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.
Vegan in Furs
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I'm peaking in so many ways
The gloom is in retreat
Yes the dark epoch is over I've found my efeblum
Then passed Ernst's mausoleum defended by a rook
Who shot a look so virulent it pierced me like a hook
The palaver of Solipsists exploding in my skull
Who made the author of "Discus Ulysses" benign
So what if Wednesday finds us
Wearing rabies parachutes
Foaming like the melodies of sea foam fairy flutes
The atmosphere is viscous we're sticking to the brine
Yeah and we both despise all of the academic swine
Who made the author of "Discus Ulysses" benign
When the lanterns fill with finches
So begins the brawl
'Cause their brains are like porcupines
And mine's a paper ball
I know they don't understand they don't get us at all
Their moss mangles polyanthus
And mine's a paper ball
The song "Vegan in Furs" by of Montreal has a cryptic and surrealistic tone that makes it difficult to decipher the meaning of the lyrics. The opening lines, "I used to think it black while at my country seat, Now I'm peaking in so many ways, The gloom is in retreat", seem to suggest that the singer used to have a dark view of the world, but has since found a more positive outlook. However, it's unclear what specifically caused this change.
The song then takes a more bizarre turn with the lines, "Yes the dark epoch is over I've found my efeblum, Then passed Ernst's mausoleum defended by a rook, Who shot a look so virulent it pierced me like a hook, The palaver of Solipsists exploding in my skull". These lines are full of obscure references, such as the mention of Ernst's mausoleum (possibly a reference to Max Ernst, a surrealist artist), and the use of the word "efeblum" which is not a real word. The line about the "palaver of Solipsists exploding in my skull" suggests a struggle with subjective reality and the existence of an external world.
The song continues with lines like "So what if Wednesday finds us, Wearing rabies parachutes, Foaming like the melodies of sea foam fairy flutes", which continue the surrealistic and nonsensical themes of the lyrics. The repeated line "Yeah and we both despise all of the academic swine Who made the author of ‘Discus Ulysses' benign" suggests a frustration with academia, although the meaning behind the reference to ‘Discus Ulysses' is unclear.
**Interesting facts about 'Vegan in Furs':**
* The song's title is a nod to the classic novel ‘Venus in Furs' by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, which is famed for its exploration of sadomasochism.
* The lead singer of of Montreal, Kevin Barnes, has cited the band 10cc as a major inspiration for the song's sound.
* 'Vegan in Furs' was released as a B-side for the single 'Id Engager'.
* The song's lyrics were reportedly inspired by Barnes' experiences with nomadic vegan communities in Northern California.
* The line "The atmosphere is viscous, we're sticking to the brine" was reportedly inspired by Barnes' fascination with jellyfish.
* The song's music video features a psychedelic, animated interpretation of the song's lyrics.
* ‘Vegan in Furs' was originally intended to be included on the album ‘Skeletal Lamping', but was cut from the final tracklist.
* The song was later included on the ‘Icons, Abstract Thee' EP.
* The final line of the song, "Their moss mangles polyanthus and mine's a paper ball", may be a reference to the idea of being true to oneself, even if it sets one apart from others.
* The chords for the song are Am, F, G, and C, with a capo on the third fret.
Chords:
Intro: Am F G Am
Verse: Am F G Am
Chorus: F G Am F G Am G Am.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to think it black while at my country seat
In the past, I used to see everything in a negative light while living in the countryside.
Now I'm peaking in so many ways
Currently, I am experiencing many positive changes and personal growth.
The gloom is in retreat
My negative feelings are subsiding and giving way to more positive emotions.
Yes the dark epoch is over I've found my efeblum
The time of widespread darkness and negativity has ended, and I have found my own source of positivity.
Then passed Ernst's mausoleum defended by a rook
I walked past Ernst's grave, which was being guarded by a crow.
Who shot a look so virulent it pierced me like a hook
The crow looked at me with intense hostility, making me feel like I had been stabbed with a sharp object.
The palaver of Solipsists exploding in my skull
The philosophical arguments of solipsists are constantly running through my mind and causing confusion.
Yeah and we both despise all of the academic swine
We share a mutual dislike of the pretentious and elitist academics.
Who made the author of "Discus Ulysses" benign
These academics turned the author of "Discus Ulysses" into a harmless figure, removing the true meaning behind their work.
So what if Wednesday finds us
We don't care if it's a weekday, we'll still do what we want.
Wearing rabies parachutes
We don't care if we look ridiculous, we'll wear whatever we want.
Foaming like the melodies of sea foam fairy flutes
Our excitement and enthusiasm is overflowing, like the sound of fairy flutes made of sea foam.
The atmosphere is viscous we're sticking to the brine
The environment around us feels thick and heavy, and we are having trouble separating ourselves from it.
When the lanterns fill with finches
As night falls and the lanterns are lit, the area becomes filled with finches.
So begins the brawl
This sets the stage for a chaotic scene to unfold.
'Cause their brains are like porcupines
The finches are difficult to understand, as their small brains are like prickly porcupines.
And mine's a paper ball
Meanwhile, my own thoughts and ideas seem simple and fragile.
I know they don't understand they don't get us at all
I am aware that others don't understand us and find us confusing.
Their moss mangles polyanthus
The finches' presence damages the flowers in the area, causing them to become tangled and mangled.
And mine's a paper ball
In contrast, my ideas and thoughts seem delicate and easily damaged.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind