Released 01/14/2013
Former Texan bandmates now operating out of Brooklyn, Parquet Courts (supposedly named after the Boston Celtics basketball floor) are a band that wear their influences firmly on their sleeve. My first impression was the Fall but in quick order Modern Lovers, Feelies, Pavement and Wire (from "Pink Wire") followed. You get the drift: late 70s - 80s alt indie bands. Good company though. Amazingly, after a few listens they have taken those influences and melded them into something that is, well, Parquet Courts.
The main songwriters are lead singer Andrew Savage and guitarist Austin Brown. Savage is also involved with two other bands: Ferguson & Geronimo (more experimental in a Zappa Straight Records fashion) and Teenage Cool Kids (power pop-ish). Brown must have a positive influence on Savage because Parquet Courts stands out from those other bands (they do have their appeal though).
The band talks about an "Americana" influence on their work. Yeah, Americana via CBGB's and late 70's British punk. They released their first album on cassette only in 2011 and it's hard to locate. "Light Up Gold" was released by a smaller label in 2012 and this is the 2013 reissue of the same album with larger distribution on a bigger label.
If you're a fan of the above mentioned bands (with a touch of Buzzcocks, Vibrators. et al) this is an album worth looking into. I wavered at first but now I'm firmly in the Parquet camp. A quick and very rewarding listen.
