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of Montreal
On Tour416,201 listeners (16,353,975 plays)
Listening now: Hulelam
indie, indie pop, indie rock, elephant 6, alternative
Athens, Georgia, United States (1997 – present)
of Montreal (formed in 1997) are an indie pop from Athens, Georgia, United States, fronted by Kevin Barnes.
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.
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.
Similar Artists
The Apples in Stereo, The New Pornographers, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Unicorns, The Olivia Tremor Control, Architecture in Helsinki, Neutral Milk Hotel… see all
See moreVideos
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Play
of Montreal - "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider"
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Of Montreal - Faberge Falls for Shuggie
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of Montreal: The Past Is A Grotesque Animal
Top Tracks
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Gronlandic Edit
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Disconnect the Dots
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Rapture Rapes the Muses
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Top Albums
Shoutbox
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Gizoku wrote:
I love Coquelicot.
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winstonpigeon wrote:
I listened to the hell out of Hissing Fauna, and I figured it was finally about time to check out the rest of their discography. Listening to Satanic Panic now and will give Coquelicot a whirl afterwards. Fun stuff.
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anika3000 wrote:
I'm so excited for Skeletal Lamping
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focusophobic wrote:
http://www.last.fm/music/Major+Organ+and+the+Adding+Machine/_/His+Mister%27s+Pet+Whistles Kevin Barnes sings this! :3
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tommygundrums wrote:
Every album is incredible, though Sunlandic is my favorite.
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LordDANEgerous wrote:
fun band ts fun
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redrum84 wrote:
Bring back the old Last.fm over 4,000 members since yesterday!
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HerrHerr wrote:
there's a horde of covers here-- http://www.youaintnopicasso.com/2008/01/30/a-collection-of-of-montreal-covers/
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DotsDisconnect wrote:
i'm in no mood for bizarre celebrations right now.
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xyuleex wrote:
of Montreal! wooohoooooo! /o/
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Feanorr wrote:
Right, someone got a collection of their covers? they're god damn awesome!
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LePlatypope wrote:
GOD DAMMIT, LEAK ALREADY!
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focusophobic wrote:
Speaking of covers, does anyone know where I can hear the original Yoko Ono version of "I Felt Like Smashing My Face Through a Clear Glass Window"? The of Montreal cover is awesome.
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sls wrote:
Don't trip, Of Montreal does awesome covers, I want them to put out an entire disc of covers.
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LePlatypope wrote:
Someone leak the new one. I'm sick of waiting.
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focusophobic wrote:
If He Is Protecting Our Nation, Who Will Protect Big Oil, Our Children? is a surprisingly good album, despite the little attention it gets. I just don't like that a few of the songs are covers.
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markgeorgepeter wrote:
I love that taster track, can't wait for the new album to leak
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Myles_Dunhill wrote:
Coleiquot is the grand opus, Satanic Panic is the defining turning point, Hissing Fauna is the great fallen tragedy, and The Gay Parade is their masterpiece. these albums I feel are the 'essential' of Montreal
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tommyrocksout wrote:
I think "No Conclusion" from the Icons EP should have made it on Hissing Fauna. It completes The Past is a Grotesque Animal and is just as epic. And You all should listen to it if you haven't yet.
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platipus143 wrote:
Why can't we all just agree that all "of Montreal" albums are amazing. Though Hissing Fauna and Satanic Panic are my two favorites.
Listeners
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Hulelam
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ktbode
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Events
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Aug
8
OFF FESTIVAL 2008
Słupna Park, Mysłowice, Poland
2,074 shouts
| 1,877 attendees -
Aug
8
Summer Sundae Weekender
De Montfort Hall, Leicester, United Kingdom
24 shouts
| 86 attendees
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Aug
9
Field Day
Victoria Park, London, United Kingdom
67 shouts
| 542 attendees
Recent Activity
- Danny18 tagged of Montreal with ‘indie’. Wednesday afternoon
- Flyawayamanda tagged of Montreal with ‘happy’. Wednesday afternoon
- Ohmyvalentine tagged of Montreal with ‘seen live’. Wednesday afternoon
- Jameslock added of Montreal to the lineup of of Montreal at Métropolis. Tuesday evening
- Wargrave tagged of Montreal with ‘psychedelic’. Tuesday afternoon
- Aratus tagged of Montreal with ‘indie’. Tuesday morning
- Meninc tagged of Montreal with ‘psychedelic pop’ and ‘indie pop’. Monday evening
- Mankvill added of Montreal to the lineup of of Montreal at Liberty Hall. Monday morning
- Steveistops tagged of Montreal with ‘quirky’. Monday morning
Groups (312)
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The Olivia Tremor Control
145 members
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Elephant 6
1,803 members
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Real Indie
346 members
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I am constantly looking for good music I have never heard before.
219 members
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PolyVinyl Records
257 members
More Information
- Links
- Band Members
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- Bryan Poole (1997 - 1998) (2004 - present)
- Dottie Alexander (1998 - 2003)
- Jamey Huggins (1998 - 2003)
- Kevin Barnes (1997 - present)
