Now that I've got the story straight, Parquet Courts is a NYC-based 'three-quarter Texan' four-piece, one member of which (Andrew) is also part of Fergus&Geronimo, another (Austin) of The Keepsies. The thing about their first album 'Light Up Gold' is that sure, they haven't exactly tried to reinvent the wheel, but see, I've played it over the last week or so more times than I'll admit; ergo it's about time to spread the word.

On one side, there are the many influences of punk & co they've squeezed into these ten tracks each more nonchalantly catchy than the next, which range from Buzzcocks-style fuzzy pop-punk to groovy post-punk and stoner-folk-...well, punk, excuse the repetition. On the other, there's the lyrical appeal of these contemporary flâneurs wandering 'Stoned and Starving' the streets of NYC, who translate their observations, experiences and social critiques as mundane as they may be into prose poetry, in the simple subjective flow of some 60s Beat and New Journalism writers. That's two thumbs up in my books. Released on Saturday (8.18) via Dull Tools, 'Light Up Gold' will be welcomed with a show that same evening at Death By Audio. - Tracy Mamoun