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.
Sirens of Your Toxic Spirit
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Remembered past is insanity
And the clatter
Misapprehensions are
Killing you but not
Fast enough to really matter
Is flooded with sorrow and
Poisons everybody near it
I'm not a patron of yours anymore
Don't want to hear it
The sirens of your toxic spirit
Of your addictions and shiftingness
Inherited from your father
I know you struggle to keep them in check
But at this point why even bother
The flume of your struggle
Is flooded with sorrow and
Stifles everybody near it
I'm not a patron of yours anymore
Don't want to hear it
The sirens of your toxic spirit
What friendships you have left
Do not derive from love
They're just a warped form of charity
I've wounded you and you've wounded you too
At least we can feel good about the parity
The flume of your struggle
Is flooded with sorrow and
Stifles everybody near it
I'm not a patron of yours anymore
Don't want to hear it
The sirens of your toxic spirit
The lyrics of "Sirens of Your Toxic Spirit" by Of Montreal describe a toxic relationship with someone who is struggling with addiction and inherited shifting behavior from their father. The singer is no longer a patron of the person and does not want to hear about their struggles and toxic spirit anymore. The memories of the past are insane and there is a constant clatter in the relationship. Misunderstandings are causing harm but not enough to matter. The struggle is filled with sorrow and poisons those around it. The friendships left are not based on love but a warped form of charity. Both parties have wounded each other but at least there is parity.
The lyrics suggest a turbulent relationship where the singer is trying to distance themselves from someone who they once cared about deeply. The toxic and addictive behaviors of the other person have become too much to handle and the singer can no longer deal with the constant negativity and harm caused to those around them. The song is both a commentary on toxic relationships and the difficulty of dealing with addiction and shifting behaviors passed down from one's family.
Line by Line Meaning
What I recall
My memories of you
Remembered past is insanity
My past experiences with you were irrational
And the clatter
The noise of our disagreements
Misapprehensions are
Your misunderstandings are
Killing you but not
Harming you but not
Fast enough to really matter
Significantly impacting you
The flume of your struggle
Your efforts to overcome your issues
Is flooded with sorrow and
Are filled with sadness and
Poisons everybody near it
Negatively affecting those around you
I'm not a patron of yours anymore
I'm no longer supporting you
Don't want to hear it
I don't want to listen to your problems anymore
The sirens of your toxic spirit
The warning signs of your harmful behavior
Of your addictions and shiftingness
Your substance abuse and inconsistent behavior
Inherited from your father
Passed down from your dad
I know you struggle to keep them in check
You try to manage them
But at this point why even bother
Is it even worth trying anymore?
What friendships you have left
The few relationships you still have
Do not derive from love
Are not based on genuine affection
They're just a warped form of charity
People help you out of pity
I've wounded you and you've wounded you too
We've both hurt each other
At least we can feel good about the parity
We're even now
Stifles everybody near it
Affects everyone around you negatively
Lyrics © BUG MUSIC
Written by: Kevin Barnes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Crystal Beth
What I recall
Remembered past is insanity
And the clatter
Misapprehensions are
Killing you but not
Fast enough to really matter
The flume of your struggle
Is flooded with sorrow and
Poisons everybody near it
I'm not a patron of yours anymore
Don't want to hear it
The sirens of your toxic spirit
Of your addictions and shiftingness
Inherited from your father
I know you struggle to keep them in check
But at this point why even bother
The flume of your struggle
Is flooded with sorrow and
Stifles everybody near it
I'm not a patron of yours anymore
Don't want to hear it
The sirens of your toxic spirit
What friendships you have left
Do not derive from love
They're just a warped form of charity
I've wounded you and you've wounded you too
At least we can feel good about the parity
The flume of your struggle
Is flooded with sorrow and
Stifles everybody near it
I'm not a patron of yours anymore
Don't want to hear it
The sirens of your toxic spirit
grannyslime
i can't listen to this song without crying anymore. i used to have a friend who loves this band, and who showed me this song, which i ended up really loving, before we got into a horrible fight that destroyed our relationship. whenever i hear this song, all i think now is that this is what he must think of me, and to a degree, it really sums up why he left. it really hurts, but this song still means a lot to me. maybe one day, it'll stop hurting so much.
Josh 🏳️🌈
The fuck, I'm going through the exact same situation. Just makes me feel even more how badly I fucked up as a friend.
Hi I'm Kara Rae Ophelia
Maybe one day you two can see it through. Sounds cliche, but it helps to be forgiving. I hope the best for you two. Be well. <3
Crystal Beth
What I recall
Remembered past is insanity
And the clatter
Misapprehensions are
Killing you but not
Fast enough to really matter
The flume of your struggle
Is flooded with sorrow and
Poisons everybody near it
I'm not a patron of yours anymore
Don't want to hear it
The sirens of your toxic spirit
Of your addictions and shiftingness
Inherited from your father
I know you struggle to keep them in check
But at this point why even bother
The flume of your struggle
Is flooded with sorrow and
Stifles everybody near it
I'm not a patron of yours anymore
Don't want to hear it
The sirens of your toxic spirit
What friendships you have left
Do not derive from love
They're just a warped form of charity
I've wounded you and you've wounded you too
At least we can feel good about the parity
The flume of your struggle
Is flooded with sorrow and
Stifles everybody near it
I'm not a patron of yours anymore
Don't want to hear it
The sirens of your toxic spirit
Miriam Nyakeri
“What friendships you have left do not derive from love,they’re just some warped form of charity.”
Cody Indigo
If I was the person who influenced this song I would be so depressed.
Aline Bessa
Hits toooo close to home.
sanangel
Verse melody is nearly a direct lift from Josh Rouse's "Sweetie."
kyle whitehead
Obsessed with this song
ben afrin
This song makes me think of what I think people think of me...