Parquet Courts | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Parquet Courts blend of noisy, punk-friendly clatter and snarky, sometimes serious lyrics delivered in a menacing monotone struck a chord within indie rock circles with their 2012 album, Light Up Gold, and after loads of touring and a series of literate and scrappy albums made for Whats Your Rupture? and Rough Trade, they firmly established themselves as one of their eras marquee groups. As the decade advanced, the band began to experiment with its proven formula, working with rapper Bun B on a 2016 single, collaborating with Italian producer Daniele Luppi on 2017s Milano, and exploring new influences (dance punk, new wave) on the Danger Mouse-produced 2018 record Wide Awake! The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Texas band was formed in 2010 by former Fergus & Geronimo member Andrew Savage on vocals and guitar, guitarist/vocalist Austin Brown, bassist Sean Yeaton, and drummer Max Savage. The band played often in the greater New York area and released its first album, American Specialties, exclusively on cassette in late 2011 (a vinyl release followed in 2012). A more widely distributed full-length, Light Up Gold, was issued on the Dull Tools label in the summer of 2012, and the bands first U.S. tour followed by the end of the year. Light Up Gold quickly caught on and was reissued on Brooklyn label Whats Your Rupture? in early 2013 to wider distribution. They became darlings of the indie rock world thanks to the response to the record from the press, constant touring, and their intractable charm. When not on the road, they spent much of their time in the studio recording songs for their next record, with a five-song EP, Tally All the Things That You Broke, surfacing late in 2013. Their third album, Sunbathing Animal, was released in June of 2014, again on Whats Your Rupture?, and again, members of the band followed up with a collection of more slapdash recordings almost immediately, releasing the album-length Content Nausea as Parkay Quarts in November of the same year. In March of 2015, the groups first concert recording, Live at Third Man Records, was issued. That summer, the band released split 7" singles with Big Ups (on Roekie Records) and Joey Pizza Slice (on Wharf Cat Records). Rough Trade signed Parquet Courts and released the experimental, primarily instrumental Monastic Living EP in November. Meanwhile, they were working on their next album, which was the first to have songwriting contributions from all four members. Working at Sonelab studios in western Massachusetts and Wilcos Loft in Chicago, but mostly at Dreamland Studio in upstate New York (where the B-52s recorded "Love Shack"), the bandmembers spent their days writing songs and their nights recording them. The resulting album, early 2016s Human Performance, was somewhat dark and mostly inward-looking, though still full of jumpy punk. In February 2017, Parquet Courts released a limited-edition 12" single, "Captive of the Sun," which featured the band collaborating with Bun B of the Texas hip-hop crew UGK as well as producers DJ Candlestick and O.G. Ron C. Later that same year, the band was featured on Milano, a collaboration with Italian composer and producer Daniele Luppi that also featured guest vocals from Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Parquet Courts were busy at work on their next album by then, recording in New York and Texas with producer Danger Mouse. The songs written by Andrew Savage and Austin Brown were influenced by a wider range of sounds and artists this time around, with dance-punk, the Specials, folky indie pop, and classic rock all getting a look. Both their expanded approach and Danger Mouses production finesse led to 2018s Wide Awake! being the bands most diverse and accessible record yet. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 11 Title: American Specialties Released: 2012 Tracks: 11 Duration: 27:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Her Boyfriends Band (01:12) 2 Food Stamps Office (01:17) 3 Mezzanine (02:31) 4 American Specialties (01:21) 5 Other Desert Cities (06:31) 6 Square States (02:53) 7 College Chess Circuit (03:49) 8 Nation of Islam: Nunavut (01:46) 9 Largish/Dominant (02:58) 10 A.M. Reprise (Rebelious outtake) (00:41) 11 Tidal Hisses (02:28) |
 | Album: 2 of 11 Title: Light Up Gold Released: 2013-01-15 Tracks: 15 Duration: 33:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Master of My Craft (03:10) 2 Borrowed Time (02:32) 3 Donuts Only (01:21) 4 Yr No Stoner (01:50) 5 Yonder Is Closer to the Heart (02:59) 6 Careers in Combat (01:07) 7 Light Up Gold I (00:18) 8 Light Up Gold II (01:13) 9 N Dakota (02:19) 10 Stoned and Starving (05:11) 11 No Ideas (02:37) 12 Caster of Worthless Spells (01:18) 13 Disney P.T. (01:12) 14 Tears o Plenty (03:15) 15 Picture Of Health (02:44) |
| Light Up Gold : Allmusic album Review : Passionate slackers Parquet Courts are from the same crew of Texas-to-Brooklyn transplants responsible for the Zappa-esque genre-bending conceptual weirdness of Fergus & Geronimo as well as the more straightforward basement pop-punk of Teenage Cool Kids. Songwriter Andrew Savage is clearly a prolific and multifaceted character, but with Parquet Courts, he taps into a focus and sense of mood cultivation missing in some of his other projects. Savage and fellow songwriter Austin Brown present a series of observational freeze-frames on debut album Light Up Gold, zeroing in on banal scenes, everyday events, and listless pondering during drifting times. Musically, Parquet Courts draw on some influences not commonly paired, but to great effect. Motoric indie rockers like "Borrowed Thyme" and "Stoned & Starving" call to mind the wandering rock of the Feelies or the inward-looking side of the first phase of the Modern Lovers. Contemporaries like Tyvek can be heard on the shouty poetry of tracks like "Donuts Only" and "Yonder Is Closer to the Heart," while the shadow of 90s staple artists like Pavement and Sonic Youth colors the entire album. All these disparate influences dont show up in a way that feels jarring or derivative, which is perhaps the great strength of Light Up Gold. The album manages to sound like its learning from its influences rather than stealing directly. Much like Pavements "Two States" managed to blatantly ape the Fall and somehow still get a pass on its own merits, "Careers in Combat" apes Pavement aping the Fall in the most original way possible, and sounds great in the process. The patchwork of reference points becomes more about the way the band wears them than anything, and Parquet Courts approach to both melody and always-mutating guitar tones silently elevates them from being mere reflections of their record collections. While still early into the groups existence, the bandmembers dubbed their sound "Americana punk," possibly referring to the open landscapes of their Texan beginnings clashing with their present urban surroundings and the unique sonic results of that juxtaposition. Much more on the mark is a line from an early bio comparing the feel of the band to elements of Sonic Youth, Bob Dylan, and other acts not originally from the big city, but ultimately just as important a part of its musical landscape. Light Up Gold captures some of the excitement and perspective on city life that only transplants could feel, and filters it through a haze of laid-back 90s alt-rock influence. The album is sometimes languid, often jittery and beaming, but mostly an almost subconsciously storytelling collection of moments that would be boring and forgettable if they werent captured in songs so accidentally perfect. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 11 Title: Tally All the Things That You Broke Released: 2013-10-08 Tracks: 5 Duration: 19:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Youve Got Me Wonderin Now (02:24) 2 Descend (The Way) (02:56) 3 The More It Works (05:04) 4 Fall on Yr Face (01:25) 5 Hes Seeing Paths (07:38) |
 | Album: 4 of 11 Title: Light Up Gold / Tally All the Things That You Broke Released: 2013-10-14 Tracks: 20 Duration: 52:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Master of My Craft (03:10) 2 Borrowed Time (02:32) 3 Donuts Only (01:21) 4 Yr No Stoner (01:50) 5 Yonder Is Closer to the Heart (02:59) 6 Careers in Combat (01:07) 7 Light Up Gold I (00:18) 8 Light Up Gold II (01:13) 9 N Dakota (02:19) 10 Stoned and Starving (05:11) 11 No Ideas (02:37) 12 Caster of Worthless Spells (01:18) 13 Disney P.T. (01:12) 14 Tears o Plenty (03:15) 15 Picture of Health (02:44) 16 Youve Got Me Wonderin Now (02:24) 17 Descend (The Way) (02:56) 18 The More It Works (05:04) 19 Fall on Yr Face (01:25) 20 Hes Seeing Paths (07:38) |
 | Album: 5 of 11 Title: Sunbathing Animal Released: 2014-06-02 Tracks: 13 Duration: 46:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bodies Made Of (03:21) 2 Black & White (03:03) 3 Dear Ramona (02:34) 4 What Color Is Blood? (03:24) 5 Vienna II (01:02) 6 Always Back in Town (02:37) 7 She’s Rolling (06:33) 8 Sunbathing Animal (03:52) 9 Up All Night (01:02) 10 Instant Disassembly (07:12) 11 Ducking & Dodging (04:29) 12 Raw Milk (03:59) 13 Into the Garden (03:00) |
| Sunbathing Animal : Allmusic album Review : Recorded over the course of 2013 and early 2014, a span of time that found them the toast of the indie rock world after their debut Light Up Gold took off, Parquet Courts second album is both more of the same and quite different. It definitely doesnt fall prey to any sort of sophomore slump, and it wont disappoint anyone who fell for Golds hyperactive, hooky charms. Sunbathing Animal finds the transplanted Brooklyn quartet with their passion undimmed, their lyric books overflowing with words, and their sound streamlined into the equivalent of a punch in the gut on the fast songs, a sharp right hook to the temple on the slower ones, and a long clinch on the two epic-length tracks that turn the second half of the record into something kind of different for the band. Some of the ramshackle innocence of Gold has vanished; the album sounds far less tossed off and fun. They take a more serious approach here, a little angry and a little weary at times. It still sounds very Pavement, very Fall, very SST or Homestead at its core, but Parquet Courts sound a little less in thrall to their heroes this time out, and it seems someone in the band did a little research on the blues (shown most obviously on their fiery take on the traditional "Ducking & Dodging," but also in the drunken harmonica that pops up on "Shes Rolling"). The slight adjustments to the sound and the attitude arent a problem, though; the growth the band shows on Animal is impressive and its good to see both songwriters, Andrew Savage and Austin Brown, try new things and stretch in interesting ways. Their strengths are still wordy, wiry songs that sound ready to keel over from the sheer energy expended ("Black & White," the title track) and loping, loopy midtempo songs that are lovably shaggy ("Dear Ramona," "What Color Is Blood?"), but their excursions into the dirty blues ("Raw Milk") and late-night balladry ("Instant Disassembly," which sounds like Pavement attempting and nailing a Van Morrison cover) are great too. Plus, they came up with an instant classic indie rock jam, "Always Back in Town," thats worth the cost of the album all on its own. Sunbathing Animal may not be the shock to the system that Light Up Gold was; it may not be quite the sensation. It is the work of bandmembers in total control of their sound, doing exactly what they should on a second album. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 11 Title: Content Nausea Released: 2014-11-11 Tracks: 12 Duration: 35:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Everyday It Starts (02:56) 2 Content Nausea (03:04) 3 Urban Ease (00:55) 4 Slide Machine (04:22) 5 Kevlar Walls (00:59) 6 Pretty Machines (04:41) 7 Psycho Structures (02:53) 8 The Map (02:55) 9 These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ (03:31) 10 Insufferable (01:35) 11 No Concept (00:43) 12 Uncast Shadow of a Southern Myth (06:26) |
 | Album: 7 of 11 Title: Live at Third Man Records Released: 2015-03-03 Tracks: 11 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Duckin & Dodgin (?) 2 Bodies (?) 3 Black & White (?) 4 Vienna II (?) 5 Always Back in Town (?) 6 Dear Ramona (?) 7 Descend (?) 8 Instant Disassembly (?) 9 Raw Milk (?) 10 Into the Garden (?) 11 Sunbathing Animal (?) |
| Live at Third Man Records : Allmusic album Review : Indie noise pop group Parquet Courts first official live release captures their blistering 11-song performance in Nashville at Third Man Records intimate Blue Room on June 5, 2014. It was recorded with the studios coveted direct-to-acetate process and includes selections mostly from the bands Sunbathing Animal, released earlier the same week. They also perform "Descend" from their Tally All the Things That You Broke EP. If the set sounds short, no worries, they do extended versions of some of the songs, including a "Raw Milk" thats more than twice the length of the studio version. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 11 Title: Monastic Living Released: 2015-11-13 Tracks: 9 Duration: 33:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 No, No, No! (01:11) 2 Monastic Living I. (07:01) 3 Elegy of Colonial Suffering (01:10) 4 Frog Pond Plod (01:31) 5 Vow of Silence (05:52) 6 Monastic Living II. (06:31) 7 Alms for the Poor (00:46) 8 Poverty & Obedience (01:12) 9 Prison Conversion (08:00) |
 | Album: 9 of 11 Title: Human Performance Released: 2016-04-08 Tracks: 13 Duration: 42:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dust (03:57) 2 Human Performance (04:15) 3 Outside (01:45) 4 I Was Just Here (01:48) 5 Paraphrased (03:01) 6 Captive of the Sun (02:03) 7 Steady on My Mind (03:38) 8 One Man No City (06:24) 9 Berlin Got Blurry (03:26) 10 Keep It Even (02:47) 11 Two Dead Cops (03:05) 12 Pathos Prairie (02:51) 13 It’s Gonna Happen (03:20) |
| Human Performance : Allmusic album Review : After getting a bunch of weirdness out of their system on the Monastic Living EP, Parquet Courts return with their most focused album to date. Human Performance finds the band at its songwriting peak: almost every song is catchy and tight enough to be a single. Kicking off the album with the driving, droney "Dust" sets the tone right away, with its clean production and punchy rhythm section pounding the chorus directly into the brains of listeners. The rest of the album alternates between relaxed songs that evoke the Go-Betweens ("Keep It Even," the title track) and jumpy uptempo tracks ("Pathos Prairie," "Outside"), with occasional bouts of oddball art pop (the goofy "I Was Just Here") and long-form jams (the bongo-filled "One Man No City") thrown in for good measure. Throughout, the band sounds completely at ease; both vocalists prove adept at shouting, but show a strong amount of tenderness and subtlety on the quieter tracks like "Human Performance" and "Keep It Even." They still kick up plenty of scrappy noise, though, and tracks like "Paraphrased" and "Berlin Got Blurry" bring plenty of off-kilter art rock to the mix. The strength of Human Performances songwriting is matched by its powerful sound. The guitars crackle and chime more than ever, and as they twist and clash, the clarity of the recording really lets the listener feel their electric energy. This is an immediate album that doesnt need a few plays to sink into ones consciousness. The band has always made exciting, energetic indie rock, the kind that jumps out of the speakers and runs around the room like it was hopped up on poetry and Adderall. Sunbathing Animal began the process with great success, and Human Performance shows that the band is just as vital and alive when it dials the intensity (way) down, cleans up some of the messy parts, and generally grows up in all the right ways. Its a career-building move to be sure, one that for most bands is the first step in their inevitable demise. In Parquet Courts case, its a step that could lead anywhere -- and thats an exciting prospect. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 11 Title: MILANO Released: 2017-10-27 Tracks: 9 Duration: 30:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Soul and Cigarette (03:28) 2 Talisa (02:20) 3 Mount Napoleon (03:26) 4 Flush (explicit version) (04:26) 5 Memphis Blues Again (03:15) 6 Pretty Prizes (03:05) 7 The Golden Ones (02:06) 8 Lanza (02:47) 9 Café Flesh (05:05) |
| MILANO : Allmusic album Review : While working on a batch of songs about the alternative lifestyle scene of Milan in the 1980s, where and when he came of age, Italian composer and arranger Daniele Luppi decided he needed a working band to play his compositions and help write the words. He landed on Parquet Courts, thinking that they embodied the seedy glamour and arty angles of the era. It proved to be an inspired choice, as the band does a fine job bringing the writers songs and vision to life on Milano. Luppi also had the bright idea to bring Karen O on board to add her vocals (and lyrics) to many of the nine songs. The team fits together perfectly, with the Courts rambling attack alternately loping and charging through the songs, the bands Andrew Savage laconically drawling out the typically dense and witty lyrics like a bored denizen of Milans underground, and Karen O delivering some of her typically inspired vocals. She brings the snappy "Talisa" to life with some snarkily sneering vocals, struts like a haughty socialite on the skids on the disco-funky "Flush," yelps and snaps like bubblegum on "The Golden Ones," and duets smartly with Savage on the alternate-universe pop single "Pretty Prizes." It sounds good enough that one might wish she joined Parquet Courts full-time. It also makes one think that they should ask Luppi to produce their next album. As producer, he captures their shambling nature simply and powerfully; as arranger, he adds subtle touches to the songs that give them some depth. The bells on "Soul and Cigarette" and "Mount Napoleon," the wailing sax on the latter song, the accordion on "Memphis Blues Again," the buzzy synths on "Lanza"; these are lightly applied additions to the bands sound that really open things up and give the songs some breathing room. The band even proves to be adept at backing some wildly oscillating jazz soloing on the instrumental "Café Flesh," which closes the album in a decadent whirl of sound. The combination of talents involved works in all of their favor, and the result is a short, snappy modern art-punk album that is a worthy addition to each acts already strong catalog. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 11 Title: Wide Awake! Released: 2018-05-18 Tracks: 13 Duration: 38:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Total Football (04:01) 2 Violence (04:05) 3 Before the Water Gets Too High (04:05) 4 Mardi Gras Beads (02:43) 5 Almost Had to Start a Fight / In and Out of Patience (03:14) 6 Freebird II (02:55) 7 Normalization (02:11) 8 Back to Earth (03:54) 9 Wide Awake (02:38) 10 NYC Observation (01:22) 11 Extinction (01:41) 12 Death Will Bring Change (02:42) 13 Tenderness (03:06) |