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.
L'age D'or
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said "Do you think your venom is strong
Enough to really work on me?"
I think she just wants me on the temporary
She said you're fitness but is it just a paper love?
And I kept you in my kiss almanac
Ever since you dropped your stage name
I've liked you so much more
I've noticed things about you I never had before
Now I want you on the kitchen table, public bathroom
On the dirty floor
Shit, they're knocking down the door
But I'm inside your core
I know she's kind of fug
She's just my party drug
I ain't all that fly my damn self
I know she's kind of fug
She's just my party drug
She's just my party
Young pussy is the star
How slick you are
I gotta get my bust
Before this planet turns to dust
I mean she's the only flight that I'm really on
I know she's kind of fug
She's just my party drug, she's just my party
At least for tonight
I know you were scared cause I was your first secular lover
But didn't it feel like we kind of healed each other
We played deprivation games I let you load the cartridge
You were in your spring, you hungered for everything
But was I just a symbol?
Something for you to escape to?
All the things I made you do they'll return to haunt you.
But come on, let's not pout
It was just an adventure
At least I taught you how to stop living like such a mouse
I know she's kind of fug she's just my party drug
I ain't all that fly my damn self
I know she's kind of fug
She's just my party drug
She's just my party
I've got to get my bust
Before this planet turns to dust
I know she's kind of fug
She's just my party
At least for tonight
The lyrics of "L'age D'or" by of Montreal depict a hyper-sexualized encounter between the singer and a woman in a "strangulation room." The woman questions if the singer's "venom is strong enough to really work" on her, implying a desire for rough or intense sexual activity. The singer refers to her as "fug," indicating that she is not conventionally attractive but is still sexually appealing to him as a "party drug." They engage in sexual acts in various public settings, with the singer asserting his dominance over her. The lyrics also touch on themes of identity, as the woman changed her stage name to Viper Fragment, which the singer finds attractive, and the singer wonders if he is just a symbol or escape for her.
The lyrics of "L'age D'or" are provocative and controversial, with a focus on explicit sex and power dynamics. The song has been criticized for its explicit nature and objectification of women. However, others have praised the song for its unique style and willingness to tackle taboo subjects in art. The title of the song means "The Golden Age" in French and is a nod to the cultural and artistic movement of the same name that took place in France in the early 20th century.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw her in the strangulation room
The singer is describing the location where they first encountered the person they're singing about.
She said "Do you think your venom is strong
Enough to really work on me?"
The person the singer is interested in asks if the singer thinks they're capable of connecting with them romantically or sexually.
I think she just wants me on the temporary
The singer believes that the person they're interested in only wants a temporary or short-term physical relationship, rather than a long-term commitment.
She said you're fitness but is it just a paper love?
The person the artist is interested in compliments the artist's physical appearance, but wonders if it's only surface-level and not a genuine emotional connection.
And I kept you in my kiss almanac
Ever since you dropped your stage name
Re-emerged as Viper Fragment
The artist has been keeping tabs on the person they're interested in since they changed their name, and are now going by 'Viper Fragment.'
I've liked you so much more
I've noticed things about you I never had before
The singer has started to develop deeper feelings for the person they're interested in, and is discovering new things they like about them.
Now I want you on the kitchen table, public bathroom
On the dirty floor
Shit, they're knocking down the door
But I'm inside your core
The singer is describing sexual fantasies of being with the person they're interested in in various public locations, even as they encounter potential danger or interruption.
I know she's kind of fug
She's just my party drug
The artist acknowledges that the person they're interested in might not be conventionally attractive, but they view them as a 'party drug' - something that provides temporary excitement and pleasure.
Young pussy is the star
How slick you are
The artist is objectifying the person they're interested in, viewing them as a young sexual object and admiring their perceived slickness or charm.
I gotta get my bust
Before this planet turns to dust
I mean she's the only flight that I'm really on
The artist feels an urgency to pursue a physical relationship with the person they're interested in, as they believe it's the only thing they have to look forward to in life.
But didn't it feel like we kind of healed each other
We played deprivation games I let you load the cartridge
You were in your spring, you hungered for everything
But was I just a symbol?
Something for you to escape to?
The singer reflects on their past relationship with the person they're interested in, wondering if they were just a means of escape or a symbol for the other person to use in order to grow and explore their sexual desires.
All the things I made you do they'll return to haunt you.
But come on, let's not pout
It was just an adventure
At least I taught you how to stop living like such a mouse
The artist recognizes that their past relationship with the other person might have had negative consequences for them, but encourages them to not feel regretful or upset about it. They believe that it was just an 'adventure' and that they helped the other person become more confident or assertive in their sexual desires.
At least for tonight
The singer recognizes that their relationship with the person they're interested in might not be a long-term one, and acknowledges that their time together might be temporary, at least for the night.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CookeDaWook
Great band, just found out about them on Grooveshark (:
Hreter
thumbs up for home-made videoclips. It's pretty anyway.