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.
Voltaic Crusher / Undrum To Muted Da
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I never run out of things to say
You're my Ulysses that I'll never end
Now that I fucked up, lost you, sweet friend
Everything is in the trash, and it's my fault
I've destroyed us, I know, it's unrecoverable
If there's a God he will repair your heart
Make him handsome and clever and not crazy
And you notice something wonderful
Someone to love her volcanically
And please, please, please God, don't be a bastard
Christ knows she deserves something nice for a change
Christ knows she deserves something nice for a change
I am a flaw, I'm a mistake
I am faulty, I always break
I tried, you don't believe me, but I did
I tried to mature, be responsible, dot dot dot
But my heart is juvenile
And my character's not so hot
You gave me your hand, I gave you a fist
Please don't lose any sleep over me, baby
I hardly exist
You gave me your hand, I gave you a fist
Please don't lose any sleep over me, baby
I hardly exist
You gave me everything, still I resist
Please don't lose any sleep over me, baby
I hardly exist
I hardly exist
The song "Voltaic Crusher/Undrum to Muted Da" by of Montreal is filled with complex emotions and heartfelt apologies. The lyrics, "I write a thousand songs for you a day, But I never run out of things to say, You're my Ulysses that I'll never end, Now that I fucked up, lost you, sweet friend" express the singer's regret for losing a friend and their constant desire to make things right. The use of the reference to Ulysses, a Greek mythological hero known for his intelligence and resourcefulness, highlights the importance that this person has in the singer's life and their fear of losing them.
The chorus of the song alludes to the singer's belief in a higher power and their hope that this force will help heal their friend's broken heart. The line "And please, please, please God, don't be a bastard, Christ knows she deserves something nice for a change" expresses a desperate plea for help in fixing the damage done. The singer acknowledges their own faults and acknowledges their inability to change. They recognize that they were given a lot, but they resisted it and ultimately lost everything.
Overall, the song is a heartfelt apology to a friend who has been lost due to the singer's own inadequacies. The use of mythology and religious references highlights the importance of this person and the depth of the singer's regret.
Line by Line Meaning
I write a thousand songs for you a day
I express my love for you in every possible way
But I never run out of things to say
My love for you is intense and endless
You're my Ulysses that I'll never end
You're my constant, my forever, my never-ending journey
Now that I fucked up, lost you, sweet friend
I made mistakes and lost you, my dear friend
Everything is in the trash, and it's my fault
Our relationship is ruined and it's all because of me
I've destroyed us, I know, it's unrecoverable
I know my actions have irreparably damaged our relationship
If there's a God he will repair your heart
If there's a higher power, I hope they can heal your broken heart
If there's a God, send her an angel
If there's a higher power, please send someone to love and care for her
Make him handsome and clever and not crazy
Let him be charming, intelligent, and stable
And you notice something wonderful
And I hope you find happiness and love again
Someone to love her volcanically
Someone to love her with intense passion and devotion
And please, please, please God, don't be a bastard
And please, please, please higher power, be kind and merciful
Christ knows she deserves something nice for a change
She deserves good things and happiness
I am a flaw, I'm a mistake
I acknowledge my shortcomings and faults
I am faulty, I always break
I accept my tendency to mess things up
I tried, you don't believe me, but I did
I made an effort, even if you don't believe me
I tried to mature, be responsible, dot dot dot
I attempted to grow up and act like an adult
But my heart is juvenile
But emotionally, I still have a lot of growing up to do
And my character's not so hot
And my personality and behavior aren't impressive
You gave me your hand, I gave you a fist
You offered me love and support, but I responded with anger and hostility
Please don't lose any sleep over me, baby
Don't worry about me, my absence won't be a burden
I hardly exist
I am insignificant and irrelevant
You gave me everything, still I resist
You offered me your heart and everything else, but I still pushed you away
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind