About of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American indie pop band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontperson Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance between Barnes and a woman "of Montreal". The band is identified as part of the Elephant 6 collective. Throughout its existence, of Montreal's musical style has evolved considerably and drawn inspiration from 1960s psychedelic pop acts.
Kevin Barnes founded of Montreal, allegedly naming it for a failed romance with a woman from Montreal, Quebec. Barnes was the only member of the group prior to their relocation to Athens, Georgia. There, they met Derek Almstead 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 involvement 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. Almstead 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.
Following the release of The Gay Parade, the band signed with Kindercore Records, and in 2001, the concept album Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse was released.
Kindercore Records would fold shortly after the release of Aldhils Arboretum, and Gonzales and Almstead left the band. Barnes took to writing and performing their 2004 album Satanic Panic in the Attic mostly by themselves. It was released by Polyvinyl Records.
In 2005 The Sunlandic Twins was released.
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