Of Montreal
Encyclopedia
Of Montreal is an American rock
band from Athens, Georgia
. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes
in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective. Throughout its existence, of Montreal's musical style has evolved from vaudeville
and Beatles influenced psychedelic twee pop to a mixture of electronica, funk, glam, and afrobeat music influenced by Prince
and David Bowie
.
founded Of Montreal, allegedly naming it for a failed romance with a woman from Montreal, Québec. Barnes was the only member of the "group" prior to his relocation to Athens, Georgia. There, he met Derek Almstead
(Circulatory System
, M Coast
, Elf Power
) and Bryan Poole, who also performs as The Late B.P. Helium
. Together, they recorded their debut album, Cherry Peel
, and subsequent releases The Bird Who Ate the Rabbit's Flower
and The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy
.
After production on The Gay Parade
, the band's third album, began in 1998
, Poole left the band to focus on his duties with Elf Power
, another Elephant Six band. Barnes then recruited James Husband
and Dottie Alexander
, who had been performing together as Lightning Bug vs. Firefly. Derek moved from drums to bass, and Marshmallow Coast
's Andy Gonzales joined soon after. Prior to the release of The Gay Parade
in 1999
, of Montreal released a number of singles and a re-release of The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower
.
, who released a number of singles and compilations. In 2001, the concept album
Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse
was released, again featuring contributions from across the Elephant Six spectrum.
In 2002
, Aldhils Arboretum
was released. This album marks the beginning of the change in of Montreal's sound, with more danceable rhythms than before, particularly on the album's closer, "Death Dance Of The Omipapas and Sons For You". A successful tour ensued, including the band's first trip to the UK, along with a tour-only EP
.
mostly by himself. Released by Polyvinyl Records, it became one of their more successful efforts to that point. During the tour for Satanic, the Late B.P. Helium (Bryan Poole) rejoined the band. In 2003, Kevin was married to Nina Grøttland, who would also play some bass for the tour. The album marked a shift to an electronic bass, with drum machine
s and synthesizers featured in singles such as "Disconnect the Dots."
This style would continue to evolve into 2005's The Sunlandic Twins
, which was even more of a solo effort by Barnes. 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
.
Kevin Barnes recorded most of the band's 2007 release, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
, by himself while living in Norway
and Athens, Georgia. Barnes also released a companion CD to Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
called Icons, Abstract Thee
. In 2007, Kevin Barnes performed five songs nude during a performance in Las Vegas. In Paris, they did a Take-Away Show acoustic video session shot by Vincent Moon
.
of Montreal's next album, Skeletal Lamping
, was released on October 21, 2008
. It was released in ten different formats, including conventional CD and vinyl, as well as t-shirts, button sets, wall decals
, tote bags, and a paper lantern, the latter formats complete with a digital download code for the album. All items for the collection were designed by The Bee With Wheels (David Barnes) and Gemini Tactics (Nina Barnes). In an essay addressing the concept behind the album's release, Kevin Barnes stated, "We feel that there's no reason to produce another object that just sits on a shelf. We only want to produce objects that have a function and that can be treasured for their singularness." In an interview with NPR, Kevin Barnes revealed that the concept of the CD
may be going the way of the 8-track in favor of MP3
downloads. David Barnes joked that fans would buy the album via MP3 download and the version that comes with an amazing sandwich. The album reached number one on emusic
's Most Downloaded Albums Chart. The video for the album's second single, "An Eluardian Instance", was directed by Jesse Ewles
.
In recent years, the band has lent its songs many times to commercials, television programs, and films. The song "Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games)" can be heard on radio and television commercials (with words changed) for an advertisement for Outback Steakhouse
. Similarly, their song "Every Day Feels Like Sunday" was used in television commercials for NASDAQ
. "A Sentence of Sorts In Kongsvinger" was used in a Comcast
commercial.
"Gronlandic Edit" was used for a T-Mobile
commercial which also featured the band as actors.
, his self-professed masterpiece. As discussed in features in Rolling Stone, SPIN, Under the Radar and Pitchfork, False Priest is speaker-rattling heavy on the low end and features appearances by Janelle Monae and Solange Knowles (Beyonce's sister). The album also marks the return of organic instruments—with live drums, strings and pianos replacing the midi sounds and sequencers of previous albums. The cassette edition of "False Priest" was limited to 500 hand-numbered copies through Joyful Noise Recordings. The artwork features a 10-panel booklet containing paintings and re-interpretations of paintings by David Barnes, Nina Barnes, and Kevin Barnes. The tape was pressed on a red cassette, matching the artwork, and included MP3s and FLAC audio.
On October 25, 2011 of Montreal released a Cassette Box Set of all 10 full-length albums via Joyful Noise Recordings. The release was limited to 500 hand-numbered copies, and housed in a custom-built wooden box (screen-printed with original artwork from David Barnes). Each of the 10 cassettes were pressed on multi-colored tape shells and included original album art. Like their previous cassette release, MP3 download was included.
Kevin Barnes has hinted on Twitter that of Montreal's next studio album will be titled "Paralytic Stalks". Kevin Barnes has revealed some information on the new album in an interview with Pitchfork Media
. On 20 October 2011 Barnes announced that the new album was complete. In November 2011, the band released a new track titled "Wintered Debts" via the band's Soundcloud site, speculated to be a track off the new album "Paralytic Stalks".
The group has a style that is typical of many Elephant 6 bands due to its interest in combining musical experimentation and the basic tenets of pop
, such as catchy melodies and sing-along choruses
. The band's style has been influenced by not only more conventional indie pop
and psychedelic music
, but also by vaudeville
and music hall
on their earlier releases and by afrobeat
, funk
, and krautrock
in their more 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. Later the band moved to a fuller sound, as seen on the concept albums The Gay Parade and its follow-up, Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse. These albums contain more narrative lyrics, and often imitating the style of old 1950s radio plays.
2004's Satanic Panic in the Attic marked the result of an evolving change in style. The sound shifted to something more electronic, although at this point still with more standard instrumentation, and prominent guitars on most tracks, with more traditional pop and rock 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.
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 narrative
s surrounding invented character
s (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.
Another characteristic of the band is the fusion of ostensibly gloomy lyrics with bouncy, upbeat melodies and hooks
. For example, the lyrical themes of songs like "Doing Nothing" and "Old People in the Cemetery" (from Aldhils Arboretum) include apathy
, loneliness
and death
, while the instrumentation is generally upbeat. Another example of this tendency is shown in their choice of cover songs
; for example, Yoko Ono
's "I Feel like Smashing my Head Through a Clear Glass Window" from The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes
Kevin Barnes
Kevin L. Barnes is the singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter for the indie rock group Of Montreal, part of the Elephant 6 Collective. Barnes started the band on his own and, although providing several stories as to the origin of the name, is said to have named it after a failed romance...
in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective. Throughout its existence, of Montreal's musical style has evolved from vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and Beatles influenced psychedelic twee pop to a mixture of electronica, funk, glam, and afrobeat music influenced by Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
.
Early years
Kevin BarnesKevin Barnes
Kevin L. Barnes is the singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter for the indie rock group Of Montreal, part of the Elephant 6 Collective. Barnes started the band on his own and, although providing several stories as to the origin of the name, is said to have named it after a failed romance...
founded Of Montreal, allegedly naming it for a failed romance with a woman from Montreal, Québec. Barnes was the only member of the "group" prior to his relocation to Athens, Georgia. There, he met Derek Almstead
Derek Almstead
Derek Griffin Almstead is an American musician/engineer closely tied to the Elephant 6 Collective.-Background:Born in Lexington, Virginia, he spent his childhood in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and later Manassas, Virginia. In 1995 he moved to Athens, Georgia, where he became involved with Elephant 6...
(Circulatory System
Circulatory System
Circulatory System is a psychedelic rock musical ensemble formed by musician/painter Will Cullen Hart, and featuring Derek Almstead, Suzanne Allison, Peter Erchick, John Fernandes, Charlie Johnston, and Heather McIntosh....
, M Coast
M Coast
M Coast is an indie pop band associated with the Elephant Six Collective.-Background:The band began as a solo recording project of singer/songwriter Andy Gonzales, who first recorded as Marshmallow Coast in 1996 with a self-released cassette, which featured contributions from Joel Richardson of...
, Elf Power
Elf Power
Elf Power is an indie rock band that originated in Athens, Georgia. Currently, the line-up consists of guitarist/vocalist Andrew Rieger, keyboardist Laura Carter, guitarist Jimmy Hughes, bassist Derek Almstead, and drummer Eric Harris...
) and Bryan Poole, who also performs as The Late B.P. Helium
The Late B.P. Helium
The Late B.P. Helium is the solo recording project and, at times, stage name of Elephant Six musician Bryan Poole, who also goes by Bryan Helium....
. Together, they recorded their debut album, Cherry Peel
Cherry Peel
Cherry Peel is the debut album of the Elephant 6 band Of Montreal. It was released on Bar/None Records in 1997. In 1999 it was reissued with additional musical contributions and the songs remixed. All subsequent reissues contain this mix...
, and subsequent releases The Bird Who Ate the Rabbit's Flower
The Bird Who Ate the Rabbit's Flower
The Bird Who Ate the Rabbit's Flower is an EP by indie rock band Of Montreal. The five tracks were later re-released on their EP The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower.-Track listing:# You Are An Airplane# The Inner Light...
and The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy
The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy
The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy is the second album released by the band Of Montreal. It was released on Kindercore Records in 1998.-Track listing:# "One of a Very Few of a Kind" - 1:38# "Happy Yellow Bumblebee" - 2:17...
.
After production on The Gay Parade
The Gay Parade
The Gay Parade is a concept album by the band Of Montreal, their third full-length release. It has been called "indie pop's very own Sgt. Pepper" by Allmusic reviewer Jason Ankeny....
, the band's third album, began in 1998
1998 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...
, Poole left the band to focus on his duties with Elf Power
Elf Power
Elf Power is an indie rock band that originated in Athens, Georgia. Currently, the line-up consists of guitarist/vocalist Andrew Rieger, keyboardist Laura Carter, guitarist Jimmy Hughes, bassist Derek Almstead, and drummer Eric Harris...
, another Elephant Six band. Barnes then recruited James Husband
James Husband
James Husband is the recording project of James Huggins III, Of Montreal's multi-instrumentalist.-Biography:James Husband is a recording alias for James Huggins III. A former member of the group Of Montreal, James recorded & toured with the band from 1998 to 2010. James is a founding...
and Dottie Alexander
Dottie Alexander
Dorothy "Dottie" Alexander is the keyboardist for Of Montreal, an American indie pop band formed in Athens, Georgia and fronted by Kevin Barnes.-Biography:Dottie received her Bachelors degree at the University of Georgia at Athens...
, who had been performing together as Lightning Bug vs. Firefly. Derek moved from drums to bass, and Marshmallow Coast
Marshmallow Coast
Marshmallow Coast is an indie pop band associated with the Elephant Six Collective.-Background:The band began as a solo recording project of singer/songwriter Andy Gonzales, who first recorded as Marshmallow Coast in 1996 with a self-released cassette, which featured contributions from Joel...
's Andy Gonzales joined soon after. Prior to the release of The Gay Parade
The Gay Parade
The Gay Parade is a concept album by the band Of Montreal, their third full-length release. It has been called "indie pop's very own Sgt. Pepper" by Allmusic reviewer Jason Ankeny....
in 1999
1999 in music
-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
, of Montreal released a number of singles and a re-release of The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower
The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower
The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower is an EP released by the Elephant 6 band Of Montreal. It is an extended version of their release The Bird Who Ate the Rabbit's Flower; the first five tracks are the ones from that first effort....
.
Kindercore (1999–2002)
Following the release of The Gay Parade, the band signed with Kindercore RecordsKindercore Records
Kindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
, who released a number of singles and compilations. In 2001, the concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse
Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse
Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse is the fourth full-length album by indie pop band of Montreal, released in 2001 by Kindercore Records. Considered one of their most ambitious works, the record is more of a full band recording than previous of Montreal albums.The...
was released, again featuring contributions from across the Elephant Six spectrum.
In 2002
2002 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
, Aldhils Arboretum
Aldhils Arboretum
Aldhils Arboretum is the fifth full-length album by indie rock band Of Montreal. It was intended to be a departure from their previous concept albums, The Gay Parade and Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse...
was released. This album marks the beginning of the change in of Montreal's sound, with more danceable rhythms than before, particularly on the album's closer, "Death Dance Of The Omipapas and Sons For You". A successful tour ensued, including the band's first trip to the UK, along with a tour-only EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
.
Polyvinyl (2004–present)
Kindercore Records would fold shortly after the release of Arboretum, and Andy and Derek left the band. Barnes took to writing and performing their 2004 album Satanic Panic in the AtticSatanic Panic in the Attic
Satanic Panic in the Attic is the sixth album released by the band Of Montreal. The album, like later albums The Sunlandic Twins and Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, was made almost entirely by Kevin Barnes....
mostly by himself. Released by Polyvinyl Records, it became one of their more successful efforts to that point. During the tour for Satanic, the Late B.P. Helium (Bryan Poole) rejoined the band. In 2003, Kevin was married to Nina Grøttland, who would also play some bass for the tour. The album marked a shift to an electronic bass, with drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s and synthesizers featured in singles such as "Disconnect the Dots."
This style would continue to evolve into 2005's The Sunlandic Twins
The Sunlandic Twins
The Sunlandic Twins is the seventh album by indie pop band Of Montreal. The album continues further into the more electronic territory first explored on 2004's Satanic Panic in the Attic...
, which was even more of a solo effort by Barnes. 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
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
clip for "Wraith Pinned to the Mist (and Other Games)". The band released several collections of singles in early 2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
.
Kevin Barnes recorded most of the band's 2007 release, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? is the eighth album from indie pop band Of Montreal. It was released January 23, 2007. The album was written, performed, and recorded by Kevin Barnes, with assistance from friends and family: prominent Elephant Six members Bryan Poole, Jamey Huggins and Heather...
, by himself while living in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Athens, Georgia. Barnes also released a companion CD to Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? is the eighth album from indie pop band Of Montreal. It was released January 23, 2007. The album was written, performed, and recorded by Kevin Barnes, with assistance from friends and family: prominent Elephant Six members Bryan Poole, Jamey Huggins and Heather...
called Icons, Abstract Thee
Icons, Abstract Thee
Icons, Abstract Thee is an EP from indie pop band Of Montreal. It was released May 8, 2007, along with the album Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? and the promo CD single "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse". It is a collection of songs from recent singles, bonus tracks from the vinyl edition...
. In 2007, Kevin Barnes performed five songs nude during a performance in Las Vegas. In Paris, they did a Take-Away Show acoustic video session shot by Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon is an independent filmmaker from Paris mainly known for his field work music videos of indie rock related musicians as well as some notable mainstream artists like Tom Jones, R.E.M. or Arcade Fire. Besides making music videos he also makes experimental films and documentaries...
.
of Montreal's next album, Skeletal Lamping
Skeletal Lamping
Skeletal Lamping is the ninth studio album by Athens, Georgia-based band of Montreal.Kevin Barnes said about the title: "This record is my attempt to bring all of my puzzling, contradicting, disturbing, humorous... fantasies, ruminations and observations to the surface, so that I can better dissect...
, was released on October 21, 2008
2008 in music
2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such...
. It was released in ten different formats, including conventional CD and vinyl, as well as t-shirts, button sets, wall decals
Wall decals
A wall decal, also known as a wall sticker, wall tattoo, or wall vinyl, is a vinyl sticker that is affixed to a wall or other smooth surface for decoration and informational purposes. Wall decals are cut with vinyl cutting machines...
, tote bags, and a paper lantern, the latter formats complete with a digital download code for the album. All items for the collection were designed by The Bee With Wheels (David Barnes) and Gemini Tactics (Nina Barnes). In an essay addressing the concept behind the album's release, Kevin Barnes stated, "We feel that there's no reason to produce another object that just sits on a shelf. We only want to produce objects that have a function and that can be treasured for their singularness." In an interview with NPR, Kevin Barnes revealed that the concept of the CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
may be going the way of the 8-track in favor of MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
downloads. David Barnes joked that fans would buy the album via MP3 download and the version that comes with an amazing sandwich. The album reached number one on emusic
EMusic
eMusic is an online music and audiobook store that operates by subscription. It is headquartered in New York City with an office in London and owned by Dimensional Associates. As of September 2008 eMusic has over 400,000 subscribers....
's Most Downloaded Albums Chart. The video for the album's second single, "An Eluardian Instance", was directed by Jesse Ewles
Jesse Ewles
Jesse James Ewles is a Canadian independent visual artist in Toronto, Canada.He has directed music videos for the bands Grizzly Bear, Of Montreal and Owen Pallett. In January of 2010, he completed his first short film for Bravo! TV entitled Kingdom of Frogs...
.
In recent years, the band has lent its songs many times to commercials, television programs, and films. The song "Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games)" can be heard on radio and television commercials (with words changed) for an advertisement for Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse is an American casual dining restaurant chain based in Tampa, Florida with over 1200 locations in 22 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It was founded in February 1988 in Tampa by Bob Basham, Chris T...
. Similarly, their song "Every Day Feels Like Sunday" was used in television commercials for NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
. "A Sentence of Sorts In Kongsvinger" was used in a Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
commercial.
"Gronlandic Edit" was used for a T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
commercial which also featured the band as actors.
Polyvinyl and Joyful Noise Recordings (2010–present)
Teaming up with Grammy-nominated producer Jon Brion (Kanye West, Fiona Apple), of Montreal's mastermind Kevin Barnes traveled to famed Ocean Way Recording (Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra) to record False PriestFalse Priest
False Priest is the tenth full-length studio album by indie-pop group of Montreal, released on September 14, 2010 on Polyvinyl Records. The band is also touring with Janelle Monáe to promote their new album where she appears several times. Polyvinyl Record Co released the album on CD, Digital,...
, his self-professed masterpiece. As discussed in features in Rolling Stone, SPIN, Under the Radar and Pitchfork, False Priest is speaker-rattling heavy on the low end and features appearances by Janelle Monae and Solange Knowles (Beyonce's sister). The album also marks the return of organic instruments—with live drums, strings and pianos replacing the midi sounds and sequencers of previous albums. The cassette edition of "False Priest" was limited to 500 hand-numbered copies through Joyful Noise Recordings. The artwork features a 10-panel booklet containing paintings and re-interpretations of paintings by David Barnes, Nina Barnes, and Kevin Barnes. The tape was pressed on a red cassette, matching the artwork, and included MP3s and FLAC audio.
On October 25, 2011 of Montreal released a Cassette Box Set of all 10 full-length albums via Joyful Noise Recordings. The release was limited to 500 hand-numbered copies, and housed in a custom-built wooden box (screen-printed with original artwork from David Barnes). Each of the 10 cassettes were pressed on multi-colored tape shells and included original album art. Like their previous cassette release, MP3 download was included.
Kevin Barnes has hinted on Twitter that of Montreal's next studio album will be titled "Paralytic Stalks". Kevin Barnes has revealed some information on the new album in an interview with Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
. On 20 October 2011 Barnes announced that the new album was complete. In November 2011, the band released a new track titled "Wintered Debts" via the band's Soundcloud site, speculated to be a track off the new album "Paralytic Stalks".
Style
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, such as catchy melodies and sing-along choruses
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
. The band's style has been influenced by not only more conventional indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
and psychedelic music
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
, but also by vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
on their earlier releases and by afrobeat
Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a combination of traditional Yoruba music, jazz, highlife, funk and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularised in Africa in the 1970s. Its main creator was the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who gave it its name, who used it to...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, and krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
in their more 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. Later the band moved to a fuller sound, as seen on the concept albums The Gay Parade and its follow-up, Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse. These albums contain more narrative lyrics, and often imitating the style of old 1950s radio plays.
2004's Satanic Panic in the Attic marked the result of an evolving change in style. The sound shifted to something more electronic, although at this point still with more standard instrumentation, and prominent guitars on most tracks, with more traditional pop and rock 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.
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 narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
s surrounding invented character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s (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.
Another characteristic of the band is the fusion of ostensibly gloomy lyrics with bouncy, upbeat melodies and hooks
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
. For example, the lyrical themes of songs like "Doing Nothing" and "Old People in the Cemetery" (from Aldhils Arboretum) include apathy
Apathy
Apathy is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical or physical life.They may lack a sense of purpose or meaning in...
, loneliness
Loneliness
Loneliness is an unpleasant feeling in which a person feels a strong sense of emptiness and solitude resulting from inadequate levels of social relationships. However, it is a subjective experience...
and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, while the instrumentation is generally upbeat. Another example of this tendency is shown in their choice of cover songs
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
; for example, Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
's "I Feel like Smashing my Head Through a Clear Glass Window" from The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower.
Side projects
True to the style of most Elephant Six recording artists, of Montreal's members have been in a variety of side project with other bands:- Kevin Barnes played keyboard for "The Difference in the Shades" on the Bright Eyes' album Letting Off the HappinessLetting Off the HappinessLetting Off the Happiness is the second album released by Nebraskan musicians Bright Eyes. The album was released on November 2, 1998. A vinyl re-release of the album was included in the Bright Eyes Vinyl Box Set...
. - Kevin Barnes, Nina Barnes, and David Barnes did a comedy tour called "A Pollinaire RaveA Pollinaire RaveA Pollinaire Rave is a comedy tour by Of Montreal lead singer Kevin Barnes, his wife, Nina Barnes, and his brother David Barnes. Both the titles and the artwork vary depending on the individual copy...
". - The band performed as the backing band for Marshmallow CoastMarshmallow CoastMarshmallow Coast is an indie pop band associated with the Elephant Six Collective.-Background:The band began as a solo recording project of singer/songwriter Andy Gonzales, who first recorded as Marshmallow Coast in 1996 with a self-released cassette, which featured contributions from Joel...
on record and on tour. - Dottie AlexanderDottie AlexanderDorothy "Dottie" Alexander is the keyboardist for Of Montreal, an American indie pop band formed in Athens, Georgia and fronted by Kevin Barnes.-Biography:Dottie received her Bachelors degree at the University of Georgia at Athens...
released the song "The You I Created" on the KindercoreKindercore RecordsKindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
singles club, under the pseudonym My First Keyboard. of Montreal acted as her backing band. - Bryan Poole has a solo career as the Late B.P. HeliumThe Late B.P. HeliumThe Late B.P. Helium is the solo recording project and, at times, stage name of Elephant Six musician Bryan Poole, who also goes by Bryan Helium....
. - Davey Pierce and Travis Adams from the now-defunct emo band My Hotel Year, created the band InkwellInkwell (band)Inkwell is an indie rock band from Winter Park, Florida. They have released three full length albums and one EP, as well as a collaboration with former techno artist Floorboard. They are currently signed with One Eleven Records. The band consists of two members, Travis Adams, former frontman from...
in 2004. - James Huggins released A Parallax IA parallax IA Parallax I is an album that was released on October 27, 2009 on Polyvinyl Record Company. It is James Husband first full-length commercial release...
under the name "James HusbandJames HusbandJames Husband is the recording project of James Huggins III, Of Montreal's multi-instrumentalist.-Biography:James Husband is a recording alias for James Huggins III. A former member of the group Of Montreal, James recorded & toured with the band from 1998 to 2010. James is a founding...
" which featured a cover of The Beatles' "We Can Work it Out". - Ahmed Gallab has a solo career as post-rock jazz Sinkane, and has also drummed for Born RuffiansBorn RuffiansBorn Ruffians, formerly known as Mornington Drive, are a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2004, originally from Midland, Ontario, located near Georgian Bay. They are currently signed to Warp Records. The members are Luke Lalonde , Mitch Derosier and Steven Hamelin...
and CaribouCaribou (musician)Daniel Victor Snaith is a composer, musician and recording artist under stage names Caribou, Manitoba and Daphni. Under the supervision of Kevin Buzzard, he obtained a PhD in mathematics at Imperial College London.- Career:...
. He currently plays with YeasayerYeasayer-History:The band's three core members, Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, and Anand Wilder, first came to attention after appearing at the SXSW festival in early 2007. Their first single consisted of a double A-side of the tracks "Sunrise" and "2080"...
. - Derek AlmsteadDerek AlmsteadDerek Griffin Almstead is an American musician/engineer closely tied to the Elephant 6 Collective.-Background:Born in Lexington, Virginia, he spent his childhood in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and later Manassas, Virginia. In 1995 he moved to Athens, Georgia, where he became involved with Elephant 6...
has worked with many artists as a musician and engineer including his collaboration with Andy Gonzales M CoastM CoastM Coast is an indie pop band associated with the Elephant Six Collective.-Background:The band began as a solo recording project of singer/songwriter Andy Gonzales, who first recorded as Marshmallow Coast in 1996 with a self-released cassette, which featured contributions from Joel Richardson of...
, Elf PowerElf PowerElf Power is an indie rock band that originated in Athens, Georgia. Currently, the line-up consists of guitarist/vocalist Andrew Rieger, keyboardist Laura Carter, guitarist Jimmy Hughes, bassist Derek Almstead, and drummer Eric Harris...
, and Circulatory SystemCirculatory SystemCirculatory System is a psychedelic rock musical ensemble formed by musician/painter Will Cullen Hart, and featuring Derek Almstead, Suzanne Allison, Peter Erchick, John Fernandes, Charlie Johnston, and Heather McIntosh....
. - The group worked with artist Janelle MonáeJanelle MonáeJanelle Monáe is an American R&B/soul musician signed to Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records.Monáe debuted with a conceptual EP, Metropolis: Suite I ...
on a track called "Make The Bus" in her 2010 LP The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)The ArchAndroid is the debut studio album of American recording artist Janelle Monáe, released May 18, 2010, on Wondaland Arts Society and Bad Boy Records...
. - Kevin produced Solange KnowlesSolange KnowlesSolange Piaget Knowles , who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé, a former member of R&B group Destiny's Child...
latest album. - In 2011, they collaborated with Os MutantesOs MutantesOs Mutantes ) are an influential Brazilian psychedelic rock band that were linked with the Tropicália movement of the late 1960s. It was formed by two brothers and a vocalist, but has gone through numerous personnel changes throughout its existence...
on the track "Bat Macumba" for the Red Hot Organization'sRed Hot OrganizationRed Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
most recent charitable album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "Red Hot+Rio." Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues. - K Ishibashi has a solo career as Kishi BashiKishi BashiKishi Bashi is K Ishibashi's self-recorded and self-produced project. K is a founding member of Jupiter One, as well as a touring member of of Montreal and Regina Spektor.-Biography:...
and toured as a supporting act with Sondre LercheSondre Lerche-Career:Sondre Lerche was born in Bergen, Norway. Growing up, Lerche was heavily influenced by the '80s pop that emanated from his older siblings' rooms. Compelled by a defining fascination for bands such as The Beatles, A-ha, the Beach Boys, and Prefab Sprout, Lerche began formal guitar...
in 2011.
Discography
- 1997 Cherry PeelCherry PeelCherry Peel is the debut album of the Elephant 6 band Of Montreal. It was released on Bar/None Records in 1997. In 1999 it was reissued with additional musical contributions and the songs remixed. All subsequent reissues contain this mix...
(Bar/NoneBar/None RecordsBar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey.-Early history:Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his native Ireland, Prendergast moved to Hoboken in 1982 and started Pier Platters...
) - 1998 The Bedside Drama: A Petite TragedyThe Bedside Drama: A Petite TragedyThe Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy is the second album released by the band Of Montreal. It was released on Kindercore Records in 1998.-Track listing:# "One of a Very Few of a Kind" - 1:38# "Happy Yellow Bumblebee" - 2:17...
(KindercoreKindercore RecordsKindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
) - 1999 The Gay ParadeThe Gay ParadeThe Gay Parade is a concept album by the band Of Montreal, their third full-length release. It has been called "indie pop's very own Sgt. Pepper" by Allmusic reviewer Jason Ankeny....
(Bar/NoneBar/None RecordsBar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey.-Early history:Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his native Ireland, Prendergast moved to Hoboken in 1982 and started Pier Platters...
) - 2001 Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical VerseCoquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical VerseCoquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse is the fourth full-length album by indie pop band of Montreal, released in 2001 by Kindercore Records. Considered one of their most ambitious works, the record is more of a full band recording than previous of Montreal albums.The...
(Kindercore) - 2002 Aldhils ArboretumAldhils ArboretumAldhils Arboretum is the fifth full-length album by indie rock band Of Montreal. It was intended to be a departure from their previous concept albums, The Gay Parade and Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse...
(Kindercore) - 2004 Satanic Panic in the AtticSatanic Panic in the AtticSatanic Panic in the Attic is the sixth album released by the band Of Montreal. The album, like later albums The Sunlandic Twins and Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, was made almost entirely by Kevin Barnes....
(PolyvinylPolyvinyl Record Co.Polyvinyl Record Co. is an American independent record label based in Champaign, Illinois. It has released notable records by of Montreal, Japandroids, Braid, Mates of State and many others.-History:...
) - 2005 The Sunlandic TwinsThe Sunlandic TwinsThe Sunlandic Twins is the seventh album by indie pop band Of Montreal. The album continues further into the more electronic territory first explored on 2004's Satanic Panic in the Attic...
(Polyvinyl) - 2007 Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? is the eighth album from indie pop band Of Montreal. It was released January 23, 2007. The album was written, performed, and recorded by Kevin Barnes, with assistance from friends and family: prominent Elephant Six members Bryan Poole, Jamey Huggins and Heather...
(Polyvinyl, #72 US) - 2008 Skeletal LampingSkeletal LampingSkeletal Lamping is the ninth studio album by Athens, Georgia-based band of Montreal.Kevin Barnes said about the title: "This record is my attempt to bring all of my puzzling, contradicting, disturbing, humorous... fantasies, ruminations and observations to the surface, so that I can better dissect...
(Polyvinyl, #38 US) - 2010 False PriestFalse PriestFalse Priest is the tenth full-length studio album by indie-pop group of Montreal, released on September 14, 2010 on Polyvinyl Records. The band is also touring with Janelle Monáe to promote their new album where she appears several times. Polyvinyl Record Co released the album on CD, Digital,...
(Polyvinyl, #34 US) - 2012 Paralytic Stalks (Polyvinyl)