http://www.myspace.com/ofmontreal

Album: Skeletal Lamping

Artist: Of Montreal

Best Track/s: Gallery Piece, Id Engager,

Rating: 7/10

Quickly now: Another solid album, from the playful Athens, Georgia-based band Of Montreal. They have to be one of my favorite bands, i still think their album "Hissing Fauna.." is better; but this one has a few very good tunes; that will force you to smile. It is worth getting this album if you already have their previous one, if not i would go and buy "Hissing Fauna, are you the destroyer". This album will make you want to just break out into dance, wherever you are.

Later on we also have "Chicks on Speed" (17/10) and "Of Montreal" (17/10), "The Prodigy" (18/10) and later in November "The Streets" (16/11) and "Franz Ferdinand" (24/11).

"...wait, really?" was my reaction when I returned home today to find the above pictured compact disk on my premises. Two parts adoration and one part indictment, I'm not sure if this mix CD devoted to Sarah Palin is clever or indicative of deep-seated mental illness. (Note the adept use of Microsoft Paint.) You'll have to judge for yourself:

:: Dreaming of Sarah ::

1. John Cale - Barracuda
2. Beat Happening - You Turn Me On
3. Palace Music - New Partner
4. The Crystals - He's a Rebel
5. of Montreal - Everything Disappears When You Come Around
6. The Mountain Goats - West Country Dream
7. Velvet Underground - Stephanie Says
8. Julie Doiron - Dark Horse
9. Bob Dylan - Girl From the North Country
10. Jenny Toomey - Cheat
11. Sonic Youth - Star Power
12. The 6ths - Movies In My Head
13. Neko Case - Thrice All-American
14. Amy Anelle - Anchorage
15. Mojave 3 - Sarah
16. Yo La Tengo - How Much I've Lied

For more Palin music madness, sing along with this video.

- Well, we're a little time constrained today, so my overeager deconstruction of this song will have to wait until next week. Regardless, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, guys. Big name, big talent, and a heck of a grower of a self-titled album.

- It's a very good day to visit Pitchfork in general. They give a nice rave to the Vivian Girls album, which is finally available in stores. (Do wish they'd stop addressing albums in the context of the hype machine they've helped to create, though.) More obscure but no less exciting, can't wait to check out The Week That Was, a band featuring Peter Brewis of UK indie pop band Field Music, who released what I'd argue is the most underrated album of 2007, Tones of Town. This sounds... just as good.

- At the frequently hilarious Intensities in Ten Suburbs, acclaim for David Bowie's portrayal of Nikola Tesla in one of Chris Nolan's pre-Dark Knight near-masterpieces, The Prestige. Always happy to read about the film, which seems to be quickly establishing a sort of cult status.

- Browsing the website for one of my favorite quarterlies, Cabinet, it turns out they have a bountiful art and web art section. Click here and select the first option, a neat map art project by Jackie Goss about the development of maps of the United States. Can't wait to delve further into this page.

- A smart pan of the new, bloated Of Montreal album at Dusted. Better yet, a review of the new, punk as fuck Marnie Stern album, which I haven't listened to much, but it's definitely a big step forward from her last one, which I didn't "get."

- The venerable, recently deceased alt-country magazine No Depression is back in action, on the web.

- Lastly, this one's important! A sobering, inspiring endorsement of Barack Obama by the editors of the New Yorker. (Not that they need to convince their readers or anything...) Also, it's Barack and Michelle's 16th wedding anniversary today.

Radiohead

Sigur Ros

Morrissey

Bright Eyes

.

Belle and Sebastian

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Death

Rilo Kiley

The Decemberists

Of Montreal

Sufjan Stevens

Death Cab For Cutie

Vía Ezquizopedia

When Of Montreal takes a band on tour you expect them to be good. Upon hearing the news that the Swedish rock outfit Love is All is opening for the band at the beginning of the tour, including their NYC date, I got pretty excited.  You probably don't know this about me, though why would you, but I absolutely adore Swedish indie bands. There is just a super energy that they have. Its almost like they are trying to kill you with excitement.

Love is All may remind you a bit of The Sounds at first, but they mangage to pull off a real retro sound to their recordings that is almost like a warm vinyl sound. You can also dance your ass off to them. Love is All will be releasing "A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night" on November 11th. Be sure to also make it out early if they are opening for Of Montreal in your town. Its going to be one hell of a show. Of Montreal and Love is all blend perfectly together.

Check out Love is All on their Myspace www.myspace.com/loveisall8

Watch the video for Love is All's "Wishing Well"

So What (Pink)

Fly on the Wall (Miley Cyrus)

My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion) <<< velhona...

Womanizer (Britney Spears)

American Boy (Estelle ft. Kayne West)

Love Lockdown (Kayne West)

Suffer For Fashion (Of Montreal)

Falando em Of Montreal, nunca tinha escutado falar até semana passada, mas esses caras tocam música muito boa! Aqui a wikipédia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Of_Montreal

Xauxau até maal

Thanks to the inventors of the Eye Contact Glasses, the Polite Umbrella, and, my all time favorite, the Self Sustainable Chair (which actually is not self sustainable at all once you actually decide to sit on it), the world this that much closer to finally achieving heaven on earth.

Say goodbye to those dreary Mondays when leaving your bed sounds as attractive as someone taking a shit on your face.

From now on, your bed will never leave you. No matter how old and fat you get, your all new Pillowig will never leave you for a thinner, funnier, and all around better version of you (although the friends that you have left definitely will).

What more can a blogger as for?

"A Dreamy Day of Day Dreaming of You" - Of Montreal (2001 Kindercore Records) Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse

Em 6 Outubro, será lançado o novo álbum do Oasis, "Dig Out Your Soul". O novo álbum dos inglesinhos chatos já teve um single lançado, "The Shock of The Lightning", e sai pela Big Brother Records, selo da própria banda.

Também tem os novos trabalhos do Deerhoof, Sarah McLachlan, ao vivo do Police, Michelle Williams, Los Campesinos!, Kaiser Chiefs, Queen + Paul Rodgers, Sixpence None The Richer (saquinho, né?), AC/DC (mais uma banda anciã retornando, ROCK'N'ROLL), Ludacris, Matisyahu (Shattered, um EP), Ludacris, Bloc Party (o Intimacy já teve seu lançamento online em 21 de Agosto), Deerhunter, Pink e Snow Patrol.

Quanto a mim, espero com ansiedade pelos novos do Of Montréal, Keane (sim, eu gosto) e, pasmem, The Cure!

Paul was kind enough to send me a .zip file full of music he has been listening to lately. This was the 6th song and I was kind of feeling it. Every now and then I need something other than Gucci man or Booty Bass when I'm relaxing and this song hit the spot.

Dr. Dog - Hang On

[audio http://thegrip.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/02-hang-on.mp3]

I might as well post the zShare link as well. It has a nice mix of indie/hip hop stuff.

Paul's Late September Mix

Tracklisting:

Asher Roth - Cannon
Destroyer - Blue Flower/Blue Flame
Kings of Leon - Closer
The Envy Corps - Wires & Wool
Wolf Parade - Call It A Ritual
Hang On - Dr. Dog
MURS - I'm Innocent
Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines
The Walkmen - The Rat
She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
The Knux - Bang! Bang!
The Knux - Cappuccino
Ra Ra Riot - Winter '05
Of Montreal - An Eluardian Instance
MURS - Can It Be (Half A Million Dollars and 18 Months Later)
TV On The Radio - Golden Age
Dr. Dog - The Rabbit, The Bat, and the Reindeer
Cold War Kids - Welcome to the Occupation
Two Gallants - Despite What You've Been Told
Ra Ra Riot - Suspended in Gaffa
Of Montreal - And I've Seen a Bloody Shadow
TV On The Radio - DLZ
The Walkmen - Long Time Ahead of Us
Okkervil River - Bruce Wayne Interviewed...
The Walkmen - I Lost You

Chassez le borderline, il revient au galop !

La folle équipe du groupe Of Montreal, qui comme son nom l’indique nous vient des Etats-Unis, nous propose un onzième album ! Une heure de musique en quinze titres.

Onzième album d’un genre très restreint consistant en une explosion de sons dans tous les sens, de voix suraigües, de synthé déglingué… ils vont se répéter allez-vous penser. Que neni, Kevin Barnes se surpasse une fois encore, il garde toujours le même thème – la déception amoureuse et la dépression qui suit – mais explore d’autres genres musicaux en petites touches si courtes qu’elles ne dénaturent pas l’originalité mélodique du groupe.

Les titres oscillent entre 1’’26 et 7’’12 créant une dynamique surprenante, il est courant de penser qu’un titre vient de se terminer alors qu’on en est seulement au milieu. L’exemple le plus significatif du tournant pris par le groupe est probablement atteint dès la huitième minute (Wicked Wisdom) : une longue série d’insulte dont les genres musicaux passent des cœurs sixties mielleux aux variations des australiens d’Architecture in Helsinki, en passant par du rap ou une pop acidulée… Kevin connaît ses classiques (Beattles, Flying Pickets, Beach Boys…), observe ses contemporains (Just Jack, We are from Barcelona, voire une pointe de Block Party et Franz Ferdiand), sait les parodier aussi, terminant An Eluardian Instance par un « Don’t you pimp up my heart » qui semble tout droit sorti des tubes des gangstas-rapeurs US.

Dans un monde où l’économie libérale s’entraîne à la chute libre, dans une société où l’on vous demande de rentrer dans le rang, où l’on prône la « normalité » voire la « normalitude », Kevin envoie une fois de plus un violent coup de pied dans cette fourmilière qui implose :

« …Don’t be affraid little [world] of violence, I’m only poisoning you, cause i can’t shoot you / Don’t be affraid little man of my trouble mind, I’m just poisoning you a little every day… » (Death Is Not A Parallel Move).

Thought I'd start things off with this trippy-ass video of the Of Montreal song Gronlandic Edit. I saw them live last spring in Memphis. From what I remember of the show, it was pretty amazing. The lead singer was wearing a fur vest. Who knows.

Of Montreal has revealed in full the art that goes along with 'Skeletal Lamping'. Seeing the artwork out in the open brings a whole new life to the concept of the record. David Barnes (Kevin's Brother) and Nina Barnes (Kevin's wife) have teamed up to give us a great deal of options on the Polyvinyl preorder. They have also started their own collective, Apollinaire Rave, which consists of David's The Bee With Wheels, and Nina's Gemintactics. Both of them make beautiful and interesting art that is very different in color pallete and form, but come together beatifully.

With "Skeletal Lamping" if  you choose to preorder the whole collection, you have the option of getting the CD package or Vinyl. I chose the CD but now i'm wondering why I didn't choose the vinyl (Guess i'll be making another order soon). The package comes with an Of Montreal lantern, 3 stickers, a set of 9 buttons, a tee shirt, tote bag, a card to download 3 song rarities, and giant Of Montreal wall decals. I think I am excited about that part the most. Nina and David's art on my wall? Rad. In the case of the tees, totes, and decals, you get the choices of choosing between Geminitactics and The Bee with Wheels design. This is beyond a hard choice but you'll have fun choosing.

Preorder "Skeletal Lamping" and all of its goodies over at Polyvinyl.
They also have 3 different colors of "Id Engager" on vinyl, as well as new Of Montreal posters. Even one designed as the shape of a horse. Sadly the posters aren't in with the preorder.

Check out the preorder pictures below

I love it when one of my favorite bands is at the top of their game. Of Montreal has been a fun band to be a fan of over the years. Their sound has changed continually and each period has produced its share of incredible songs and several masterful albums. But with this album, they’ve really outdone themselves. For my money, there are few albums are as thrilling and harrowing to listen to as this masterpiece. If anyone ever doubted it before, I think this album confirms that Kevin Barnes is a genius.

Of Montreal has always had catchy songs and wildly imaginative arrangements. And Barnes’ harmonic vocabulary is matched only by Brian Wilson’s. (If you don’t believe me, check out their chords here and see for yourself.) But with Hissing Fauna, Barnes has taken his skills to a new level. He now has complete mastery over melody, harmony, rhythm, and sound effects and is able to bend these core musical elements at will, changing the rules of music theory along the way. But more importantly, he’s using his powers to dramatize and emphasize the harrowing emotional tale that unfolds in this record. And that’s what sets this album apart from his previous efforts. As fun and insanely creative as The Gay Parade is, it lacks the emotional depth of Hissing Fauna.

I love the Kinks-like story telling of his earlier albums, but Hissing Fauna is so much more fascinating and daring because it’s about him. He’s baring his soul, both lyrically and musically. And that’s what makes this such a harrowing and thrilling listen. I don’t know the last time I heard an album that took so many risks. I’ve heard this album several dozens of times and there are moments on here that still make me almost gasp. I find myself actively worrying that he’s about to embark on something that’s not going to pay off.

Sometimes this is lyrically (and vocally), as with the album’s centerpiece, “The Past is a Grotesque Animal.” In many ways, this song sums up the whole album. The whole song is filled with seemingly clunky lines that shouldn’t scan well--some of which he repeats but sings in different ways--but somehow he makes them work, although as I said before, it’s not clear they’re going to work until he finishes singing them. Like this line, for instance:

but teach me something wonderful
crown my head crowd my head with your lilting effects
project your fears on to me I need to view them
see there's nothing to them
I promise you there's nothing to them

It’s hard to imagine being able to sing those lines in any kind of way that’s going to make sense, rhythmically or melodically. And he almost doesn’t pull it off. Until he does.

Even the song structure is daring. It’s just four chords that never change over the course of 12 minutes. And yet it never gets boring. On the contrary, it gets more intense and interesting as the song progresses.

Other times these risks are musical. The “ooohs” in the same song; when they first come in, they sound almost silly and yet they wind up adding to the song’s increasing paranoia. In the chorus of “Gronlandic Edit,” his melody twists and turns harmonically and rhythmically over the course of 46 seconds (that’s like twice as long as most “normal” choruses), punctuated by drawn out staccatoed words, and culminating in a high E that would certainly strain most people’s vocal chords. Or the chorus of “Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse”: It’s hard to believe that the words “Come on chemicals!” could make for a great refrain.

Frankly there are dozens of moments that, on paper, sound like bad ideas--the “Are you deplaning?” section of “Faberge Falls for Shuggie,” or the “Is that too much to ask?” section of “Cato as a Pun”--but time and again he somehow manages to pull them off.

My only complaint is that after intense experience that is “The Past is a Grotesque Animal,” you need a breather and yet you still have five songs to go. By the time you get to the last two songs on the album, it’s hard to stay focused and I’m not sure if they’re just weaker songs or if I’m just exhausted. But that’s a small complaint. After all, what other album is so intoxicating and startling, that it leaves you exhausted?

They’re about to release their 9th album, Skeletal Lamping, in a few weeks. I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but it’s hard.

This is a cool acoustic version of  “Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse.” What I find fascinating about this version is it sounds like a Bowie tune, but you’d never get that from the album version. (And I’m not saying that because they cover Bowie’s “Starman” in a similar video from the same gig.)

So Friday, September 19, 2008:

This was by far my favorite day of the entire event!  I went to Red Herring, btw this was my night to cover for Buzz so I paid extra attention.  This was my first time at the Red Herring, and I liked it as a music venue.  Its really really cozy, and warm.  It got really hot actually, but it was still nice.  The lighting is great and you're able to get really close to the band.  I was able to catch Gentlemen Auction House, Tall Tale, and Dr. Manhattan.  There really weren't any ballads or slow songs played, which I thought was great.  I don't have a boyfriend and I'm not sad so I don't need to hear any crooning.  I'm just out to have fun and that's the sort of music I heard Friday, high energy, fun, stand up music.  One thing I really liked about all three bands at Red Herring was the fact they weren't just guitar, drums, and bass, they utilized other instruments as well, and yeah I know a lot of groups do, but I liked it ok.  So basically I had a good time...Pictures!!!

Then after Red Herring I walked over to Canopy Club to check out Black Mountain a band from Canadia, no that is not spelled wrong.  It should be Canadia since they're called Canadians.  Their sound is psychedelic; it sorta takes you to the 60's inside of a shag-carpeted van.  I should know I lived it, this is what my 13th lifetime?  Anyway, one thing though Black Mountain are cool people.  They don't get angry with Americans.  Some A**holes at the front of the stage started yelling some ignorant drunk crap at them and they just took it in stride.  Which was smart, and only made Candians look better than us, like they already do.  I have to say also their music is crafted.  You can hear the work they put into it.  It has so many intricacies, and little grooves to appriciate.

The best for me was defenitely the end though with The Hood Internet. Its made up of two guys who are genius.  Take some of the best hip-hop, rap, dance, and pop music and then mix it together with some indie inspired electro-beats and you have a great dance party that I wish lasted much longer.  Not to mention I was dancing with a really cute, cute, cute guy (who wasn't blonde!).  He was so awesome and a great dancer and danced with me and only me all-night, and he dressed well.  Ok he looked like Joe Jonas too.  I had to say it, its true.  The best part really was that everyone there just got crazy.  People were taking off layers of clothing, guys were topless, it was sweaty, but fun.  I actually would have preferred if some guys weren't topless though.

Saturday, September 20, 2008:

The final day!!  I got my cousin, Julian, his girlfriend, and my roomate to head out with me Saturday.  We went to Exhile on Main and got to see the Living Blue.  My cousin really liked them, but now he can't stop talking about the band he's starting...with what instruments, I do not know.  Then it was time to eat, and then around 7:30 time for Yo La Tengo at Krannert Center.  Ok so I was sick, and I fell asleep, but I was consistantly going in and out of consciousness, and I really enjoyed what I caught, but after Yo La Tengo I took a nap for like an hour in my car while my cousin and everyone else did whatever, you can ask them.

Luckily I woke up in time for Highlights and Asobi Seksu.  I was really waiting for Asobi Seksu the most out of all the bands, and being able to see them in person was inspiring.  Also I really loved the Headlights, and I didn't know one of their songs was used in a Grey's Anatomy episode.  The Headlights put on a great show, and you can tell the members are close, and how much they enjoy performing.  Their music is nicely refined, they've certainly created their own sound that separates them from other groups.  They get compared to Postal Service often, but once you hear them you can see the Headlights are in it for themselves.

Asobi Seksu's sound is ethereal, its like translucent sheets of colored paper that layer over one another making the most beautiful pattern.  Hmmm...I like that.  I guess that's why its called shoe-gazing, because it does take you to a sorta starry-eyed place.  I dunno, I get a wide range of imagery when I listen to their music.  They've also been recently signed to Polyvinyl Records which is based right here in Champaign, IL and the label also hosts the Headlights, of Montreal, and The M's.  I had such a good time at the last show, but it was sorta bittersweet.  I was tired so I was glad to finally be able to rest, but I wanted to start all over again from the beginning.  Oh well, there's always next year?

volcano! - Africa Just Wants To Have Fun
JME - AWOH
Gospel - Paper Tiger
MF Doom - Tick, Tick…
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
Of Montreal - Gronlandic Edit
Human Hair - Things Are Cut Up 3
Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
Cadence Weapon - Limited Edition OJ Slammer
Pharoah Sanders - Greetings To Idris
The Fall - Latch Key Kid
Half Man Half Biscuit - Mathematically Safe
Woodpigeon - Chorus Of Wolves
Hefner - Hello Kitten
Lykke Li - Let I Fall
A Guy Called Gerald - Life Unfolds His Mystery
Fennesz Sakamoto - Aware
Melvins - Joan of Arc
Sylvain Chaveau - LOree du Bois
Talvekoidik - The Moebius Strip
Magma - Maahnt
James Blackshaw - Mirror Speaks
Naked City - Speedfreaks
Nick Cave and The Badseeds - Dig Lazarus Dig!
Annihilation Time - AN
Om - Gebel Barkal
Benga - 26 Basslines

Of Montreal will be appearing in the Nickelodeon kid's show "Yo Gabba Gabba" this year. You may have to read that sentence again. They will be one of the great bands stopping by on the show with others like MGMT and Hot Hot Heat (who were appearing this morning).  The Shins already performed earlier this year.

I would have killed for great musicial guests on my morning television shows when I was 4. Sorry Mr. Rogers, the puppets creeped me out a bit. Of Montreal will apparently be exploring dental hygeine with the toddlers, performing a song called 'Brush Brush Brush'. I wonder if Kevin will wear his short shorts and fishnets. I hope so.

Download 'Brush Brush Brush' on Zshare

Of Montreal will be contributing to an upcoming compilation made for a Nickelodeon children's program called Yo Gabba Gabba Their contribution track is an ode to brushing teeth! For an erm, "clean", crisp mp3, check out You Ain't No Picasso

Gang Gang Dance - St. Dymphna  (Social Registry 2008).  LINK (mediafire).

Pre-order from Social Registry - vinyl for just $12!  LINK.

BONUS: Ballin' remix of track "House Jam" by Spank Rock producer XXXChange.  LINK.

YES!  Wow, what a good good band.  Every time I've seen GGD live, I've wandered around for an hour afterward, hugging people in the same zombiefied bliss state as me, usually induced by expecting the music they brought last time and getting a 10 minute Boredoms-esque drum solo out of nowhere.. or a half an hour of echoing screams and cymbal squack that suddenly gives way to something that sounds like a psyched out dance mash-up of Kate Bush, Ofra Haza, Daddy Yankee and those weird pseudo-Native American synth opuses you can buy from the National Park Service gift stores.

This is the album that finally bridges the gap between their absurdly fantastic live performance and their albums, which are good, but not what I'd call representational.  In fact, I remember reading an interview with the band in which their keyboardist/producer said something about how he expected God's Money to be much more danceable party music than it turned out to be.

This one pulls off both the elegant warped sound scapes of their earlier work as well as the tribal dance psych of Rawwar - great, because that interplay is what makes Gang Gang Dance such an interesting outfit. Musically, the Gang is more solid and confident than ever, despite a replacement drummer, and they take their jam more places than ever before to fabulous effect.

Nothing else to say about this album that it won't say for itself.  It's exceptional.  Instant classic.

Look for it in stores on October 21st, and for Gang Gang Dance to hit the road on the next leg of their endless tour for dates in Japan, the UK, and the US, with various guests including Marnie Stern, Of Montreal, Growing, and Rainbow.

Tankarna är för tillfället väldigt spralliga. Inte konstigt, så blir det när man lyssnar på Of Montreal, det är liksom oundvikligt. Känn bara på inledningen till Ira's brief life as a spider:

All the baby spiders in the nursery
waving to each other, clinging to their mothers
and smile at their dads, who say
"Now that's a clever lad"

Kevin Barnes, du är min sprallpoetiska idol!

Tankar, hoppas ni ska trivas.

Everytime I get even the slightest hint of a new Of Montreal album being released, I start to get overly excited. Of Montreal is by far the most interesting band of our time. Kevin Barnes is a creative genius and there isn't really another way to phrase it. Everything is fair game and there are no limitations when it comes to making their records. Just when you think you know what direction the band is going in, they manage to change it up a bit.

"Skeletal Lamping"  is due to be released on Polyvinyl Records on October 21st. The original release date was pushed back from October 7th because there was a problem with the printers they were using for the artwork. In any case, diehard Of Montreal fans have already had "Skeletal Lamping" for weeks. Who can wait so long to hear pure genius? Not me thats for sure. So I want to give you a glimpse inside of the new Of Montreal record. It is like entering another world.

Nonpareil of Flavor opens "Skeletal Lamping"  with a burst of energy. The piano at the beginning makes you wonder exactly what you are in for, and then suddenly you know whats going on. Apparently this song was supposed to be the last song of the record but got moved up to first place. Its a great opening for the record and starts to set the mood for whats to come. The harmonies are also incredibly smooth.

Wicked Wisdom starts with a surprising Kevin Barnes potty mouth situation that continues into an Of Montreal dance party...and its only the beginning. With classic Barnes lyrics like "Why is it that white girls don't have any ideas?" you'll be intrigued throughout. Watch for the mood change around 3:46.

For Our Elegant Caste which was originally referred to as "We Can Do It Softcore" from last year's tour has made it onto the record. I have a friend that thinks its hillarious that I like this song as much as I do. The addition of the bongos to this song is a nice surprise, and it adds to the song's incredible beat. Some of the vocal harmonies remind me a bit of something you would hear on "Satanic Panic in the Attic". This song also brings the first return on the record of Kevin's alter ego, Georgie Fruit.

Touched Something's Hollow slows the record down a notch. A beautiful song that consists only of Kevin's voice and a piano. Its a sad love song if you will.

An Eluardian Instance jumps right back into things starting off with a horn section. I cannot wait to see this song live and it is currently my favorite track on the record. Once again they start off with great harmonies and take a few twists and turns. "Do you remember, our last summer as independents?" Kevin sings several times in the middle as the harmones start to pile in. The ending that starts at 4:00 is truly a surprise.

Gallery Piece is a fun little dance song. The guitar riff is pretty infectious and so is the overall melody of the track.

Women's Studies Victims is a haunting song in every way. The little vocal effect on Kevin's voice is a nice touch. This song is also another one that changes up towards the end. It seems to get a little more upbeat in tempo. Let the party continue.

St. Exquisite's Confession is Of Montreal's attempt at Soul music. It works, it does, but it takes a bit of getting used to. I wonder what this song will be like live. The piano and guitar in the song mixed with Kevin's vocals are such a good combination. When the harmonies come in, it gets even better.

Triphallus, to Punctuate! is my second favorite song off of the album. The first line "She says we wear the party all over our bodies and faces" is only the start to this great track. When the chorus kicks in, so does the jaunty piano. Thats right, I said jaunty. There is no other way to describe it. "I supported you kid, when no one else did. You know I waved your flag, when no one else did" Kevin cries out. Is that Georgie talking to Kevin? Maybe.

And I've Seen a Blood Shadow isn't as dance oriented as most of the other tracks. The piano is featured more and one again their classic harmonies kick in midway through the song. The song ends with a high pitched scream going into.....

Plastis Wafers, which starts as an undeniable dance song. Warning though, it is kind of long clocking in at over 7 minutes long. It does manage to be an extremely interesting tune, that has many changes within it. One more intriguing than the next, oddly, all fitting together just perfectly.

Death is Not a Parallel Move I couldn't quite figure out the first time that I heard it. I'm still not 100% sure I get it at all still. The song basically starts with a beat with Kevin's voice in a chamber sounding room. It goes into a song that was trying to be 'dancable', and then 50 seconds into it, it becomes a folk song. Acoustic guitars and everything. Its just another surprise on the record. A lovely surprise.

Beware our Nubile Miscreants is another one of my favorite songs on the record. Blending infectious harmonies and dance beats that will have you dancing in your seat. This is also one of my favorite lyrical stories on the record. You have to listen to it to find out. No spoilers!

Mingusings reminds me a bit of something sort of '80s inspired' at first. This is not a bad thing. I find this song to be very distracting actually. I just have to dance to it when I hear it. I'm actually doing that right now. I'm not kidding. I love the breakdown by 1:50 that slows everything down a little only to speed it up again.

Id Engager the first single off the record starts with a Kevin shriek if you will. Another one of my favorite songs on the record. I actually wish the song was further up on the album tracklisting. "When asking why our kisses are sorrowful, remember the howl of our first verse" sings Barnes right as the harmonies start to chime in again. The song makes the album go out making us dance....just like it came in.

If I gave 'Album Ratings', which I don't like to do, "Skeletal Lamping" would get a 12 out of 10. Yes, I know thats not possible, but they get bonus points for being extraordinary. If you really liked "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?" and "Sunlandic Twins," you will adore "Skeletal Lamping". Actually I think it is Of Montreal's best record to date. You can quote me on that.

Of Montreal is going on an extensive tour starting the beginning of October with an October 10th show in NYC (Yay!). Check out the following links below to get your Of Montreal fix.

Of Montreal on Myspace www.myspace.com/ofmontreal
Official Website www.ofmontreal.net
Preorder "Skeletal Lamping" at Polyvinyl Records

Download the first single Id Engager