March 29, 2006

SXSW Report #26: Part Chimp @ Sound on Sound


On Friday afternoon I went to the Chunklet/Buddyhead/Monitor party at Sound on Sound to see Part Chimp, who is often referred to as England’s loudest band. Their recent release I Am Come was the most potent blast of nihilistic fun I’ve heard from that country since Mclusky’s final album; whereas Mclusky took most of their cues from the Pixies, though, Part Chimp are a much sludgier affair. The vocals on I Am Come are buried, whereas the detuned guitars and shotgun drums are mixed to speaker-shredding levels. Volume takes precedence over melody and hooks (although their songs have lots of both), and their live show was no different. Before the end of their first song, I felt like my brain had turned into cotton candy between my ears. Singer/guitarist Tim broke a string every other song, but he didn’t let it hinder his (or the band’s) momentum. Most of Part Chimp’s songs are in the same key, so they all ended up blending into one mammoth riff, which got slightly altered every four or five minutes. After a while, I stopped paying attention and just let the waves of fuzz overtake me.

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