The Gay Parade is indie pop's very own Sgt.
Pepper, a richly detailed, grandly ambitious concept record which forgoes the ponderous pretensions the phrase implies to instead exult in the simple joys of everyday life.
Kevin Barnes' songs radiate a childlike wonder and boundless enthusiasm, discovering beauty in the most unlikely of places; his lyrics suggest psychedelic nursery rhymes, populated by absurdist characters (each and every one depicted on the jacket art) sketched in Crayola across a series of majestic melodies and ornate arrangements which belie the record's surface naïveté.
For all of The Gay Parade's effervescence and whimsy, there's also a melancholy that pervades songs like "Jacques Lamure," "The Autobiographical Grandpa," and "My Friend Will Be Me," recalling the lovelorn hues of the previous Of Montreal record, The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy; far from deflating the euphoria, however, these moments simply acknowledge the necessity of sadness and loss to the human experience, and deem them worthy of celebration as well.
These are songs in the key of life, Zen-like expressions of simplicity and innocence resonating with remarkable complexity and wisdom.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Familiar WayKevin Barnes | Of Montreal | Play | 02:25 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 2 | Fun Loving NunKevin Barnes | Of Montreal | Play | 02:17 | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| 3 | Tulip BarooKevin Barnes | Of Montreal | Play | 02:10 | 4 MB | 15 MB |
| 4 | The March of the Gay ParadeKevin Barnes | Of Montreal | Play | 02:55 | 6 MB | 21 MB |
| 5 | Neat Little Domestic LifeKevin Barnes | Of Montreal | Play | 02:45 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 6 | A Collection of Poems About WaterKevin Barnes | Of Montreal | Play | 03:57 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 7 | I'd Be a Yellow Feathered LoonKevin Barnes | Of Montreal | Play | 02:19 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 8 | The Autobiographical GrandpaKevin Barnes | Of Montreal | Play | 01:54 | 4 MB | 12 MB |
| 9 | The Miniature PhilosopherKevin Barnes | Of Montreal | Play | 03:54 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 10 | My Favorite Boxer | Of Montreal | Play | 03:01 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 11 | Nickee Coco and the Invisible Tree | Of Montreal | Play | 05:21 | 12 MB | 32 MB |
| 12 | The Gay Parade Outro | Of Montreal | Play | 00:47 | 1 MB | 4 MB |
| 13 | Jaques Lamure | of Montreal | Play | 02:31 | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| 14 | Y The Quale And Vaguely Bird Noisily Enjoying Their Forbidden Tryst | of Montreal | Play | 02:40 | 6 MB | 17 MB |
| 15 | Advice From A Divorced Gentlemen To His Bachelor Friend Considering Marriage | of Montreal | Play | 02:08 | 4 MB | 11 MB |
| 16 | A Man's Life Flashing Before His Eyes While He And His Wife Drive Off A Cliff | of Montreal | Play | 03:04 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 44 mins | 101 MB | |||||
| 44 mins | 277 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron | Vocals |
| 2 | Dottie Alexander | Clarinet, Keyboards |
| 3 | Derek Almstead | Drums, Guitar, Guitar (Bass), Typewriter, Vocals |
| 4 | Jeremy Ayers | Vocals |
| 5 | Barbara | Vocals |
| 6 | Jeremy Barnes | Drums, Vocals |
| 7 | Kevin Barnes | Banjo, Bass, Bells, Composer, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Lap Steel Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Voices |
| 8 | Beth | Vocals |
| 9 | Bryan | Vocals |
| 10 | Laura Carter | Musician, Vocals |
| 11 | Rob Carter | Bass (Upright) |
| 12 | Christina | Vocals |
| 13 | Dave | Vocals |
| 14 | John Dazzo | Vocals |
| 15 | Derek | Vocals |
| 16 | Dottie | Vocals |
| 17 | Pete Erchick | Piano |
| 18 | John Fernandes | Violin, Vocals |
| 19 | A.C. Forrester | Drums (Bass), Fuzz Bass, Horn, Lap Steel Guitar, Melodica, Penny Whistle, Toy Piano |
| 20 | Laura Glenn | Vocals |
| 21 | Laura Heisler | Vocals |
| 22 | Bryan Helium | Actor, Vocals |
| 23 | Jamie Huggins | Drums, Percussion, Vocals |
| 24 | Janice | Vocals |
| 25 | Josh | Vocals |
| 26 | Kai | Vocals |
| 27 | Kristy | Vocals |
| 28 | Krysia | Vocals |
| 29 | Lecithen Emulcifier | Artwork |
| 30 | Jeff Mangum | Musician |
| 31 | Heather McIntosh | Cello |
| 32 | John McKay | Vibraphone |
| 33 | Of Montreal | Primary Artist |
| 34 | Rachel | Vocals |
| 35 | Andrew Rieger | Narrator |
| 36 | Robby | Vocals |
| 37 | Roxanne | Vocals |
| 38 | Scott Sosebee | Design |
| 39 | Scott Spillane | Horn |
| 40 | Will | Vocals |
| 41 | Eric Wilson | Vocals |
| 42 | Hank Wren | Vocals |
| 43 | Zach | Vocals |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |