with psychedelic sounds and otherworldly themes.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello from inside a shell you can see me cause my shell is invisible.
I am inside a shell, but you can see me because it is invisible.
It was made especially for me by the brilliant inventor Lecithin E.
Lecithin E made this shell specially for me, and he is very intelligent.
I ride my unicycle downstairs to his laboratory when I know he's there working on robotic aquatic bees, perfecting his mechanical donkeys or running from exploding test tubes.
I ride my unicycle to Lecithin E's laboratory, where he works on all sorts of inventions, such as robotic bees that can swim and mechanical donkeys. Sometimes things explode and he has to run away.
I ride my boat car through the rays of his reverse magnetitizer when I'm feeling brave.
Sometimes I ride my boat car through Lecithin E's invention, the reverse magnetitizer, which can make things float into the air.
Then everything I touch shoots into space and astronauts shake their fists at us saying be careful.
When I touch things after going through the reverse magnetitizer, they fly into space, and astronauts warn us to be careful.
He's promised to build us a world of our own far away from this one In uncharted regions where no one will go.
Lecithin E has promised to build us a new world in uncharted regions that no one else knows about.
We'll find an island somewhere near the North Pole And He'll invent lots of strange new animals to inhabit it so we won't feel alone.
We will look for an island near the North Pole, and Lecithin E will create new animals to live there with us so we don't feel lonely.
And we'll be happy there there there all covered in snow.
We will be happy living there, even though it is snowy.
He's promised to build us a world of our own and here we go
Lecithin E is true to his word and is taking us to our new home.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Isaac Perk
"Coquelicot is an Efeblum. An Efeblum is a fairy-like creature who is employed by the Efeneties (loving spirits) to place bells inside people's hearts. When a person has a bell in their heart they are able to create works of art, fall in love and feel at peace with the world. Coquelicot, during one of her trips to Earth, decides to discard her bells and experience life as a human. Instead of living in "reality" she decides to experience life in a sleeping unconscious/conscious state. It is in this subconscious world that she meets Claude and Lecithin the inventor. They do all sorts of crazy stuff together like having incredible battles with evergreens and satellites, getting chased by psychotic zombies, playing with Lecithin's inventions and eventually moving away together to a deserted frozen island. In time, Coquelicot feels remorseful about neglecting her responsibilities as an Efeblum and decides to return to her work. She can't bear the thought of leaving her two new best friends so she invites them to come along with her. They happily [accept] and join her as honorary Efeblums."
Lance Tranter
As OM have gone into an all synthetic sound, in full Trans mode..I still have this purest sounding, poetic 💛 musique..
Alyssa Russo
as oM delve further into their career, this album becomes fonder to me every day.
Sock the Worm
When attempting to describe how strange this band can be, I usually cite this album. "Penelope" and "Upon Settling on the Frozen Island, Lecithin Presents Claude and Coquelicot with His Animal Creations for Them to Approve or Reject" in particular.
Brutus Wong
This is lovely.
Quique Loyola
Possibly my third favorite album
Rainer-Wilfried Kasuppke
I really regret that I didnt visit their concert last year
Robert Meyman
+Gummitwist Unhold You wouldn't have heard any of these songs you know. These are retired. Kevin isn't happy anymore...
licky
kevin was never happy.
Chris G
At least he probably tripped balls from time to time, for our collective enjoyment.