Parts and Labor, 75 Dollar Bill, and Parlor Walls

There’s points at which bands name themselves not in a manner that’s in any way a non-sequitur, but with a moniker that seems entirely appropriate given their sound, and that’s certainly the case with Parts and Labor, who became well-known over the course of their decade long career for their unyielding DIY ethic and constant willingness to experiment. Their modus operandi was pretty simple; high volume levels, a consistently lo-fi approach to recording, and an admirable effort to push the boundaries of their own sonic limitations at all times. They managed to produce an impressive five full-length albums in ten years between 2002 and 2012, but whilst those albums - especially their final effort, 2011’s Constant Future - were well-received critically, the band themselves were perhaps best-known for their incendiary live shows. Using minimalist, but dramatic lighting and keeping the volume dial pretty much glued to the high end, Parts and Labor weren’t ever really pursuing slickness or polish on stage, but made up for it with sheer energy. When they split, then, in February of 2012, deciding to call it a day after a decade, they deprived the U.S. live scene of one of its most exciting propositions.