Kevin Pederson photo

by Daniel Colussi | My pal Mark Richardson hipped me to Texas/NYC outfit Parquet Courts when he selected the band to kick off an exclusive mix for this very column. Said track, Master Of My Craft, piqued my interest, and further investigations into this twitchy, lyrically ambitious band have yielded many rewards. In the roughly six months since their very fine Light Up Gold album was released the band has toured pretty much non-stop. The album has received rave acclaim and they’ve won over a lot of new fans, myself included. Key to Parquet Courts’ appeal is their marriage of nervous, bouncy punk rock with surprisingly dense lyrics. It makes for a refreshing, satisfying listen. The brevity and urgency of these songs – none of which crack the four minute mark – betrays the depth of what’s troubling the minds of lead songwriters Andrew Savage and Austin Brown.

Stoned And Starving’s title recalls any number of Wavves’ throwaway songs, but it’s actually an existential confession from soul wandering the empty streets of Queens. N. Dakota is musically laidback and cyclical, but lyrically packed with enough tossed off observations – of among other things, toothpaste, going on holiday, and the vastness/emptiness of the USA – to form a solid novella. No songs overstay their welcome, and when the album’s brisk thirty minutes are through you’ll likely play it again.

I’m pretty enthused to hear some new tunes from these guys, some of which were debuted recently on NPR World Cafe. Their headlining show on Friday night at the Electric Owl will be their first Vancouver appearance and is as guaranteed a good time as you’re ever going to get in this topsy-turvy world. Struggling with David Foster Wallace’s unfinished tome? Give yourself a break and come have a beer with NY/TX’s finest.

Parquet Courts w/Naomi Punk (Seattle) and Devastator at the Electric Owl, Friday June 14th. Tickets at Zulu, Red Cat, Electric Owl and Timbreconcerts.com.

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Daniel Colussi is the Music Editor of Scout Magazine and a contributing writer to Ion Magazine. A veteran employee of Zulu Records and tuneage aficionado, he DJs on an infrequent basis (about four times a year) and is a musician around town who plays in several ensembles.