Can we talk about how awesome Parquet Courts are?

not sure why they are promoting this song so hard but ppl on this thread need to clam down. the first song they released off the new record is outstanding so i'm not going to join ppl jumping off a bridge just yet

clam or calm, both ok

This song/video/performance etc. feels to me like they suddenly wanted/needed to "make it big"; wracked their brains to figure out how to achieve that goal; suddenly remembered a style that worked for some bands in 2003; and are now trying... so... hard... to make it work for them.

And I have zero problem about bands I like "making it big" (heck - the bigger, the better)... but I watch/listen to this and I am embarrassed for them.

I definitely cringed and am thinking that this is no way to make a case for the mediocre white men.

I'm not sure their aspirations for this song are anything grander than being able to do things like play on Ellen, which they seem to have accomplished.

yeah

horrible song and performance

Damn that's literally the worst music I ever heard and def the dumbest bassline of all time jeeze Louise p.u.

The shots of Ellen crowd white ppl dancing is icing

I'm not sure their aspirations for this song are anything grander than being able to do things like play on Ellen, which they seem to have accomplished.

I suspect their goal is to have the song placed in one or more national advertising campaigns. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Bands gotta eat.)

this is a much better showcase (they do of course also play old songs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF1WRB9zRAM

The first song reminds me of that (half-)tongue-in-cheek old D.C. band No Trend -- except PC are "serious," I guess.

Dude reminds me of a Fred Armisen character.

Nice groove at the end.

Thanks for posting this! The first song sounds like a classic Minutemen-riff/cover - really good.

I can understand the criticism up to a point about a more "$$$" approach. I remember reading an interview after the release of the Monastic Living EP where they said something along the lines of "we are touring all the time without making any money".

have to admit my heart kinda sank when the curtain went up and I saw that back line of extra players. The song itself is pretty meh, but it does seem like a weirdly clumsy careerist move, like it isn't as terrible as, say, the last Yeah Yeah Yeahs album but why do this now.

dude doesn't look like Armisen, he looks like a McPoyle fwiw

A. Savage is one of the strangest frontmen i've ever seen live. at once so awkward and vicious. they are very good live, i wonder if they're bringing any extra players on tour.

LOL

i know this board is not big fans of Tame Impala but they are doing, do something completely different with much better results. not a fan of that clip/song.

Hope the record will be more like the 1st single and (much) less like the 2nd one

yeah Almost Had To Start a Fight is good

new song & video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iir8HyAKqQM

Sounds a little like an R.E.M. song

(specifically, one w/Mike Mills vox - like "Texarkana")

Boring

Always liked the Savage songs better

Sounds a little like an R.E.M. song

Yes, I can definately hear Peter Buck´s signature strumming style. But why are they teasing so many songs? I prefer to have the album release now.

Boring

― nostormo

yup. i'm pretty evenly split on Savage & Brown, i think they both have a lot of duds.

First half of the record is good. 2nd half is sometime boring sometime just plain bad.

Sounds like a Parquet Courts album

Mmm..i think HP was better. More homogenic.
Though Total Football and Had To Start A Fight are some of their best records

The Austin Brown songs are the weakest link i think.

They try new sounds and genres here but they should stick with what they know best if they asked me which of course they won't lol

what they know best = that well is pretty dry

Yes they are not the greatest/most original band but i like them enough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqZTK_NneOA

there's a lot to like about the new record but it is pretty weird, and i'd say willfully incoherent. the title track certainly isn't the only thing they try that doesn't quite land. it's early still but i suspect this won't be an album of theirs that i put on start to finish too often in the long term.

the idea of playing white funk by injecting slap bass bores me, but, yes, ,I hear enough weirdness on this album to keep me listening. I like the mid tempo and ballads best ("Mardi Gras Beads").

i like mardi gras beads a lot, his other couple tracks i am less sure about so far. one thing with austin is that when he has an idea for a song he never writes it just once.

How are these guys live?

they've been great every time i've seen them, altho the last time now was the tour for sunbathing animal. but i am seeing them tomorrow nite at a slightly larger venue so i can report back after that.

please do!

decent review here https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/parquet-courts-wide-awake/

I'm not a huge Parquet Courts fan, but this new album is a step in a good direction, especially some of the more keyboard-heavy tracks.

Yeah that last song with the piano is my favourite so far (only after 2 listens though)

I found that Pfork review totally baffling

i thought it was great but mike powell's one of my fav music writers

I'm finding Savage's vocals sort of unbearable at this point.

I listened to half of that p4k concert yesterday afternoon, all new songs I think, sounded good.

show last night was great. the best i have seen them, afaicr. they were very on, lots of energy, seemed to be enjoying themselves. the new songs sounded very good, total football was an explosive opener. even inspired the always-embarrassing indie mosh. fuck tom brady was unexpectedly well received (in boston). interesting setlist overall, mostly stayed away from the singles from previous records but they are still playing master of my craft>borrowed time and light up gold ii, god bless them. we got a very loud, extended jam, audience participation version of wide awake which even to me sounds horrible as i type it but was honestly incredible, like they were leaning in to the ridiculousness of it. minor quibble would be that they biased the sound towards the loud songs so those really popped but the more midtempo stuff lost something. even so, i think austin's songs are always a bit more convincing live, and mardi gras beads was a highlight.

anyway, highly recommended. so glad i went, as i had been on the fence and in the end only really decided to go because of the support (goat girl - also terrific)