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.
Lets Do Everthing for the First Time Forever
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because when we kissed for the first time I was distracted.
I couldn't believe it was true that I was truly really finally kissing you.
Will you hug me again so I can pretend we're embracing for the first time.
Cause when you held me for the first time I lost my senses.
I couldn't believe it was real
Inside I was laughing and dancing like peppermint eels
Consoling moaning stallions on the beach.
While they choke up foam for the tide
May we dance again so I can pretend we're dancing for the first time
Because when we danced for the first time I was so nervous.
I could hardly stay on my feet.
My felicity must not have been very discreet.
Will you give me your hand so I can pretend I'm holding it for the first time?
Let's do everything for the first time forever.
And if forever you are my friend I'll never ever feel unhappy again
You are a miracle like Hanze Cercheek transposing scores
By Satie on the beak of an inimical red breasted lark
The lyrics of of Montreal's "Let's Do Everything for the First Time" present a plea to a loved one to relive every experience as if it were the first time. The song is characterized by a feeling of nostalgia, and longing to recapture and preserve the novelty and excitement of falling in love. The first verse asks for a repeat of the first kiss, because the singer was so overwhelmed with disbelief and happiness that they could not fully appreciate the moment. The second verse asks for all experiences to be relived in this way, with a particular focus on holding hands and embracing.
The chorus emphasizes the importance of maintaining this sense of wonder forever, as a way of ensuring eternal happiness. The singer believes that if they can experience everything as if it were the first time, they will never feel unhappy again. The song conjures a sense of intense infatuation, with the loved one being described as a "miracle." The singer seems to be in awe of their partner and willing to do whatever it takes to keep the spark of their relationship alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Will you kiss me again so I can pretend we're kissing for the first time
As our past kisses are only memories, please kiss me like it's the very first time again so we can experience that magical moment once more.
Because when we kissed for the first time I was distracted.
I was so lost in the moment and entranced by you that I could hardly believe our lips were touching.
I couldn't believe it was true that I was truly really finally kissing you.
I was overwhelmed by the reality of being with you - the one I had been dreaming of kissing for so long.
Will you hug me again so I can pretend we're embracing for the first time.
Let's relive our first hug, as it was pure joy and comfort and I want to feel that again.
Cause when you held me for the first time I lost my senses.
Your touch made me feel so alive that my mind went blank, and all that existed was the warmth and love we shared.
I couldn't believe it was real. Inside I was laughing and dancing like peppermint eels.
I was ecstatic about how wonderful our embrace felt that I was practically bouncing with glee and excitement internally.
You are a miracle like Madeline Meech, Consoling moaning stallions on the beach. While they choke up foam for the tide.
Similar to how Madeline is a comforting presence, you hold a special place in my heart and are just as miraculous, as together we soothe our souls like stallions near the ocean.
May we dance again so I can pretend we're dancing for the first time. Because when we danced for the first time I was so nervous.
Please dance with me again, as I want to feel that sweet, sweet nervousness once more that makes my heart race.
I could hardly stay on my feet. My felicity must not have been very discreet.
When we danced previously, I had trouble keeping my balance since I was overjoyed, and I fear I may have looked silly in that moment.
Will you give me your hand so I can pretend I'm holding it for the first time? Let's do everything for the first time forever.
Take my hand again, as if we're meeting for the first time, and let's make every moment feel like the first one, forever and ever.
And if forever you are my friend I'll never ever feel unhappy again.
As long as you're in my life, whether as a friend or romantic partner, I know true joy and happiness and won't be able to envision anything else since you're such an integral part of my world.
You are a miracle like Hanze Cercheek transposing scores by Satie on the beak of an inimical red breasted lark.
Like Hanze, who creates beauty where it may seem impossible, you too are miraculous, turning even the most painful situations into something hopeful and bright like a musical score on the beak of a bird who seems hostile and unwelcoming.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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