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.
Suffer For Fashion
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know we suffer for fashion or whatever
We don't want these days to ever end
We just want to emasculate them forever
Forever, forever
Oh pretty sirens don't go flat
It's not supposed to happen like that
We've got to keep it physical
When our tele's are 6 hours away
Please call to say that you miss me, feel me or whatever
Vicissitudes are boxing our heads
Do they just want to emaciate them forever?
Forever, forever
Now pretty sirens don't go flat
It's not supposed to happen like that
Not like that, not like that
We've got to keep our little click clicking at
130 B.P.M., it's not too slow
If we got to burn out, let's do it together
Let's all melt down together
Together, let's go together
Let's do it together, let's go together
Forever, forever
Now pretty sirens don't go flat
It's not supposed to happen like that
Not like that, not like that
We've got to keep our little click clicking at
130 B.P.M., it's not too slow
If we got to burn out, let's do it together
Let's all melt down together
Together, let's go together
Let's do it together, let's go together
The lyrics to of Montreal's "Suffer For Fashion" might sound like they are about fashion and style, but it actually speaks to the idea of youth and living life to the fullest. The chorus "We just want to emote 'til we're dead" suggests the desire to experience and feel everything life has to offer. The lines "We don't want these days to ever end" and "Forever, forever" display an endless desire to keep going and never stop experiencing life. The metaphor of pretty sirens going flat implies that even beautiful and desirable things can become dull and lose their shine.
The second verse touches on the use of technology to stay connected, but also how it can distance people from each other. Vicissitudes (meaning change or difficulties in life) are boxing their heads, and it's unclear whether they want to stop feeling the changes or continue to embrace them. The repetition of "forever, forever" emphasizes the desire to never stop living life to the fullest. The final verse encourages a fast-paced, intense lifestyle, even if it means burning out in the end. The repeated phrase "let's do it together" highlights the importance of community and shared experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
We just want to emote 'til we're dead
We want to express our emotions and feelings until we die.
I know we suffer for fashion or whatever
I understand that we endure hardship and discomfort in the name of fashion, or anything else for that matter.
We don't want these days to ever end
We want to prolong and savor these moments indefinitely.
We just want to emasculate them forever
We aspire to render them powerless and insignificant forever.
Forever, forever
This desire is everlasting and unchanging.
Oh pretty sirens don't go flat
Don't become boring and monotonous, alluring creatures.
It's not supposed to happen like that
This is not how things are meant to be, according to our expectations.
We've got to keep it physical
We need to maintain a tangible and corporeal presence and experience.
When our tele's are 6 hours away
When our televisions are miles and time zones apart.
Please call to say that you miss me, feel me or whatever
Please reach out and communicate that you long for my presence or desire an emotional or physical connection.
Vicissitudes are boxing our heads
Changes and challenges are bewildering and overwhelming us.
Do they just want to emaciate them forever?
Are these difficulties determined to weaken and exhaust us perpetually?
Now pretty sirens don't go flat
Once again, don't become dull and uninspiring, enticing beings.
We've got to keep our little click clicking at 130 B.P.M., it's not too slow
We must maintain a fast and upbeat rhythm of life, not slowing down or losing energy.
If we got to burn out, let's do it together
If we must experience total exhaustion and depletion, let's do it collectively.
Let's all melt down together
Let's disintegrate and dissolve simultaneously.
Together, let's go together
We should stay united and connected in this journey.
Let's do it together, let's go together
Once again, let's act in unison and stay together through this experience.
Forever, forever
This desire remains perpetual and unchanging.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@honeybun9077
LYRICS
[Verse 1]
We just want to emote 'til we're dead I know we suffer for fashion or whatever
We don't want these days to ever end
We just want to emasculate them forever
[Hook]
Forever, forever
Oh, pretty sirens don't go flat
It's not supposed to happen like that
Not like that
Not like that
We've got to keep it physical
[Verse 2]
When our tele's are six hours away
Please call to say that you miss me, feel me or whatever
Vicissitudes are boxing our heads
Like they just want to emaciate them forever
[Hook]
Forever, forever
Oh, pretty sirens don't go flat
It's not supposed to happen like that
Not like that
Not like that
[Bridge]
We've got to keep our little clique clicking at 130 b.p.m. it's not too slow
If we've got to burn out, let's do it together
Let's all melt down together
Together
Let's go together
Let's do it together
Let's go together
[Hook]
Forever, forever
Oh, pretty sirens don't go flat
It's not supposed to happen like that
Not like that
Not like that
[Bridge]
We've got to keep our little clique clicking at 130 b.p.m. it's not too slow
If we've got to burn out, let's do it together
Let's all melt down together
Together
Let's go together
Let's do it together
Let's go together
@DarylSebastianGonzagaJr
During a live, Kevin smiled at me during this song! Ever since, I have been star struck and my knees feel mighty weak when listening to this song.
@BlackBitsBananas
I saw this live too. I just want to dance every time I hear this. Just beyond epic
@moonflame1170
"We just wanna emote till we're dead" is such a powerful opening line wtf
@foreverendeavor7383
It’s crazy to me that Kevin Barnes hasn’t gotten 1/10 of the recognition I feel he deserves..
@hippiecheezburger5457
They are very indie like ya know, but for all of the output of music they have, a lot of it is just so scattered but melodic, they have this style. Kevin Barnes is very talented but for some reason I classify music being indie especially if it seems like it won’t be remembered whatsoever, doesnt mean it’s not good
@medotaku9360
Who?
@AdaptiveApeHybrid
David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Kevin Barnes will always be my legends
@jeffstaz8582
Back in the day circa 07 my friends had a band that was not at the time called "By the end of tonight" I had billing with them on there albums for small things. And Kevin Barnes was a fan and did the DJ position for a SXSW show with the legendary band Owls and by the end of tonight. When I met Kevin he was so down to earth and happy to meet the people involved with the band he liked (my friends band) he shared all his albums with us on iTunes. The show was epic. The day was epic.
@laurilahtinen307
His basslines are ON POINT all the time, especially on this one and Gallery Piece, wish I could write as good as he xd
@matthewmaurysmith2486
Kevin Barnes = genius bassist - awesome drummer - amazing songwriter - live performer extraordinaire - one of the best lyricists ever - great arranger - kick ass songwriter - and I would ay a pretty decent guitarist.