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.
Sex Karma
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your sex karma must be good
Because I'm funny for you
Ain't nobody do me better
When you hit me I'm a cloud
Baby I'm a cloud
With you it's strange electronic reactions
Yeah
I know that you want to swing
Run and touch my everything
Because I look like a playground to you, playa
Close your eyes and count to three
I'll kiss you where I shouldn't be
Because you look like a playground to me, playa
You are my only luxury item
Anyone try to steal you, I'll fight them
Let's go play some hide and seek
I know you are a little freak
You look like a playground to me, playa
Yeah
I was afraid to call you up
Because you were really hard
To fly on our first try
Try, try, try, try, try
You took me centuries to master
In the next life I will have to learn you faster
I'm not a diamond so you'll flatter
'Cause we're not slaves to physical matter
I know that you want to swing
Run and touch my everything
Because I look like a playground to you, playa
Close your eyes and count to three
I'll kiss you where I shouldn't be
Because you look like a playground to me, playa
You are my only luxury item
Anyone tries to steal you, I'll fight them
Let's go play some hide and seek
I know you are a little freak
You look like a playground to me, playa
Yeah
You look like a playground to me
You look like a playground to me
You look like a playground to me
You look like a playground to me, to me
You look like a playground to me
You look like a playground to me
Close your eyes and count to three
I'll kiss you where I shouldn't be
The lyrics of "Sex Karma" by of Montreal convey a sense of playfulness and sexual exploration. The first stanza suggests that the singer and their partner are progressing in their relationship, with the implication that good sexual chemistry is helping to propel this growth. "Your sex karma must be good/Because I'm funny for you" suggests that the partner is bringing out a fun, amusing side of the singer that was not apparent before.
The second stanza has a more surreal, abstract quality to it. The singer describes how their power is "flickering" but with their partner, they experience "strange electronic reactions." This could be a metaphor for the unpredictable, volatile nature of their connection. The chorus repeats the idea that the singer's partner looks like a playground to them, implying that this person is a source of excitement and pleasure that they want to explore and enjoy.
The bridge of the song introduces the idea that the singer is protective of their partner, describing them as a "luxury item" that they will fight to keep. The final stanza brings back the metaphor of the partner being a playground and ends with the repeated line "You look like a playground to me." This reinforces the idea that the relationship is a source of fun and exploration.
Line by Line Meaning
I believe we're moving on up
I think our relationship is progressing well
Your sex karma must be good
Your sexual energy must be working in our favor
Because I'm funny for you
Because you find me amusing
Ain't nobody do me better
No one satisfies me like you do
When you hit me I'm a cloud
When we're intimate, I feel light and euphoric
Baby I'm a cloud
I feel weightless and happy when we're together
I feel my power is flickering
I feel uncertain or unstable
With you it's strange electronic reactions
My feelings for you are intense and unpredictable
I know that you want to swing
I know you're attracted to me and want to explore our chemistry
Run and touch my everything
You're curious about every part of me
Because I look like a playground to you, playa
Because you see me as a fun and exciting person to be with
Close your eyes and count to three
Trust me and let me take control
I'll kiss you where I shouldn't be
I'll explore and push boundaries with you
You are my only luxury item
You're the only thing I need to be happy
Anyone try to steal you, I'll fight them
I'll do everything in my power to keep you in my life
Let's go play some hide and seek
Let's have some fun and be playful together
I know you are a little freak
I know you're interested in exploring unconventional sexual experiences
You look like a playground to me, playa
You seem like a fun and adventurous partner to me
I was afraid to call you up
I was nervous about reaching out to you
Because you were really hard
Because you were difficult to approach or understand at first
To fly on our first try
To successfully connect and have a positive experience on our first date
You took me centuries to master
It took me a long time to understand and connect with you
In the next life I will have to learn you faster
If we were to meet again in a future life, I want to connect with you more quickly
I'm not a diamond so you'll flatter
I'm not perfect, but you still appreciate me and make me feel good about myself
'Cause we're not slaves to physical matter
Our connection is about more than just our physical bodies
You look like a playground to me
You seem like a fun and adventurous partner to me
You look like a playground to me, to me
You seem like a fun and adventurous partner to me, and I feel strongly about it
You look like a playground to me
You seem like a fun and adventurous partner to me
Close your eyes and count to three
Trust me and let me take control
I'll kiss you where I shouldn't be
I'll explore and push boundaries with you
You are my only luxury item
You're the only thing I need to be happy
Anyone tries to steal you, I'll fight them
I'll do everything in my power to keep you in my life
Let's go play some hide and seek
Let's have some fun and be playful together
I know you are a little freak
I know you're interested in exploring unconventional sexual experiences
You look like a playground to me, playa
You seem like a fun and adventurous partner to me
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cloverneko
I LOVE that Kev's falsetto is higher than Solange, such an amazing harmony
@etphone
me2
@doccolour
Such an enchanting video... can't seem to stop watching it. And Solange is so gorgeous and captivating. The whole video is so different and cool, love both their voices singing together... should have gotten way more hits and likes.
@crappybassist96
The band sounds great here, and Kevin and Solange were on point vocally. Great performance. Also, dance moves.
@NotoriousNME
this should have 1.5 million views, not 1.5k...
@bonniewithbeer
One of my favourite Pitchfork series!
@FreeBlurr
Solange has such a cute voice. And oM <3
@erllaw
i think this is now my favorite video of all time
@VintageStrawberry85
Glad this is finally up!
@etphone
tão tão bom aff <3