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.
The Frozen Island
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will anke you there with me
No more ridicule no more grief
They can't reach as out at sea think how happy we will be.
We loved their waxy faces but there wasn't any life below.
There wasn't any life there wasn't any life
There wasn't any life under their wax exteriors.
Would you like another coconut I think there's one defrosting in our hut.
Though the weathers quite inclement
And when there's snow storms I can't see my shoes.
I'm still glad I'm here with you.
There's funny animals with beards
And all of the fishes are see through
The skunks have noses like cazoos.
I like it here I like it here I like it here I like it here
I like it here I like it here. I like it here I like it here
I like it here I like it here I like it here I like it here.
I like it here I like it here I like it here I like it here I like it.
We climbed for hours and days and years
And centuries the islands sole lonely mountain
Until we were high enough to see the otters wearing monogrammed feces
By a large and noisy donkey mole regime
The Frozen Island by of Montreal is a whimsical and lighthearted song about escaping to a magical island to live happily ever after. The singer is inviting someone to the island, promising an end to ridicule and grief, as they won't be able to reach them out at sea. The verses describe the island's charms, like funny animals with beards and fish that are see-through. The chorus repeats, "I like it here," reinforcing the idea that the island is a sanctuary where they can forget their troubles and just enjoy their surroundings.
The lyrics take a surreal turn in the second half of the song, with the singer describing climbing a mountain on the island for centuries until they reach a bizarre scene: otters wearing monogrammed feces and a "large and noisy donkey mole regime." This sudden shift in tone highlights the dreamlike quality of the song - the island is a place where anything can happen, where the laws of reality don't apply. It also underscores the idea that the outside world, with its ridicule and grief, is best left behind.
Overall, The Frozen Island is a playful and imaginative song that encourages listeners to indulge in fantasy and forget their troubles. It celebrates the power of escapism and the joys of creating one's own magical world.
Line by Line Meaning
On a charming and frozen magical island far out at sea.
We are on a beautiful island in the middle of the ocean, which is both delightful and full of snow.
I will take you there with me.
I will bring you here with me, and we can enjoy the island together.
No more ridicule no more grief.
We left our troubles and heartaches behind and can now enjoy peace and happiness.
They can't reach as out at sea think how happy we will be.
Being far away from everyone else on this island is a wonderful feeling, and we can live in bliss.
We loved their waxy faces but there wasn't any life below.
Though we were attracted by others, they were all superficial since there was no substance beneath their shell.
There wasn't any life there wasn't any life.
The surface of all those we were surrounded by had no real vitality or depth.
There wasn't any life under their wax exteriors.
Those we met had nothing inside, and all their external appearances were simply a facade.
Would you like another coconut I think there's one defrosting in our hut.
Let me offer you another drink and show you that I care about you.
Though the weather's quite inclement.
Despite the harsh weather conditions on this island.
And when there's snow storms I can't see my shoes.
During heavy snowfall, it's hard to see where you're walking.
I'm still glad I'm here with you.
Nevertheless, I'm happy to be on this island with you.
There's funny animals with beards.
We encounter peculiar creatures with lengthy facial hair.
And all of the fishes are see through.
The fish surrounding this island is translucent, which means we can see their insides.
The skunks have noses like cazoos.
The skunks we see have noses that sound like a kazoo when touched.
I like it here I like it here I like it here I like it hereI like it here I like it here.I like it here I like it here.I like it here I like it here.I like it here I like it here I like it hereI like it.
This island is so beautiful and alluring that I cannot help repeating again and again how much I am enjoying our time here.
We climbed for hours and days and years And centuries the islands sole lonely mountain
We climbed for what seemed like an eternity to reach the single, deserted mountain on this island.
Until we were high enough to see the otters wearing monogrammed feces.
We climbed so high that we could observe otters sporting designated symbols on their fecal matter.
By a large and noisy donkey mole regime.
These otters were being controlled by a lead donkey or mole government, which was significantly vocal and loud.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@FreedomDaveX
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@AliceYobby
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@basscataz
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@TUAMAEPRODUCOES
This need more views! D: