Source: Wiki Commons

On Friday, January 24th, 2014, UCSB will welcome the Atlanta, GA, neo-glam, pop-rock curiosity Of Montreal to The Hub. For those of you who were not lucky enough to be exposed to OM in your teenage years, here are ten solid reasons to get your tickets now.

            It has to be said: OM’s live performances are notoriously out of this world. But if you can also sing along to some of the songs you’re hearing while a spandex-clad Kevin Barnes rides around a dinosaur on stage, the evening will be that much more memorable.

            Use your Friday wisely and check out these top ten picks:

 

10. “I Was Never Young” – The Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl, 2005)

LISTEN

 

I’ve gotten the whole “You’re really mature for your age” thing since I was too small to see over countertops, so this song has always resonated with me lyrically. Fellow old souls rejoice!

… Sorry. The phrase “old soul” made me vomit a little bit.

Anyway, this is a perfect entryway into a group of musicians that were born into the seventies but embody the greatest, glam-est voices of that era.

 

9. “Gronlandic Edit” – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl, 2007)
LISTEN

 

I guess it would be nice to give my heart to a god,

            But which one? Which one do I choose?

 

OM proves over and over that they can be serious, funny and dance-able – all in the same, sassy breath.

 

8. “Wraith Pinned To The Mist And Other Games” – The Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl, 2005)


LISTEN

 

An old favorite and for good reason.  “Let’s have bizarre celebrations…

 

7. “We Were Born The Mutants Again With Leafling” – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl, 2007)


LISTEN

 

Sometimes we need to listen to something a little sweet, sad and lovely. This is the song for those times.

 

6. “Tim I Wish You Were Born A Girl” – Cherry Peel (Bar/None, 1997)

LISTEN

 

As previously mentioned, Of Montreal does “sweet” surprisingly well for a band whose on-stage attire is at least sixty percent gold lamé and animal masks. Songs like “Tim,” “In Dreams I Dance With You,” “I Was Watching Your Eyes” and “Let’s Do Everything For The First Time Forever” make us feel all mushy inside and, most importantly, show the human beings hiding behind those sexy tiger heads.

 

5. “Id Engager” – Skeletal Lamping (Polyvinyl, 2008)

 

LISTEN

 

Just plain cool. And watch the video. Cartoons really know how to get down.

 

4.  “She’s A Rejecter” – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl, 2007)

 

LISTEN

 

I’m still waiting for OM to release “He’s A Rejecter.” For now, this will have to do.

I’m not bitter.

 

3.  “Cato As A Pun” – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl, 2007)

 

LISTEN

 

            Here’s all you need to know about this song:

 

What has happened to you and I?

            —And don’t say that I ‘have changed.’

            ‘Cause man, of course I have.

 

Feeling passive aggressive?  Copy and paste that straight into your Status box.

 

2. “A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger” – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl, 2007)

 

LISTEN

 

The happiest, coolest car jam ever to hit th—OH MY GOD JUST LISTEN TO IT ALREADY.

 

Thank you…

Love,

Your Soul

 

1. “The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl, 2007)

 

LISTEN

You have probably noticed that half of these songs come courtesy of Hissing Fauna. Why? Because it is a masterpiece.

Case in point: The second song on this best ‘Of’ list comes directly before the first, which is good because if “A Sentence Of Sorts” is the highest point of the pendulum swing, this is its deep, dark opposite.

But don’t let that scare you. This is the song you immediately start over in your car when it ends, even though it’s a million minutes long already.

This is the song you quote on Facebook to friends you haven’t spoken to in months because you know they’ll know it means, “I miss you.”

This is the song you’ll say over and over to yourself, wishing you had any musical talent at all because if you did, you would tour the world and play this song, just to bring its frustrating, heartbreaking truth to as many people as you can because—

This is the song everyone should listen to at least once.

 

*Bonus: David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” Cover by Of Montreal and Janelle Monáe (Live, 2009)

 

LISTEN

 

Did Bowie secretly die and come back in the form of Janelle Monáe?

 

Because I’d be totally okay with that.

 

 

 

For more information on Of Montreal: www.ofmontreal.net.
For tickets to their show at The Hub: www.aspb.as.ucsb.edu/event/of-montreal-the-hub/.

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