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Of Montreal
File:Ofmontreal dixiecanner2.jpg
Background information
OriginAthens, GA, U.S.A.
Years active1997 – present
Membersleft to right:
Jamey Huggins
Jason NeSmith
Matt Dawson
Bryan Poole
Dottie Alexander
Kevin Barnes
Past membersAndy Gonzalez
Derek Almstead
Nina Barnes

of Montreal is an American indie pop band formed in Athens, Georgia, fronted by Kevin Barnes. It was among the second wave of groups to emerge from the Elephant Six Collective.

History

Created by Kevin Barnes after a failed romance with a woman from Montreal, Barnes was the only member of the "group" prior to his relocation to Athens, Georgia. There, he met Derek Almstead, later of the Circulatory System, and The Late B.P. Helium (real name: Bryan Poole). Together, they recorded their first album, Cherry Peel, as well as The Bird Who Ate the Rabbit's Flower and The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy.

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 recruited Jamey Huggins and Dottie Alexander, who had been performing together as Lightning Bug vs. Firefly, to play various instruments. They were soonafter joined by Marshmallow Coast's Andy Gonzales.

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 countless 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. There has been some resistance to the title of this album. It has been incorrectly (though perhaps intentionally) called "The Guy Parade" by numerous sellers, including at one point, but no longer, Apple's iTunes.

Following the release of The Gay Parade, the band would sign 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 Six spectrum.

Of Montreal front figure Kevin Barnes playing in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2005

In 2002, Aldhils Arboretum was released, with a slightly different sound than its predecessors, as the songs were more directly structured. A successful tour ensued, along with a tour-only EP.

Kindercore Records would fold shortly after the release of Arboretum, and the state of of Montreal 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 album marked a shift to an electronica base, with drum machines 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 Barnes solo effort. Recorded in Athens with the exception of one track, which was 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. They plan to record a new album in late 2006 for release in January 2007 titled Hissing Fauna: Are You the Destroyer. [1] A new song, "A Cloud Crashes," was posted online in the spring of 2006, showing a sample of the continued change in direction for the band.

Style

The group has a style that is typical of many Elephant Six bands due to its interests 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 and reggae 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. As time progressed, 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, as opposed to the rather personal lyrical matter of those preceding it, 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 with traditional structures, to be further advanced in later albums and new songs.

Lyrically, 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). However, this feature is not as prevalent in their earliest and most recent albums.

Another unique quality of the band is the fusion of ostensibly gloomy lyrics with bouncy, up beat 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.

Side projects

True to the style of most Elephant Six 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.
  • Kevin Barnes did a comedy tour with his wife, Nina, and his brother, David, called "A Pollinaire Rave."
  • Jamey Huggins released an album under the name "James Husband" which featured a cover of The Beatles' "We Can Work it Out"
  • Bryan Poole has a solo career as the Late B.P. Helium.
  • Kevin Barnes has recently been collaborating with Andrew from MGMT, as Ocelot Fang.

Discography

Albums

Compilations

EPs

Singles

Soundtracks

See also

References

  • ^ Barnes, Kevin (2006), Interview with Cassie Smith, Feb. 11th, 2006. Aired on the Georgia Music Show on 88.5 WRAS Atlanta on March 19th, 2006.
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