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.
Like a Tourist
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought you were pretty good
I'm so happy that you're doing what you want to
You go to your favorite dark place
Think about the auto-da-fe
Unicorns eating baby meat
There's a dragon rape if you want one
Smoke hood Melion
Female erection
(She was the archetype)
You fetishize the archetype
Don't treat me like a tourist
Let's stay high on a negative wave
And paint it black just like the good times
Don't treat me like a tourist
Let's stay high
They break our hearts like its our birthdays
Soak us in animal blood
I want somebody to frisk me
I want this night to distort me
But I didn't come here just to see you dancing
No, I do admire your heart
Or try to cure your androphobic heart
Anyways I've crippled inside
Don't treat me like a tourist
Let's stay high on a negative wave
And paint it black just like the good times
Don't treat me like a tourist
Let's stay warm, lights a new
And paint is put in our hand again
When we were passengers
Don't treat me like a tourist
Lets stay high
They break our hearts like its our birthdays
Soak us in animal blood
The lyrics of "Like a Tourist", a song by of Montreal, are characterized by a mix of disturbing and surreal elements that reflect the perspective of someone who feels like an outsider or a tourist in a social landscape that seems to be full of violence, fetishism, and psychological manipulation. The first lines of the song suggest a sense of admiration for someone who is able to pursue their dreams and display their talents, but also a sense of distance and detachment from the spotlight that surrounds them. The use of the second person ("you") creates a sense of intimacy and familiarity, but also a sense of estrangement and voyeurism.
As the song progresses, the imagery becomes more bizarre and disturbing, with references to dark places, auto-da-fe (a form of religious persecution), unicorns eating baby meat, dragons raping, and female erections. These elements suggest a world that is both fantastical and grotesque, where the boundaries between reality and fantasy are blurred and the norms of society are subverted. The use of archetypes and fetishes reinforces the idea that the singer is trying to make sense of a world that is alien and confusing.
The chorus of the song takes a different tone, with a call to reject the role of a tourist and embrace a negative and nihilistic view of the world. The lines "And paint it black just like the good times" and "They break our hearts like it's our birthdays/ Soak us in animal blood" suggest a desire to rebel against the forces that oppress and control us, and a willingness to embrace violence and chaos as a way to assert our identity.
Overall, "Like a Tourist" is a challenging and provocative song that evokes a sense of unease and disorientation, while also inviting us to embrace our dark side and reject the norms of society. It is a testament to the creativity and vision of of Montreal, a band that has consistently pushed the boundaries of indie rock and explored the depths of the human psyche.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw your movie tonight
I recently watched your film and enjoyed it
I thought you were pretty good
I believe that you are a talented actor/actress
I'm so happy that you're doing what you want to
I am pleased that you are pursuing your dream
You go to your favorite dark place
You retreat to your favored mental space
Think about the auto-da-fe
You ponder the history of religious punishment
Unicorns eating baby meat
A peculiar and unsettling image of fantasy creatures consuming human offspring
There's a dragon rape if you want one
A crude and disturbing reference to a near-mythical act of sexual assault
(One's the loneliest number)
An allusion to a pop culture reference and emotion of loneliness
Smoke hood Melion
Possibly referencing a person or a drug-induced vision
Female erection
A biological phenomenon and play on the concept of gender
(She was the archetype)
A reference to a particular female exemplar
You fetishize the archetype
You are sexually or emotionally attracted to that archetype
Don't treat me like a tourist
Do not treat me like an outsider or a temporary observer
Let's stay high on a negative wave
Let us remain in a state of pessimism or melancholy
And paint it black just like the good times
Imbue our experiences with a dark color reminiscent of positive memories
They break our hearts like its our birthdays
People hurt us emotionally as if it were a joyous occasion
Soak us in animal blood
A strange and morbid scenario where we are drenched in the blood of innocent creatures
I want somebody to frisk me
I crave a physical search or pat-down
I want this night to distort me
I desire this evening to disrupt or alter my perception and well-being
But I didn't come here just to see you dancing
My purpose for being here was not solely to observe you move rhythmically
No, I do admire your heart
Rather, I appreciate your inner qualities and compassion
Or try to cure your androphobic heart
I may attempt to heal the fear or aversion you have towards men
Anyways I've crippled inside
Despite my intentions and desires, I feel emotionally drained and weakened
Let's stay warm, lights a new
Let us remain comfortable and illuminated by novelty
And paint is put in our hand again
We are given another chance to create, express, and influence
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sea Tea Party
HIS VOICE IS GODLY I LOVE WHEN HE SINGS DONT TREAT ME LIKE A TOURIST what a heckin jam!!
Lucius Jamal Greye
I know...
Lucius Jamal Greye
I cry because of Kevin Barnes being such a genius.
AraMediaLuna
this might be my favorite song from False Priest
Christopher Gagnon
Definitely my fav of montreal song
SirHumphreyGilbert
Somebody had left a comment for the song "Godly Intersex" about how the vocals are stunning and special. I would have to agree for this song too! Loving the chorus effects!
Jason Martin
Wow. This song can just play on a loop as far as I'm concerned.
thefloorislava
Being in the music video for this song would complete my life.
Pauley H
best album hands down
Kendra Chapman
love this.