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.
Our Riotous Defects
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're such a crazy girl
And I don't know why
I even try
To make you love me
I want it, babe
But you are just a, crazy girl
You are so crazy girl
I even try
To help you (can't help you, can't help you)
When I first met you at that Al-Anon meeting
And you made that reference to
"All your goodies are gone"
And even sang a verse
I was amazed how husky your singing voice was
I wanted to talk to you so badly, but
I didn't know how to come on because
You got that kind of beauty that makes people nervous
I know it's fucked, but before we got together
I even hooked up with one of your cousins
Just to feel somehow closer to you
Because I knew, like, you guys were best friends
And you talked every day
And it was thrilling to touch something that had touched you
In my head, you were like this goddess
But in fact, you're just a
Crazy girl
You're just a crazy girl
I don't know why
I even try
To understand you (can't stand you, can't stand you)
Your ass is crazy girl, yeah
You are so crazy girl
And I don't know why
I even try
To relate to you (can't wait for you, it's too late for you)
Yeah
My god, I should've realized
On our second date
When you dragged me into the bathroom at Tameka's house
And screamed at me for like twenty minutes
Because I had contradicted you in front of your friends
I was like, "Oh!"
And then later that night, at my apartment
As punishment, you killed my betta fish
You just threw it out the window
I did everything I could to make you happy
I participated in all your protests
Supported your stupid little blog
Got a Bowflex
Wore colored contacts to match your dresses
Whatever your eyes caught, I bought
Still we fought
Like Ike and Tina, but in reverse
Because you're so
Crazy girl
You're just to crazy girl
And I don't know why
I even try
To understand you (oh no)
Well, I think you're crazy girl
Yeah, you are so crazy girl
And I don't know why
I even try
To make sense of you (sense of you, sense of you)
Tell me why
Someone tell me why (why)
I should wait for you still (ooh ah, ooh ah)
Think
I was like crazy fan over you
Like I'm star struck over you
Like I'm getting handcuffed over you
"Our Riotous Defects" by of Montreal is a song that sheds light on the woes of being in a relationship with someone who has a mental illness. The artist seems to be addressing his lover directly, acknowledging her craziness and admitting his struggle in dealing with her. The song opens with the artist calling his lover a crazy girl and expressing his confusion about why he tries to make her love him when she emanates a clear streak of madness. The artist then narrates how he met his lover at an Al-Anon meeting, which shows her underlying issue. He describes her voice as husky and alluring, admitting he was scared to approach her initially because of her beauty, which makes people nervous.
The lyrics suggest that the artist has tried to connect with his lover in different ways, such as participating in protests and supporting her blog. Despite this, they still fight incessantly, which he compares to the abusive relationship between Ike and Tina Turner, although in reverse. The lyrics show that he tried to do everything he could to make her happy, but she remained unreasonable and difficult to deal with. The artist’s tone is empathetic, and he appears to urge his lover to get the help they require to improve their mental health.
Line by Line Meaning
You are such a crazy girl
The person being addressed is considered to be an irrational and erratic individual
You're such a crazy girl
The person being addressed is reiterated in a colloquial manner
And I don't know why
The singer is uncertain about their reasons for pursuing a relationship with the person being addressed
I even try
Despite the challenges in the relationship, the artist continues to make an effort to connect with the person being addressed
To make you love me
The artist desires affection and emotional intimacy from the person being addressed
I want it, babe
Affirmation of the singer's intense longing for the person being addressed
But you are just a, crazy girl
The singer reiterates that the person being addressed is irrational and unpredictable in their behavior
I don't know why
The artist is still uncertain about the rationality of their own desire to be with the person being addressed
To help you (can't help you, can't help you)
The artist recognizes that the person being addressed requires assistance, but is unable to provide it due to their volatile nature
When I first met you at that Al-Anon meeting
The artist recalls their initial encounter with the person being addressed at a support group for people affected by someone else's addiction
And you made that reference to
The person being addressed made a statement or allusion that stayed in the singer's memory
"All your goodies are gone"
The person being addressed used a phrase that implies loss or deprivation
And even sang a verse
The person being addressed expressed their thoughts or feelings with a musical performance
I was amazed how husky your singing voice was
The singer was impressed by a particular trait of the person being addressed
I wanted to talk to you so badly, but
The singer experienced a desire to communicate with the person being addressed, but struggled to initiate conversation
I didn't know how to come on because
The artist was hesitant to approach the person being addressed due to uncertainty about the appropriate tone or manner
You got that kind of beauty that makes people nervous
The artist perceives the person being addressed as possessing an aura of attractiveness that is intimidating or unsettling
I know it's fucked, but before we got together
The singer acknowledges that their behavior was inappropriate or shameful
I even hooked up with one of your cousins
The singer engaged in sexual activity with a relative of the person being addressed
Just to feel somehow closer to you
The artist engaged in the aforementioned behavior in order to create a sense of proximity or intimacy with the person being addressed
Because I knew, like, you guys were best friends
The artist was aware of a close relationship between the person being addressed and their relative, which may have been a motivating factor for their actions
And you talked every day
The person being addressed has a close and frequent communication with the aforementioned relative of the artist
And it was thrilling to touch something that had touched you
The singer derives pleasure from the notion of physical connection with an object or entity related in some way to the person being addressed
In my head, you were like this goddess
The artist crafted an idealized mental image of the person being addressed, emphasizing their beauty or perceived perfection
But in fact, you're just a
The singer reveals that their perception of the person being addressed was flawed or unrealistic
Your ass is crazy girl, yeah
The person being addressed is characterized once more as being irrational or unstable in a humorous or colloquial tone
And I don't know why
The singer reiterates their confusion about their continued pursuit of a relationship with the person being addressed
I even try
The artist expresses the persistent nature of their attempt to connect with the person being addressed despite the difficulties they face
To relate to you (can't wait for you, it's too late for you)
The artist is unable to relate to the person being addressed or waits for them no longer
Well, I think you're crazy girl
The singer confirms their perception of the person being addressed as being irrational or unpredictable
And I don't know why
The singer repeats their own uncertainty about their reasons for wanting a relationship with the person being addressed
I even try
The artist is determined to continue trying to understand the person being addressed despite their perceived madness
To make sense of you (sense of you, sense of you)
The artist seeks to comprehend the behavior and thought patterns of the person being addressed
Tell me why
The artist poses a rhetorical question, expressing confusion or frustration about the situation
Someone tell me why (why)
The singer implores for an explanation from someone else regarding the challenges of the relationship
I should wait for you still (ooh ah, ooh ah)
The artist debates whether or not they should continue waiting for the person being addressed despite the difficulties they face, expressed through onomatopoeia
Think
The singer concludes the song with a brief, contemplative statement
I was like crazy fan over you
The singer describes an intense infatuation with the person being addressed, indicating that their feelings are motivated by a sense of admiration or hero worship
Like I'm star struck over you
The singer employs a metaphor comparing their admiration for the person being addressed to the awe and fascination one experiences in the presence of a celebrity
Like I'm getting handcuffed over you
The artist employs another metaphor comparing their attraction to the person being addressed to the restraint and loss of control associated with being arrested
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind