ACL Gimme 5: Neighbor Lady

ACL season is here sports fans, and as always, ATH will be doing everything in our power to prepare for the festival. A couple of years ago I started a new concept of asking bands to create a short 5 song playlist filled with songs featuring only artists playing the festival. Lucky for us, my dear friends in Atlanta based band Neighbor Lady thought this was a great idea and made a playlist for the site. If this sounds intriguing to you, which it should, hit the jump for the songs and for short blurbs about each.Neighb

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Maxband Drop One Final Jam

A lot of folks are probably circling the Maxband wagon due to the participation of Parquet Courts drummer Max Savage (his name is in the band’s name, though he doesn’t sing on the tune below). But, with their new album, Perfect Strangers, hitting this Friday, they wanted to give you one more convincing number…and this might just be my favorite. At first, I felt like the group were channeling some of Max’s brother’s solo work; it has that same rustic indie rock feel to it. Then, the last minute and a half led me to my final conclusion…they’re writing hook-laden casual rockers a la REM…something I can definitely get on board with, so be sure to stick to the final minute at least! And, if you’re so convinced, as one should be, that this is your next favorite album, grab Perfect Strangers from Gentle Reminder Records this Friday.

New Parquet Courts Number

Come into work, and what do I find? A new Parquet Courts, with a slightly new sound…continuing on from their first single. This has a funky groove, including some old school percussive styles most often associated with dancehall. The accompanying video really ups the ante, displaying a band that seem to be having a great time out there. It’s probably going to throw folks for a huge loop once they hear it, but I completely respect that…no one wants to hear you make the same album again and again (ask the Strokes). You can grab the band’s new album, Wide Awake!, on May 18th via Rough Trade Records.

Here Comes That New Parquet Courts Album

I think I needed a break from Parquet Courts after their first couple of albums; they were everywhere, putting on killer shows and releasing pretty solid tracks. So I took a break, but this great new single definitely has me ready to devote myself to being a Parquet Courts fan. As ever evolving, they still have their distinct sound, though it’s unfolding in different ways, perhaps hard-hitting at moments…this tune in particular seems to have definitive sections…so, diverse, brash and weighed down by hooks…yeah, I’m in. Wide Awake! will be released on May 18th via Rough Trade.

Rock This Silverbacks Tune

Looking for a band akin to Parquet Courts in the early days? Then perhaps you should check out Dublin’s Silverbacks…the band employ similar discordant guitar licks throughout the verses on their latest single. That being said, there’s a bit more polish and sheen to this number, especially in the punching chorus. Still, the band take on the exploration of ringing chords, laying them out into the speakers, with faint vocals running through one side of your ear! It’s an impressive number that rides the hype created by their powerful Sink the Fat Moon EP, released earlier this year.

Brooding Track From A. Savage

A. Savage, of Parquet Courts, will be releasing his new album,Thawing Dawn, in a little over a month on October 13. He’s shared another single from that release called “Wild, Wild, Wild Horses” and it’s an interesting take on indie rock. It’s got a cinematic feel to it– minimalist in instrumentation, the song sounds like it’s going to launch into full sound at any moment, but it sort of lingers off stage for the most part. The vocals are in the spotlight, and with in-depth lyrics like A. Savage has spun, you’re pretty glad you can make out every word. Take a listen below and then go pre-order the new record here.

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Show Review: Parquet Courts @ Mohawk

Parquet Courts shirts 8 15 2016Covering all the shows in this town is trying sometimes, so we sent our good friend Phil Baier, of Summer Salt, out to cover US Weekly and Parquet Courts at Mohawk last night. Here’s what he had to say.

“It’s muggy as fuck,” said Ryan Fitzgibbon, guitar player of Us Weekly.

“It’s kind of the perfect weather for this,” said fan in the crowd.

Both were right. The steady rain complemented the dystopian drizzle of Us Weekly. They played discordant mid-tempo music with hardcore punk vocals, yelling lyrics like “set me on fire” and “American hate.” The packed crowd loved the dark forces behind the band, and happily nodded as the sun went down.

Right when Parquet Courts started, the rain picked up. Their perky chords quickly initiated wet crowd surfers, leading to the retreat of skittish old people (and Chaco wearing me).

Playing songs mostly off Human Performance, they sounded just as crisp as the record. Their guitar sound was as expected, D. Boon (The Minutemen) style with the treble all the way up, bass all the way down. Andrew Savage and Austin Brown’s signature voices kept the energy going, even in the “muggy as fuck” weather.

Brown and A. Savage’s stage banter was a sarcastic loathe towards Texas, targeting wall building, the death penalty, lack of Uber, sports, etc., but no one took it offensively.

The edgy vibe matched their trademark sound, noisy yet damn catchy. They thanked all their friends for coming, and didn’t play an encore.

Show Preview: Parquet Courts @ Mohawk (Tonight!)

Parquet CourtsThere’s a great show every night this week, so you should start your week off right by hitting up Mohawk tonight for everyone’s favorite rockers, Parquet Courts. They’re still riding high on the release of their latest, Human Performance, their first for Rough Trade. Live, the band have always fulfilled, bringing energy galore to the countless fans that line up hours before to catch the band live. Plus, if you get there early, as you should, you’ll get to see one of the hottest tickets in Austin at the moment, US Weekly; the band are on the verge of being huge, by our standards. Doors are at 7 PM.

An added bonus comes if you stick around late to catch Sssleeperhold, who are one of Austin’s best electronic acts from the scene that brought you the soundtrack to Stranger Things.

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Honduras Ready Gathering Rust EP

hondurasWe’ve backed the Brooklyn band Honduras since they first came to our attention, and we’re really looking forward to their new Gathering Rust EP. They just offered up another glimpse of what it might sound like, landing in the same arena as fellow NYC acts Parquet Courts. But, don’t think that makes them mere copycats, rather they take it tossing out their own spin; the guitar chords are warmer (less angular) and the vocals are less spastic. In fact, I think I prefer this better (sacrilege you say!). Oh well, I’ll hand my hat on this set of tunes for sure. The EP hits on March 4th.

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Honey Radar Is Super Hip

12234920_1664698017140133_7132038731607968554_nI like to think of What’s Your Rupture as the label that births the cool. Seems like every band they work with at some point explodes and gets cool; see Love is All, Parquet Courts and Royal Headache. One of the newest releases is this very small scale 7″ by Honey Radar, and I’ve got big expectations for this band’s sound. Not sure how one would really identify their sound, though you can hear all sorts of influences from lo-fi to jangling pop to art punk; it makes for a beautiful sound that I can’t believe more people aren’t clamoring over just yet. Guess that’s the price one pays for being ahead of the curve. Stream the 7″ below and BUY IT HERE.

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