Parquet Courts - Where Did These Guys Come From?!

Parquet Courts is something completely different.  Most of the bands I listen to and review are alternative or indie based outfits with some punk and rock undertones but Parquet Courts is all of those things wrapped up into one, and sound more like the progenitors of modern indie rock rather than a band that just emerged onto the scene in the last couple years. Clearly taking influences from noise rock alt bands like Pavement or The Minutemen, the four piece band based out of Brooklyn, NY has some truly unique tracks on their 2012 release Light Up Gold.  Originally released on lead singer Andrew Savage’s own independent label Dull Tools, the album has been highly acclaimed by both the DIY underground and the mainstream press which is something that doesn’t happen too often.  Songs like “Careers in Combat” and “N.Dakota” could practically be called spoken word tracks with Savage’s unique voice as the center piece, melodically reciting his complex lyrics in a way that I haven’t heard in any other band of the last 10 years.  Other songs are faster like “Master of My Craft” and “Yonder is Closer to the Heart” which stand up as some really great post-punk.  Overall, I’m excited to hear a band like this nowadays.  If you knew nothing about them, you’d likely swear they were formed in 1989.  Their sound is THAT classic while still remaining fresh for a new generation of people interested in the styles of music that were almost entirely kept out of the public eye in the years before 1991 (the year punk broke) and the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind.  I really hope these guys stick true to their style for future releases and don’t try to step too far into the modern indie scene because their sound is far better and far more complex.