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 Party's Crashing Us
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just want to stand and stare
Nibble on your ear
And smell the ocean in your hair (Ocean in your hair, ocean in your hair)
I know you damage me
You leave me tangled in a knot (Oh-oh-oh-oh)
But when you reappear
I see Neptunian blues that eyes forgot (Eyes forgot)
Still, I only feel alive when the VU is flashing
Alarms going off in my head
I want to grab you and just kiss you
Maybe I should sit down
No sense in cashing us now
Yeah, I only feel all right when the VU is flashing
And bombs going off in my head
I want to grab you, want to scream at you, no icing me down
The party's crashing us now
The party's crashing us now
Oh, well, we made love
Like a pair of black wizards
You freed me from the past
You fucked the suburbs out of me (The suburbs out of me)
And all those ugly days
That made us so sick (Oh-oh-oh-oh)
They are just fossils now
We've learned the elevating trick (Elevating trick, elevating trick)
We've learned the elevating trick (Elevating trick, elevating trick)
Still, I only feel all right when the VU is flashing
Alarms going off in my head
I want to grab you and just kiss you
Maybe I should come down
No sense in cashing us now
Still, I only feel alive when the VU is flashing
And bombs going off in my head
I want to grab you, want to scream at you, no icing me down
The party's crashing us now
The party's crashing us now
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, oh-oh
I only feel all right when the VU is flashing
Alarms going off in my head
I want to grab you, want to scream at you, no icing me down
The party's crashing us now
I only feel all right when the VU is flashing
And bombs going off in my head
I want to grab you and just kiss you
Maybe I should come down
No sense in cashing us now
The party's crashing us now
The lyrics to of Montreal's song "The Party's Crashing Us" describe a relationship that is both alluring and destructive. The singer is drawn to their partner's mysteriousness and allure, but also recognizes that this person hurts them and leaves them tangled in emotional knots. Despite this, the singer feels most alive when they are together and when the "VU is flashing" - a reference to the bright lights of a mixer or soundboard. The singer wants to grab their partner, kiss them, and scream at them, but knows that the party they are at is crashing down around them and it is time to come back down to reality.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that the singer only feels all right when the VU is flashing and the bombs are going off in their head. This suggests a certain addiction to the rush that comes with being with this partner and the chaos that surrounds them. However, the singer also recognizes that there is no sense in "cashing us now" - in other words, taking things too far and risking everything.
Line by Line Meaning
You're such a mystery
I find you intriguing and hard to understand.
I just want to stand and stare
I am mesmerized by your presence and want to observe you.
Nibble on your ear
I desire physical intimacy with you, specifically kissing your ear.
And smell the ocean in your hair
I am drawn to your natural scent, which reminds me of the ocean.
I know you damage me
I understand that being with you can be emotionally harmful to me.
You leave me tangled in a knot
Being with you causes me to feel confused and overwhelmed.
But when you reappear
I am glad to see you again after a period of absence.
I see Neptunian blues that eyes forgot
Your appearance brings a refreshing and forgotten sense of melancholy or nostalgia.
Still, I only feel alive when the VU is flashing
I only feel fully alive when there is excitement and chaos around me, represented by the flashing VU lights.
Alarms going off in my head
My mind is racing with thoughts and feelings.
I want to grab you and just kiss you
I crave physical intimacy with you and want to express it through kissing.
Maybe I should sit down
I feel overwhelmed and need to relax.
No sense in cashing us now
We should not end our time together prematurely.
Yeah, I only feel all right when the VU is flashing
I am only content when there is chaos and excitement around me.
And bombs going off in my head
My thoughts and feelings are overwhelming and chaotic.
I want to scream at you, no icing me down
I am overcome with passion and desire and will not be cooled down easily.
The party's crashing us now
Our moment together is being interrupted and we must leave.
Oh, well, we made love
We were intimate physically and emotionally.
Like a pair of black wizards
Our love was intense and mysterious, like magic.
You freed me from the past
Being with you helped me let go of past pain and trauma.
You fucked the suburbs out of me
You helped me let go of conventional, boring aspects of myself and embrace a more adventurous lifestyle.
And all those ugly days
We have experienced difficult times together in the past.
That made us so sick
Those difficult times caused us both emotional pain.
They are just fossils now
Those difficult times are now distant memories that have lost their power over us.
We've learned the elevating trick
We have found ways to lift ourselves up and overcome difficult times together.
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, oh-oh
A non-verbal expression of emotion or sound effect.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@karkie2297
You're such a mystery
I just want to stand and stare
Nibble on your ear
And smell the ocean in your hair (Ocean in your hair, ocean in your hair)
I know you damage me
You leave me tangled in a knot (Oh-oh-oh-oh)
But when you reappear
I see Neptunian blues that eyes forgot (Eyes forgot)
Neptunian blues that eyes forgot (Blues that eyes forgot, eyes forgot)
Still, I only feel alive when the VU is flashing
Alarms going off in my head
I want to grab you and just kiss you
Maybe I should sit down
No sense in cashing us now
Yeah, I only feel all right when the VU is flashing
And bombs going off in my head
I want to grab you, want to scream at you, no icing me down
The party's crashing us now
The party's crashing us now
Oh, well, we made love
Like a pair of black wizards
You freed me from the past
You fucked the suburbs out of me (The suburbs out of me)
And all those ugly days
That made us so sick (Oh-oh-oh-oh)
They are just fossils now
We've learned the elevating trick (Elevating trick, elevating trick)
We've learned the elevating trick (Elevating trick, elevating trick)
Still, I only feel all right when the VU is flashing
Alarms going off in my head
I want to grab you and just kiss you
Maybe I should come down
No sense in cashing us now
Still, I only feel alive when the VU is flashing
And bombs going off in my head
I want to grab you, want to scream at you, no icing me down
The party's crashing us now
The party's crashing us now
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, oh-oh
I only feel all right when the VU is flashing
Alarms going off in my head
I want to grab you, want to scream at you, no icing me down
The party's crashing us now
I only feel all right when the VU is flashing
And bombs going off in my head
I want to grab you and just kiss you
Maybe I should come down
No sense in cashing us now
The party's crashing us now
@anonymousgenius5293
I had a best friend that meant the literally world to me and he was the funniest person ever and helped me so much mentally
I remember this was his favorite song and he would put it on speaker and we would obnoxiously dance to this song and spin around the room we were in and the world completely disappeared when this song came on, it was only us
Then he committed suicide and it completely broke me and I couldn’t even bring myself to go to the funeral, it took a long time for me to get over it but I eventually did, he would’ve wanted me to be happy anyways
When I was coping with the fact that he isn’t here anymore, I would put this song on and dance obnoxiously like we did multiple times, I felt okay for a good 3 minutes
Today marks the 1 year anniversary since he passed and I’m sitting here in my room, missing the fuck out of him while listening to this song :’)
I love and miss you so much Connor, words can’t explain how much I miss you 💙🖤 rest easy friend
@nodnoc
Hope you're doing ok.
@makaylasmanifestations
I hope you are well.
@ksochia12
RIP Connor <3
@DeFaulty101
Man. That's tragic and depressing and cinematic and beautiful all at once.
@jefp6954
Sending love
@takumyama
Wow!!! My college days still kept intact in this song! Now I'm 35years old married with three kids. It's nothing bad about my life. But this sense of freedom just kills me from time to time! It's such a special kind of feeling which I would never have again...
@sweetadeline003
High school memories right here lol
@jameskim9103
Maria Fernanda Quezada seriously..one of those rare timeless clsssics that inspire youthful energy within
@emilioconde8782
What class?