There’s a new Parquet Courts album out in April and I’m pretty sure it’s gonna end up being one of my favourite records of 2016.
I’ve found PC compelling ever since ‘Light Up Gold’ dropped into my lap in late 2012. Since then, the band have twisted and turned in different directions, at first seeming to shut themselves away completely from all the attention heaped on them after the Strokesy (and they’d hate that comparison) garage pop of tracks like ‘Stoned & Starving’. Co-frontman Andrew Savage busied himself with his fantastic label Dull Tools (Future Punx and Soda are well worth your time), while his bandmates worked on solo projects/collaborations, had kids and occasionally came together again to put out an array of albums and EP’s that both delighted and infuriated fans (last year’s ‘difficult’ EP ‘Monastic Living’ was slammed pretty much across the board, receiving 2/5 from NME, 4.9 from Pitchfork, and C from Consequence Of Sound).
Forthcoming album ‘Human Performance’ is out on April 8 via Rough Trade Records, and it flexes its melodic muscles far more than their previous output. On some tracks – ‘Berlin Got Blurry’ included – it sounds utterly defiant, while elsewhere I can hear hints of bruised Americana, compressed and lo-fi dream pop, endless great riffs and some genuinely laugh out loud lyrics. I’ve not been this excited about a record by them for ages, in fact.
Anyway, with a guitar solo nicked straight out of The Shadows’ back-pocket (no joke), check out today’s new track, ‘Berlin Got Blurry’:
Parquet Courts have a lot of tour dates coming up:
Fri. Feb. 26 – Oakland, CA @ The New Parish (Noise Pop) w/ Chris Cohen – SOLD OUT
Sat. Feb. 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ American Legion Hall w/ Chris Cohen – SOLD OUT
Sun. Feb. 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ American Legion Hall
Sat. Mar. 12 – Marfa, TX @ Marfa Myths w/ No Age, Emitt Rhodes, Quilt, Sheer Mag
Thu. Apr. 14 – Providence, RI @ The Met w/ Soda
Fri. Apr.15 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club w/ Soda
Sat. Apr. 16 – Kingston, NY @ BSP Kingston w/ Soda
Sun. Apr. 17 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit w/ Soda
Mon. Apr. 18 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups w/ Soda
Wed. Apr. 20 – Chicago, IL @ Metro w/ Soda
Thu. Apr. 21 – Detroit, MI @ Marble Bar w/ Soda
Fri. Apr. 22 – Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Theater w/ Soda
Thu. Apr. 28 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
Sat. Apr. 30 – Austin, TX @ Levitation Festival
Mon. May 2 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
Wed. May 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ B Boys
Thu. May 12 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/ B Boys
Fri. May 13 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle w/ B Boys
Sun. May 15 – Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
Mon. May 16 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge w/ B Boys
Tue. May 17 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight w/ B Boys
Wed. May 18 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater w/ B Boys
Fri. May 20 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall w/ B Boys
Sat. June 4 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound Festival
Sun. June 5 – Nimes, FR @ This Is Not A Love Song Festival
Tue. June 7 – Bilbao, ES @ Kafe Antzokia
Thu. June 9 – Porto, PT @ Primavera Sound Porto
Sun. June 12 – London, UK @ Field Day
Tue. June 14 – Bristol, UK @ Trinity
Wed. June 15 – Liverpool, UK @ New Kazimier
Thu. June 16 – Edinburgh, UK @ La Belle Angele
Fri. June 17 – Leeds, UK @ Irish Centre
Fri. June 18 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
Tue. June 21 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix Club
Thu. June 23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Noord
Mon. June 27 – Paris, FR @ Gaite Lyrique