{"id":15497,"date":"2013-03-05T10:18:48","date_gmt":"2013-03-05T18:18:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/?p=15497"},"modified":"2013-03-05T11:46:34","modified_gmt":"2013-03-05T19:46:34","slug":"the-new-rebellious-jukebox-parquet-courts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/2013-03\/the-new-rebellious-jukebox-parquet-courts\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Rebellious Jukebox: Parquet Courts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ParquetCourts_AlbumArt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Back in ancient days we did our best academic work while studying to the sounds of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures<\/em><\/strong> and The Fall’s Live At The Witch<\/em> Trials<\/em><\/strong> and Dragnet<\/strong><\/em> set on repeat.\u00a0 And all was good, albeit not quiet, on the Western (Civilization) front.\u00a0 The Fall’s Mark E. Smith<\/strong> singlehandedly hit upon a new Rebellious Jukebox<\/strong><\/em> sound that we found both danceable and hypnotic in our Psychic Dancehall<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Later, The Fall<\/strong> begat Pavement<\/strong> (Smith<\/strong> famously foamed at the mouth about Pavement<\/strong> stealing The Fall’s<\/strong> sound), which begat countless other bands.\u00a0 Fast forward nearly 35 years when we fall upon a new rebellious jukebox sound:\u00a0 Parquet Courts<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The buzz over the Texas-cum-Brooklyn band Parquet Courts<\/strong> has been building for a bit, and we’d listened to a snippet or two and not been hooked immediately.\u00a0 It was only when we gave their album Light Up Gold<\/strong> a deserved thorough listen (ain’t that the way it always goes?) that we began to get just how refreshingly raucous and heady their songs are.\u00a0 In an era in which we find the “ho hey” sounds of The Lumineering Magnetic Hearts & Sons<\/strong> entourage taking over the airwaves, we have found ourselves craving the more raucous sounds of Palma Violets<\/strong> and, now, Parquet Courts<\/strong>.\u00a0 We readily admit to singing the praises of several of the aforementioned, fresh-faced and well-scrubbed folk-pop bands (Typhoon<\/strong>, The Head and the Heart<\/strong>, etc.) now dominating the Northwest and UK playlists.\u00a0 In an era of Kei$ha<\/strong> and Chris Brown<\/strong>, we will take the folk-poppers any day.\u00a0 But with all the sweetness, ya gotta have some savory, rocking counterbalance.\u00a0 Bring on the\u00a0Parquet Courts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To our ears Parquet Courts<\/strong> righteously meld the roiling sounds of The Fall<\/strong>, early (circa Johnny Jewel<\/strong><\/em>) Television<\/strong>, Pavement<\/strong>, The Feelies, <\/strong>and yes, even a bit of Wire<\/strong><\/strong>.\u00a0 You can listen to Light Up Gold<\/strong> in its entirety below.\u00a0 Make sure to give good listens in particular to Borrowed Time<\/strong><\/em> and Light Up Gold II<\/strong><\/em>, although the album lights up throughout.\u00a0 The band’s lyrics are a particular highlight–they are both effervescently-creative and carefully-curated (go HERE<\/strong><\/a> if you want to view the worthy lyrics as you listen; you know a band is lyric-centric when they feature their lyrics prominently as done here–bravo dudes!).\u00a0 A few of the lyrics didn’t pique our interest (e.g. Stoned and Starving<\/strong><\/em>), but the wordsmithing here bodes well for the future of Parquet Courts<\/strong>.\u00a0 After listening below, check out the band’s impending tour and get ye in front of them.\u00a0 They play The Echo on June 5th<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 We intend to be there.\u00a0 You can see the band in action further below.<\/p>\n