― geeta, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Dan I., Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Couldn't agree more. Low's albums do sound washy on the first listen or two, and even on the listens following this, only one or two tracks will seep into your brain. However, each track will eventually burrow its way into your head, and the whole mood of the album becomes engrossing. Very addictive and repeatable.
Im not gonna kick your ass, Geeta. The fact that you have no Low in your life is punishment enough.
― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
dud, i say.
― fields of salmon, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
I liked Galaxie 500 better.
― Vic Funk, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
side note: i had tickets to see them four years running but never went because they were always playing in a club where i'd have to stand and where it would be smoky. my patience paid off with the opportunity to see them two years ago at the coolidge corner theater in boston, with ida. it was a great performance and i'm never going to see them again so that i can hold on ever-so-tightly to that memory.
― quiet, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― dan, Friday, 26 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
And since they're all short records, all 3 of 'em should be cheaper than a full-length LP.
― Jeff W, Friday, 26 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Andrew L, Friday, 26 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Ron, Friday, 26 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
i'm not being perverse, i just don't get it, seems too obvious, too serious, too slow ..
do they ever do anything remotely fast ? that's fast in any way, just some way, just if it was fast in some way, please ?
how serious is this band name "low" anyway ? are they just serious ? slightly ironic ? slightly acerbic ? any surprises ?
should i hang around ?
― George Gosset, Saturday, 27 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Josh, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― bob snoom, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
i saw them play in boston last night and was underwhelmed for the most part, and i'm wondering if i'm about to go from thinking them near-classic in the same way that gareth does (ie a few too many dud songs per album) to coming round to geeta's opinion above. certainly the new album has maybe three songs that i love and half a dozen that i never want to hear again (unfortunately the concert kicked off with four or five of these); against that i think that josh said somewhere on his blog that he only properly "got" each of their albums when the next one came out, and i've found something similar with the last couple.
mostly i'm beginning to think that they're just empty; "it's in the drugs" made me feel like i should be feeling sad but just didn't connect. not that this is necessarily a problem but with low it feels like it should be the point and isn't.
against that "lent you my favourite dictionary" is prob my fave first line of an album ever; certainly when i was sixteen the idea that there were ppl with favourite dictionaries was u+k.
(against all the above i have had maybe 5 hrs sleep in the last 3 days, and the gig + this post were all in a caffeine haze; but i'm going to listen to "things we lost in the fire" on the walk home + see if i can pin this down more tomorrow).
― toby (tsg20), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 23:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 23:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
Fair enough.
Besides which: they covered "little drummer boy" and are Mormons = I Would Hate Them Even If I Never Heard Their Very Boring Music.
I'm going to have to call "fuck you" on this one, though. I'm not a hardcore Low fan, nor am I Mormon, but this kneejerk reaction of "they're Mormons so their music must suck" has always annoyed me. In every Low interview I've read, neither Alan nor Mimi have ever come off as preachy or obnoxious/uptight about their religion. The only people who seem to make a federal case about their Mormonism are hack rock journalists.
Don't like their music? Fine. Don't like them because they're Mormon? That's pretty stupid.
― Nick Mirov (nick), Thursday, 10 October 2002 00:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Melissa W (Melissa W), Thursday, 10 October 2002 01:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
Buy this:
http://www.fakejazz.com/images/covers/low.jpg
cos it's frickin' amazing and IMHO the best thing either band (Low or Spring Heel Jack) has touched.
― Charlie (Charlie), Thursday, 10 October 2002 02:37 (twenty-one years ago) link
Quite a bit of galaxie 500 'la la la'ing on Trust (and a song about a snowstorm!) as well but that isn't a fault. The urgent buzzy bass on Canada reminds me a bit of Ultra Vivid Scene.
― Eamonn Maher, Thursday, 10 October 2002 09:41 (twenty-one years ago) link
― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 10 October 2002 10:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
I just wanted to say that Al and Mim are about the coolest people you'd ever want to meet. I drove up to something called the Geek Prom in Duluth with my girlfriend this spring, and there they were, wearing the most hideous colors, dancing like spazzes.
They're smart and generous, too. Al lends out equipment, produces bands in his basement for cheap (free?), volunteers time to the community. The bassist, Zak, lives in Minneapolis and is a gifted comic book artist and writer (he reviewed the new Cometbus book in City Pages). Al and Zak play in Black-Eyed Snakes, who sound something like the Fall backing Bo Diddley.
None of this has anything to do with Low's classic or dud status (I happen to think TWLITF is classic and the new one is a dud) but context helps understand them. Here's something I wrote about them and the church where they ended up recording the new album: http://www.citypages.com/databank/22/1053/article9340.asp
As it happens, Duluth is currently home to a ton of noisy, female-fronted punk bands. But even people who hate Low credit them with helping out the wider scene...
― Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 10 October 2002 16:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
Also, I just wanted to point out Anthony Carew's review of Trust on Neumu. The review isn't great, but Carew is one of my favorite writers these days. And I really like these two sentences in particular:
"Sparhawk and Parker, husband and wife, have spent the last decade singing together, holding notes for so long that anyone trying to sing along turns blue in the face, singing in some kind of harmony not heard since, like, The Carpenters, or Simon & Garfunkel, or something. And, just as pets and owners begin to look alike, over all these years, over six albums and so many scattered singles that it's hard to keep up, their voices have started to sound more and more like each other, blending together in a pop-song craft so pure and spiritual and free from fashion that you still don't know how to describe it."
That describes Low beautifully, I think.
― Yancey (ystrickler), Friday, 11 October 2002 20:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
oh god please tell me you're joking. The guy is a sub-literate hack of the worst possible kid.
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Saturday, 12 October 2002 06:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Dave M. (rotten03), Saturday, 12 October 2002 06:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
Come on, they're touring approximately now-ish so someone must have a new opinion.
― mei (mei), Friday, 14 February 2003 19:24 (twenty-one years ago) link
― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 14 February 2003 20:23 (twenty-one years ago) link
― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 14 February 2003 23:12 (twenty-one years ago) link
And they're not really that quiet live. They can be, but they're also fucking loud. They have the best dynamic control of any band I've ever seen, barring maybe Cowboy Junkies. Low are great.
― derrick (derrick), Saturday, 15 February 2003 08:44 (twenty-one years ago) link
oh, and all the new songs are great (particularly "violent past", which is beautiful), and we met them afterwards and they really are lovely people. so, classic.
― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 13 April 2006 12:30 (eighteen years ago) link
I second the awesomeness of "Pissing" live. It really has to be seen/heard to be believed, especially the way that killer bassline just cuts right through it all like gunshots. "Murderer" and "Amazing Grace" were stnadouts as well.
― Simon H. (Simon H.), Thursday, 13 April 2006 13:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 13 April 2006 13:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 13 April 2006 13:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 13 April 2006 14:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― steal compass, drive north, disappear (tissp), Thursday, 13 April 2006 14:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― Grey, Ian (IanBrooklyn), Thursday, 13 April 2006 15:07 (eighteen years ago) link
all there years you've been speaking without breathing spinning closer to the sun had your way with an unsuspecting public little threads are all it takes la la la la ... I have learned all your secrets, so familiar I know where you lay your head fear of god and a disappointing father holds the hand around your neck la la la la ... sometimes I could just choke myself with laughter sometimes everything's so true so when you come down from your death-defying labors I'll still be in love with you la la la la ...
the hopeless romanticism of it just kills me and sort of makes me cry. low really are in a special league.
― the table is the table, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 06:58 (sixteen years ago) link
The new Radiohead makes me want to listen to Drums & Guns.
― Mister Craig, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 07:02 (sixteen years ago) link
also worth noting that it is difficult to hear on the recording whether the lyric is "disappointing" vs. "disappointed." big difference. it's like an intentional stutter.
― the table is the table, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 07:03 (sixteen years ago) link
or maybe not a stutter at all. urgh.
'all the words.'
― the table is the table, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 07:05 (sixteen years ago) link
"Drag" and "Rope" from I Could Live In Hope were killing me tonight. Mimi's percussion = perfect.
― that's not my post, Friday, 14 March 2008 05:30 (sixteen years ago) link
Good time to mention that the Retribution Gospel Choir album is amazing, if way too short. Their versions of "Take Your Time" and "Breaker" are breathtaking.
― Simon H., Friday, 14 March 2008 05:59 (sixteen years ago) link
Good to hear, I'm really looking forward to picking that up in a couple days.
― stephen, Friday, 14 March 2008 19:50 (sixteen years ago) link
do they fuck around with any dubby stuff on the album (like that live recording on their myspace)?
― Jordan, Friday, 14 March 2008 19:59 (sixteen years ago) link
No. Pretty much a stright-up, economical rock record. Ten songs, thirty minutes.
― Simon H., Friday, 14 March 2008 20:12 (sixteen years ago) link
all these years you've been speaking without breathing
― johnsons in my pubescence, other than my own (the table is the table), Monday, 23 August 2010 06:37 (thirteen years ago) link
just sayin
Ran into Al for the first time in years in Two Harbors. He was typically playing a benefit festival (Bradfest) where my wife and I were two of the rumored four paying customers that night due to rain--though things picked up (bellydancing!), and I heard they did well the next day. Can't really express how cool it is that they've stayed in Duluth and kept being so active in the community. Can't wait 'til their kids start bands!
― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 24 August 2010 00:01 (thirteen years ago) link
Anyone know who's producing/engineering? I'm pretty glad they're not working with Fridmann again, even tho I loved the last two records.
― lol @ dog w/ sunglasses (Pillbox), Sunday, 17 October 2010 21:40 (thirteen years ago) link
Echoing ^^
I like Fridmann *occasionally* but he's certainly one of those fellas who leaves a giant stamp on everything he does... for better or for worse.
― ilxor is awesome what the fuck are you guys on about (ilxor), Sunday, 17 October 2010 21:56 (thirteen years ago) link
exactly the worst elements of late-period Low
gtfo
― drive this seven inch cheese steak through my philadelphia heart (diamonddave85), Sunday, 17 October 2010 22:14 (thirteen years ago) link
oops doublepost
So stoked that they're finally recording again! I was getting worried.
― Simon H., Sunday, 17 October 2010 22:15 (thirteen years ago) link
whew, i was getting worried no one was getting worried
― I love you girls but that music is for radical faeries (Matt P), Sunday, 17 October 2010 22:23 (thirteen years ago) link
jk just a bit of fun. i like low,
― I love you girls but that music is for radical faeries (Matt P), Sunday, 17 October 2010 22:24 (thirteen years ago) link
Inspired by Lambchop? New album to be called C'mon (is that the final title though?)
http://blogs.myspace.com/low
― StanM, Monday, 15 November 2010 16:25 (thirteen years ago) link
it's very good, but that's the only time i'm going to say it. we should have a release date soon.
love this band
― Daniel, Esq., Monday, 15 November 2010 17:14 (thirteen years ago) link
Due to an unforeseen circumstance, we have two very good spare seats for tonight's show in London (at the Barbican) - they're on stage in an hour, happy to give them to someone for free if they can make it.
― toby, Tuesday, 30 April 2013 18:36 (eleven years ago) link
New record.
"We're excited to announce our new album Ones and Sixes will be available worldwide on September 11th. You can pre-order the album on iTunes and get an instant download of "No Comprende." It's also available on Spotify and all other streaming services. The "Loser Edition" of the vinyl is available at SubPop.com, and all pre-orders via Sub Pop will grant access to an early stream of the entire record."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZfjysllZyg
We're also glad to announce that we will be back on the road in September in Europe and North America starting in September. Tickets and more information available on our website. We look forward to seeing all of you this fall.
-Low HQ
Ones and Sixes Tour Dates
Jun. 30 - Guang Zhou, CN - TU Space
Jul. 01 - Shenzen, CN - B10 Live House
Jul. 03 - Beijing, CN - YuGong Yishan
Jul. 04 - Shanghai, CN - Qian Shui Wan Cultural Centre
Jul. 17-18 - Eau Claire, WI - Eaux Claires Festival
Sep. 03 - Bergen, NO - Perfect Sounds Forever Fest @ Landmark
Sep. 04 - 06 - Wiltshire, UK - End of the Road Festival
Sep. 04 - 06 - Stradbally, IE - Electric Picnic
Sep. 18 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon*
Sep. 19 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall*
Sep. 21 - Toronto, ON - The Mod Club*
Sep. 22 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz PDB*
Sep. 23 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall*
Sep. 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Sep. 25 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s*
Sep. 26 - Washington, DC - Black Cat*
Oct. 07 - Manchester, UK - Cathedral ^
Oct. 08 - Glasgow, UK - Art School
Oct. 10 - London, UK - Roundhouse ^
Oct. 12 - Koln, DE - Gebaude 9
Oct. 13 - Hamburg, DE - Knust
Oct. 14 - Copenhagen, DK - Vega
Oct. 15 - Stockholm, SE - Kagelbanan
Oct. 17 - Berlin, DE - Lido
Oct. 19 - Munich, DE - Ampere
Oct. 20 - Bologna, IT - Teatro Antoniano
Oct. 22 - Zaragoza, ES - Las Armas
Oct. 23 - Barcelona, ES - Bikini
Oct. 24 - Valencia, ES - Deleste Festival @ Centro Cultural La Rambleta
Oct. 26 - Madrid, ES - Teatro Lara
Oct. 27 - Santander, ES - Escenario
Oct. 29 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso ^
Oct. 31 - Brussels, BE - AB
Nov. 11 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue*
Nov. 13 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge*
Nov. 14 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex*
Nov. 16 - Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour*
Nov. 18 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall*
Nov. 20 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir*
Nov. 21 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile*
* w/ Andy Shauf
^ w/ Two Gallants
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 23 June 2015 22:05 (eight years ago) link
Man, the Roundhouse is a potentially disastrous place to see 'em too.
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 23 June 2015 22:06 (eight years ago) link
L..loser edition??
― diamonddave85 (diamonddave85), Tuesday, 23 June 2015 22:08 (eight years ago) link
that's what they call all their "limited ed." type releases
The single sounds promising, nice muscular production and classic Low harmonies. The Invisible Way was the first Low album to bore me so I'm glad Tweedy's not involved this time
― fuck me, archipelago (Simon H.), Wednesday, 24 June 2015 13:12 (eight years ago) link
i'm glad they're going a different direction too, but there's something about the production on a lot of records done at Apr1l B@se that bothers me. it's definitely muscular and hi-fi, but also kinda featureless and too upfront (maybe not enough room sound?).
i'm always happy about a new Low album though, and will go see them again for sure.
― lil urbane (Jordan), Wednesday, 24 June 2015 13:50 (eight years ago) link
Another new song, much breezier
https://soundcloud.com/subpop/low_what-part-of-me
― the naive cockney chorus (Simon H.), Monday, 3 August 2015 14:54 (eight years ago) link
Feeling like this album is going to be better than the last.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Monday, 3 August 2015 23:14 (eight years ago) link
Streaming on NPR: http://www.npr.org/2015/09/02/435276845/first-listen-low-ones-and-sixes
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 4 September 2015 17:02 (eight years ago) link
really feelin' what part of me this morning
― dynamicinterface, Tuesday, 10 May 2016 13:29 (seven years ago) link
Haven't really been paying attention this decade. What's worth hearing?
― djh, Monday, 5 December 2016 22:34 (seven years ago) link
Well, there's a new Christmas song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv_XqW005-w
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 5 December 2016 22:34 (seven years ago) link
And the rest, Ned?
― djh, Monday, 5 December 2016 23:11 (seven years ago) link
i just got home from seeing them at the union chapel tonight. still great.
― sktsh, Monday, 5 December 2016 23:18 (seven years ago) link
All of the albums except The Invisible Way are pretty damn great, and even that one has "Holy Ghost."
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Monday, 5 December 2016 23:19 (seven years ago) link
I remember 'Just Make It Stop' standing out too (so the Mimi songs basically), but yeah, that's my least favorite too. I'm a huge fan of Drums & Guns and C'mon. This reminds me I still need to go back and give the newest one some good listens.
― sam jax sax jam (Jordan), Monday, 5 December 2016 23:42 (seven years ago) link
I was at that Union Chapel gig as well, and despite missing the first 15mins due to a bewilderingly early start, it was fantastic. I last saw them there 15 years ago and really can't imagine Low in any other venue.
― Matt DC, Monday, 5 December 2016 23:44 (seven years ago) link
haha i missed the start too!
― sktsh, Tuesday, 6 December 2016 00:11 (seven years ago) link
'ones and sixes' is seriously great
― nomar, Tuesday, 6 December 2016 01:32 (seven years ago) link
C'mon and Ones & Sixes are both terrific. Nothing in them will surprise you exactly but the quality is still high - both better than Great Destroyer and Drums & Guns. Invisible Way is not bad, just not special.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Tuesday, 6 December 2016 03:08 (seven years ago) link
Thanks y'all.
― djh, Wednesday, 7 December 2016 22:11 (seven years ago) link
saw them last night in a huge minister in yorkshire. still so strong after all these years.
― meaulnes, Saturday, 10 December 2016 14:52 (seven years ago) link
Just your periodic reminder that Double Negative is an amazing album
― brigadier pudding (DJP), Wednesday, 21 August 2019 13:04 (four years ago) link
After I caught their set at Pitchfork (always fun to see them play at a festival) I looked up a couple of online reactions, and I saw so many "I've never seen/heard of Low before, but holy shit!" I think that's great.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 21 August 2019 14:31 (four years ago) link
Bruce Adams, Kranky co-founder who wrote the book You're With Stupid on 90s indie rock and Chicago, has announced he's contracted with UNC Press to write an oral history of Low. I look forward to it already.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 29 November 2023 02:58 (five months ago) link
Per him, working title is I Sang the Words I Meant: A Book about Low.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 29 November 2023 03:01 (five months ago) link
Sounds awesome, keen to read
― H.P, Wednesday, 29 November 2023 03:35 (five months ago) link