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.
Mingusings
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I the assassinated candidate
I feel like an accidental species
Some mutant love-child, never meant to be
No motion dancing, feel like we're an impossibility
Trying to keep the heart and the head but I was so down on the closing light
Couldn't even fake a smile, wanted to fire all my friends
And just start over again
[Repeat: x2]
Sister tells you No, our shit is only gonna get better
I'll let ya know let ya know let ya know
I feel like the last time is gonna be
My final collapse
I know from past experience
He never takes it easy on his regals
And you'll become a foreign substance lying in your familiar bed
Technology makes such an ugly mother
But no license does it offer only chaos scenarios
And the dream that we've been having look just like numbers
Still they love you at the office cause you the ban subject of countless masturbation fantasies
The lyrics of Mingusings by of Montreal are a representation of the feelings of the singer towards the person they are addressing in the song. The song opens with the singer expressing their wish that the person they address was not so paranoid and that they did not feel like the assassinated candidate. The singer then goes on to talk about feeling like an accidental species or a mutant love-child, suggesting that their relationship is one that was not meant to be. The lack of motion in their dancing and their impossibility hints at their inability to connect beyond the physical realm of their relationship, and the singer's conflict between their heart and head shows the dread they feel about the closing night, which represents their relationship's end. They cannot even fake a smile, and they want to start over again by firing all their friends.
The second verse of the song continues in the same vein, with the singer's sister providing them with some hope that their situation might improve, but the singer believes this might be their final collapse. The singer then takes on a critical tone towards technology, painting it as an ugly mother that brings about chaos scenarios without offering any license. The chaos that technology brings makes the dream that they have been having look like numbers. Despite this, the singer acknowledges that the person they address at the office is a subject of countless masturbation fantasies, which speaks to their attractiveness in the physical realm. The lyrics of this song describe the struggles that the singer faces as they navigate a relationship that is not fulfilling, and they are unable to connect with the person they are addressing emotionally.
Line by Line Meaning
Boy I wish you weren't such a paranoid actress
I wish you were confident and less worried about everything, like a happy-go-lucky person
And I the assassinated candidate
I feel like I am always losing or failing, like a candidate who lost the election
I feel like an accidental species
I feel like I don't fit in and belong in this world, like a species that was created by accident during evolution
Some mutant love-child, never meant to be
I feel like a mistake or anomaly, like a child born of a forbidden love or a genetic mutation
No motion dancing, feel like we're an impossibility
Our relationship or situation seems impossible and stagnant, like a dance with no rhythm or movement
Trying to keep the heart and the head but I was so down on the closing light
I am struggling to balance my emotions and rationality, but I am losing hope and optimism
Couldn't even fake a smile, wanted to fire all my friends
I couldn't pretend to be happy anymore, and I felt like cutting off everyone in my life
Sister tells you No, our shit is only gonna get better
My sister reminds me that things will improve and we will overcome this
I'll let ya know let ya know let ya know
I will keep you informed and updated on our progress
I feel like the last time is gonna be
I have a premonition or feeling that this is the end or the final chance
My final collapse
I fear that I will fall apart or give up completely
I know from past experience
I have learned from previous situations and can predict the outcome
He never takes it easy on his regals
He is always harsh or strict with his subordinates or followers
And you'll become a foreign substance lying in your familiar bed
You will feel out of place and uncomfortable in your own home and routine
Technology makes such an ugly mother
Modern advancements and devices can have negative consequences and side effects
But no license does it offer only chaos scenarios
These innovations don't come with guarantees or instructions, and can lead to confusion or turmoil
And the dream that we've been having look just like numbers
The hope or vision we had now seems like a meaningless or insignificant statistic
Still they love you at the office cause you the ban subject of countless masturbation fantasies
Despite the work environment being inappropriate and unprofessional, you are still admired and desired by many colleagues
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thelingeringartist
im a kid who discovered of montreal a few months ago. Genuinely such a good band. wow.
@HyacinthMedium
Fr. What have you really liked so far?
@Snarlez
This has to be the best song I ever head... The music Change Is quick and sudden and goes from trippy to rock In no time with the typical Of Montreal oldie style in the middle of It all. Lyrics amazing as always...
@lwest68
I love David:) You are sooo there for Kevin:) and so on...
@ti3nt
wow you guys filmed some of this in Sydney Australia. Loved your gig at Melbourne, really hope to experience ur awesomeness sometime in the near future!
@moodyangel
been a while - still as good as i remembered
@pulpnoir0
I just want to listen to 0:52 - 1:08 on a loop sometimes. Such a pleasant sound.
@postmitotic2164
Il est bien ce petit morceau quand même !
@luismoraless7133
Is this the best video ever?
@orbital151
THAT WAS THE BEST!