What happened to Parts & Labor? Since 2002, the Brooklyn band’s
partners-in-noise Dan Friel and BJ Warshaw have used seemingly every
sort of pedal, effect, and severe sound-maker to create music balanced
perfectly between harsh noise and ’80s-inspired pop punk. On the
Escapers Two EP released earlier this year, which contained 51
songs in less than 30 minutes, and at their past shows, Parts &
Labor’s every explosive song has been caked in screeches and waves of
modulation.
But their recent release, Receivers, takes a step away from
the more abrasive aspects of their arsenal, mellowing what once sounded
like Black Dice and Hüsker Dü playing a show together at full
blast to make for their most approachable album yet. So it will be
interesting to see how the band play their new, cleaner material when
they come to the Vera Project on October 30. Will they still be as
grinding and grating as in the past? Will the more straightforward
studio sounds of Receivers receive the old, noisy Parts &
Labor makeover live? Or does the album signal a new direction for the
band? Maybe all noise-bands ease into normalcy eventually, or maybe all
that feedback was just hurting their hearing. Either way, Parts &
Labor don’t sound quite like they used to.
Thurs Oct 30: Parts & Labor, Gowns, Medieval
Women at Vera Project, 7 pm, $6/$5.
Fri Oct 31: Deer City, Sweatshop Kid, Masters and
Johnson, DJ Vacation at the Old Fire House, 8 pm, $6.
Fri Oct 31: Hip Hop Against Violence: A.K.,
B-Heezy, Logics, J’SON at Q Cafe, 8 pm, $6.
Fri Oct 31: Diplo, Abe Vigoda, Boy 8-Bit, Telepathe
at Neumos, 8 pm, $15.