The Top 40 Songs By Of Montreal (Songs 35-31)

Week two of our 8-week countdown extends beyond Of Montreal's older works and into some new classics.  Enjoy!

#35:  "Disconnect the Dots" from the album, Satanic Panic in the Attic (2004) - So the scene goes something like this.  I hear a few Of Montreal songs on the internet (from The Gay Parade, specifically) and decide, "Wow, that's really cool sounding.  I think I'll go buy that album!"  So I head out to my local record store, only to find that The Gay Parade is out of print.  Boo!  I pick up Satanic Panic in the Attic instead, never having heard a song.  I pop it into my vehicle on the ride home and "BLAM!"  I am an instant Of Montreal fan.  This lead-off track to that album hooked me right in with its catchy lyrics and sweet harmonies.  It came completely unexpected to me as I was expecting a whole lot more folksy, circus music.  What I got was an electronic pop masterpiece and one of my favorite albums of the last decade or so.

#34:  "Doing Nothing" from the album, Aldhils Arboretum (2002) - Though I'm no expert on popular opinion, I believe that their 2002 album, Aldhils Arboretum, is generally considered to be the worst of the bunch.  I heartily disagree, however, and find that even though it is not quite as solid as their best, it is far from their worst.  Another lead-off track, "Doing Nothing" sounds a bit like the Friends theme song before cascading into a wonderful indie pop treat.  Kevin's lyrics are sing-along quality, as they usually are, but even more here than usual.  Sure, the album is hit or miss, but this one will always give you a reason to pop in the ol' CD player.

#33:  "So Begins Our Alabee" from the album, The Sunlandic Twins (2005) - Whereas Satanic Panic merely hinted at the electronic pop direction that Kevin Barnes would take Of Montreal in the future, it wasn't until 2005 that fans actually found out what that would sound like:  awesome.  "So Begins Our Alabee" was the first track on The Sunlandic Twins that seemed to rely wholly on electronic instrumentation.  Though there is some slight bass and electric guitar, the majority of this one is synth-based, with enough electronic drums and flutters to get anyone excited.  A smart move by Kevin Barnes, as it made his then mostly-unknown band into one of the most-popular indie acts of the past few years.  A T-Mobile commercial?  Come on!

#32:  "Sink the Seine" from the album, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (2007) - Leave it to me to place this overlooked "filler" track from last year's masterpiece on this list.  The fact of the matter is that "Sink the Seine" remains one of the catchiest, most memorable tracks from Hissing Fauna.  Not much else to say.  I mean, it's only a minute long.

#31:  "Du Og Meg" from the album, Icons, Abstract Thee EP (2007) - Ahh yes.  What would an Of Montreal list be without mention of at least some of there EP-only tracks?  The simple truth is that if you're only listening to the LPs, you're missing out on a lot of great songs.  Where most artist will place throwaways on an EP, Kevin Barnes focuses more on the good songs that just didn't fit with the flow of his LPs.  "Du Og Meg" is an absolutely fabulous track that takes Of Montreal back to its roots in that it tells a story of a couple characters.  Of course, it's no "Jaques Lamure," but it's still one of the band's most infectious tracks.  Worth mentioning, worth listing, worth listening to again and again.

Week 1 - Songs 40-36