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Dark and dancy, garbled anthems angled from the two chord punch and riddled with Keith Moon insistency. This is post-something with a penchant for the sweeter melody, set to the confusion. The Part Five is Chris Brantley, Brett Barton, and Gary Pyskacek, (all former members of the Pedal Steel Transmission at some point) bringing the pop hook to spazz-outs and spiraling 80’s throb.
The Part Five is Brett Barton (guitar), Chris Brantley (drums), Gary Pyskacek (bass, vox)
Related: Pedal Steel Transmission, The Tiger Trio, Mean Sea Level
discography
cs016 The Part Five - Leering Castles of Crates
2 fiery tracks from the melancholies in a mid-life crisis. “The Thoroughs” streaks through 1982 New Order and Broken Social Scene alike, passing out angled glances at the minimalist trot of Can and Trans Am, but sticking close to the melodic nature of early Pretenders. “Sweet Enemy” is an absurd nod to Cervantes through the eyes of Keith Moon. Break out your friendly stomp.
tracklist
a. The Thoroughs 3:11
b. Sweet Enemy 4:16
7″ on blue colored vinyl w/ silkscreened cover and free downloads
press
“…the reborn crew is enjoying a creative outburst… the three musicians bash out minimalist rock nuggets that draw on everything from the Fall to Wire to Charles Mingus.”
Andy Downing, Chicago Tribune
“Leering Castles of Crates, starts with 30 seconds of noodly fingerpicking, then bursts into roughed-up, stripped-down postpunk that sounds like it was put it to tape as soon as somebody came up with two chords and a bridge…. …Simplicity suits these guys.”
Miles Raymer, Chicago Reader
From the thunderous, throbbing bass and drum frenzy that begins “The Thoroughs” it’s apparent Chicago’s The Part Five have plenty of muscle and melody at their disposal. The song is eighties new wave (New Order) and nineties rock (Sonic Youth). The incredibly quick tempo and fevered vocals make it one catchy and intense song. The self analyzing and nonchalant lyrics only make it richer when Gary Pyskacek sings lines like “Here we come now with our anvils in our hearts” or “It’s the way that we look when we show up late for work.” It’s an anthem for disaffected persons, for those with more to do than the status quo expects. B-side “Sweet Enemy” couldn’t be more different, a coherently sung Doors-like track whose drumming flirts in the background and guitar chiming like rain on a golden roof top. It ends in elegant and fiery discord. The 45 comes with free mp3 downloads of the songs, it’s pressed on cool mixed blue vinyl and the sleeve is silkscreened by Pyskacek. Buy it for the vinyl keepsake and the mp3’s alone.
Brian Tucker, Bootleg Magazine
