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.
Jimmy
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a mental state, gang-banging
A sad return to the eagle-shaped mirror
I'm the kind of mannequin that cheats and
Opens its eyes to the ladies of the spread
She took me home and spit in my drink
She spoke of Germaine Greer and Friedan
I didn't know what to think
She draped me in a stoll, what kind?
I think Malaysian mink
Than threw me out into the snow, I waited for the bus
Up come some values voters screaming, are you one of us?
I said of course man, can't you see
I've got some text reconstruction? What does that mean?
No clue, it must be an illicit pentagram
What are you talking about? No clue
I check my shutter speed, my aperture, my domino
Can't focus, can't stop staring at the face I used to know
This life is not a prison, we are always free to go anytime
Chinese stars, Chinese stars, Chinese stars
My 'cuz had the rawest Chinese stars
I'm trying to interface
You met me at such a dismal point on the arc
I think I understand what you were saying
About the smiles of the skulls
The spastic face was the last one, our luck was white
I read it with my head open, only slightly cracked
Somebody will have to close it when I'm done
Make the most out of the visuals
While walking through the woods
I noticed someone had built a house
For nobody in particular
They want to destroy us, I know
It's time to penetrate their fantasy
The lyrics to of Montreal's song "Jimmy" are complex and tough to decipher, yet they tell a vivid story. The song features an unnamed protagonist, who meets a woman who paints her face to look like a "man's mistake, like a mental state, gang-banging." After spending some time with her, the singer takes her standing against the kitchen sink before she throws him out into the snow. As he waits for the bus, he encounters values voters who ask him about text reconstruction and illicit pentagrams. Confused and unable to focus, the singer contemplates the smiles of skulls and the spastic face before concluding that "they" want to destroy "us" and it's time to "penetrate their fantasy."
At a surface level, "Jimmy" appears to be about a doomed love affair, replete with strange encounters and emotional confusion. However, upon a closer look, it is clear that the song is more about the societal forces that conspire to destroy individuality and creativity. The singer is constantly battling the pressure to conform, from the painted-faced woman's gang-banging perception of masculinity to the values voter's condemnation of text reconstruction and questions about illicit pentagrams. The song's conclusion suggests that the singer recognizes these threats to individuality and creativity and feels compelled to resist them actively.
Line by Line Meaning
They had painted her face like a man's mistake
Her makeup was poorly done and looked masculine
Like a mental state, gang-banging
The makeup resembled a disturbed, violent person
A sad return to the eagle-shaped mirror
Looking at herself in the mirror made her feel depressed
I'm the kind of mannequin that cheats and
I am an unfaithful person, like a lifeless doll
Opens its eyes to the ladies of the spread
I find myself sexually attracted to women featured in magazines
She took me home and spit in my drink
She was angry and disrespecting me by contaminating my drink
She spoke of Germaine Greer and Friedan
She referenced feminist thinkers and writers
I didn't know what to think
I was unsure what she was trying to convey
I took her standing in the kitchen, ass against the sink
I had sex with her while leaning against the kitchen sink
She draped me in a stoll, what kind?
She covered me with a fur shawl but I didn't know the type
I think Malaysian mink
I guessed it may have been made of mink from Malaysia
Than threw me out into the snow, I waited for the bus
Afterwards, she kicked me out into the cold and I had to wait for public transportation
Up come some values voters screaming, are you one of us?
Conservative people approached me, questioning whether I shared their beliefs
I said of course man, can't you see
I lied and pretended to agree with them
I've got some text reconstruction? What does that mean?
I made up a term to confuse them and distract them from my dishonesty
No clue, it must be an illicit pentagram
They assumed I was saying something mystical or sinister
What are you talking about? No clue
They were ignorant and didn't realize I was bluffing
I check my shutter speed, my aperture, my domino
I was checking my camera settings but also focusing my attention elsewhere
Can't focus, can't stop staring at the face I used to know
I was distracted by the memory of someone I missed
This life is not a prison, we are always free to go anytime
I realized that I had the power to change my situation and leave at any moment
Chinese stars, Chinese stars, Chinese stars
Someone was repeatedly mentioning weapons known as Chinese stars
My 'cuz had the rawest Chinese stars
My cousin owned the sharpest and deadliest Chinese stars
I'm trying to interface
I am attempting to connect and communicate with others
You met me at such a dismal point on the arc
You encountered me during a low point in my life
I think I understand what you were saying
I believe I comprehend the message you were conveying
About the smiles of the skulls
You were talking about the irony of skulls having an eternal grin
The spastic face was the last one, our luck was white
The distorted expression on the final skull we saw indicated our fortune was good
I read it with my head open, only slightly cracked
I interpreted it with an open mind but without completely changing my perspective
Somebody will have to close it when I'm done
Someone else will need to finish and complete what I started
Make the most out of the visuals
Emphasize and prioritize the visual elements
While walking through the woods
I was taking a stroll in the forest
I noticed someone had built a house
I saw that a house had been constructed
For nobody in particular
It was built without a specific person in mind
They want to destroy us, I know
I am aware that someone wishes to harm or ruin us
It's time to penetrate their fantasy
It's time to expose and dismantle their illusions and false beliefs
Contributed by Riley T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Parham
fantastic! you did a great job uploading this version! FUN and colourful just like the song :)
Ron Pasa
this song never failed to remind me about my scenic drive with friends thru the thick washington state pine forest. at mt. rainier exactly. since then this song has been my go to song for road trip with scenic drives. golden
cakesniffers
video is beautiful. its a cover of mia's cover of the original bollywood song
Ali
Such an underrated cover
Nikos PS
incredible. cant listen it only once
Jeff CWB
Great cover
Leslie Wilson
I love this video very much, thank you!
Hyungtae Figur
No final da música desse vídeo é muito parecida com o refrão de Jimmy. /watch?v=N78PdqC_HPM
Ema
ME GUSTA MUCHO ESTA MUSICA .
Honey Mya
THIS IS REALLY COOL