― ethan padgett, Saturday, 17 February 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― sundar subramanian, Saturday, 17 February 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Josh, Saturday, 17 February 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Jens, Saturday, 17 February 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 18 February 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
I think they're alright, I think their obvious dedication to their sound and art is fairly admirable, but the resulting records don't move me (the Christmas one is quite nice).
In some of the praise of them there's an undertow of virtues-of- simplicity stuff, and I can see why - when I listen to Low the word that often comes to mind is 'quaint'. You feel a little better for owning a Low record, I suppose, like a piece of handmade furniture or something. They're not classic.
― Tom, Monday, 19 February 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Josh, Monday, 19 February 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 13 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Josh, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Phil, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Saturday, 21 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― anthony, Saturday, 21 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― gareth, Sunday, 22 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
ha I never said on this thread that 'the curtain hits the cast' is one of my few most favorite albums ever.
― Josh, Monday, 1 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Julio Desouza, Monday, 1 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
i watched that low documentary on cable last nite. maaaaaaaan, was that boring. not even two members of napalm death could pep things up. HOW IRONIC LOW DUDE THEY ARE IN NAPALM DEATH AND YOU ARE IN LOW AND YOU ARE IN THE SAME BUILDING WHAT ARE THE ODDS. on the other hand, it made me want to listen to low records. i do like low. and watching low live from my couch is, if you ask me, the best friggin' place on earth to watch low live.
― scott seward, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:25 (sixteen years ago) link
hahah, interesting post. a boring documentary that made you wanna listen to the records. i can see that. good documentary i guess, rather slow, i own it but have only watched it once, so far.
― stephen, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:33 (sixteen years ago) link
the live footage is indeed superb.
that's the Low In Europe thing, right? I've got that DVD too, should really watch it again too
― StanM, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:43 (sixteen years ago) link
they should have set up the most boring people alive premise even more than they did. they sould have called the doc: HOW LOW CAN YOU GO:THE DIRTY DULUTH 3 LAY WASTE TO EUROPE! with girls gone wild cover art.
― scott seward, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:49 (sixteen years ago) link
Maybe the sequel will be even lower
― StanM, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:52 (sixteen years ago) link
Low & Lowerer, with new bass player Jim Carrey
― StanM, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:53 (sixteen years ago) link
ultimately characterless and forgettable
lol. Heard Drums and Guns?
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 9 January 2008 22:20 (sixteen years ago) link
it hadn't been released back then
― electricsound, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 22:27 (sixteen years ago) link
i have "low in europe" and only got halfway through it. hmm. and as you all know, i adore them.
vvv tickled to see the original post -- it was alex who got me into low, some ... fucking hell, 12 years ago now. christ.
― grimly fiendish, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 22:30 (sixteen years ago) link
which album do I listen to right now if I've never heard any of them before? quick!
― Preview of the Matrix 12, Sunday, 27 January 2008 23:44 (sixteen years ago) link
I think The Great Destroyer is very accessible, so that may be a good entry point. But I guess Things We Lost In The Fire might be a more representative disc.
A handful of songs on the new disc (called Drums and Guns) are also an excellent introduction to the band. Try, for example, this killer (no pun intended) version of Murderer, from a live, in-studio performance last year.
― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 27 January 2008 23:48 (sixteen years ago) link
Things We Lost in the Fire is a great introduction. I'd also recommend Secret Name, which was my intro, also very good.
― stephen, Monday, 28 January 2008 20:19 (sixteen years ago) link
Things We Lost in the Fire, definitely. Worked for me at least, from the first chord change.
― Z S, Monday, 28 January 2008 20:26 (sixteen years ago) link
Anyone see that film about Low that's now showing on Pitchfork.tv? It's called You Might Need A Murderer. I didn't know how troubled Alan Spearhawk was. Semi-boring film, but a totally compelling band.
― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 22 June 2008 01:34 (fifteen years ago) link
Oh it's on Pitchfork.tv? Sweet, I saw it in the local record store today and passed on it ($20 brand new) but i'll totally watch it for free. One of my all time favorite bands, love these guys.
― stephen, Sunday, 22 June 2008 01:58 (fifteen years ago) link
npr interview with the sparhawks a while ago that touched on his issues
― mookieproof, Sunday, 22 June 2008 02:00 (fifteen years ago) link
Catch it now, Stephen. It's the "One Week Only" feature on Pitchfork.tv.
― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 22 June 2008 02:14 (fifteen years ago) link
That NPR interview is fascinating. Sparhawk dances around his problems some, but this is the first time I've heard he was suicidal.
― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 22 June 2008 02:41 (fifteen years ago) link
Thanks Daniel, I'll be sure to check it out Sunday morning when i get up :D
― stephen, Sunday, 22 June 2008 03:53 (fifteen years ago) link
Retribution Gospel Choir (Alan's new, catchier, LOUD, rock band) played a sparsely attended show in Montreal on Friday that was fucking amazing. PLayed their hearts out for we seated folk, left my ears so happily ringing. Was sad to see him loading up the van alone in the street afterward (last time I saw Low it was at ATP with another 1000 people). If Retribution Gospel Choir come to chez toi, go go go. terrific.
― sean gramophone, Sunday, 22 June 2008 16:52 (fifteen years ago) link
Low have subtley crept, over the course of about ten years, into the position of being my favorite existing band.
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 18:28 (fifteen years ago) link
"subtly"
Some good discussion on this thread, methinks.
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 18:41 (fifteen years ago) link
Retribution Gospel Choir (Alan's new, catchier, LOUD, rock band) played a sparsely attended show in Montreal on Friday that was fucking amazing.
ARGH I was on the list for this but couldn't go, damn you, job.
― Simon H., Sunday, 22 June 2008 18:44 (fifteen years ago) link
I've seen them 7-8 times since 1997 and have observed as the venue/audience size has grown in tandem with the expanse of the band's dynamic (louder choruses, distortion pedals and such). The songs from their last few records are perfectly suited to the mid-size theatres they play these days. But my favorite gigs were one in the mid-to-late 90's, when they would come through the Ann Arbor/Detroit area quite regularly and play at little hole-in-the-wall spots: The (small) audience would generally sit on the floor and remain dead silent until the band finished playing (save for the occasional applause). There was a communal reverence, churchlike almost, unlike anything else I've experienced at rock gigs (even a "seated" Yo La Tengo show from their And Then Nothing.. tour, in which the band/venue provided the audience with folding chairs, didn't come close). It was a beautiful thing to be a part of, really.
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 19:12 (fifteen years ago) link
I totally get that. I'm sure you'd agree, though, that they deserve all the additional attention -- and higher audience attendance at shows -- that they now get. I'm with you: Low has become one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite, band of the moment.
― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 22 June 2008 19:34 (fifteen years ago) link
I'll third that. Best band going today.
― stephen, Sunday, 22 June 2008 19:37 (fifteen years ago) link
i saw RGC a few years back with Kozelek and they were alright but the drummer was really stiff; if it's the same guy I'm sure they've loosened up a bit. I'm assuming Kozelek isn't on this tour.
― akm, Sunday, 22 June 2008 20:06 (fifteen years ago) link
the best thing they played though was a crazy ass cover of "the carpet crawlers"
I'm sure you'd agree, though, that they deserve all the additional attention -- and higher audience attendance at shows
Yeah, it has actually been very rewarding to watch a humble little band like Low build and expand their aesthetic over the years, and at the same time gain popularity because of the sheer quality of their art. Even thought I have those fond memories of tiny quiet shows, I have no problem sharing Low with The World.
Strictly in terms of popularity, though, I know Low is bigger in Europe than The States, at least circa early-2000s. Was it that way in the mid-to-late 90's too? I'd been used to Low concerts being generally as described above. But then, in 2000, I moved to Dublin for college and twice saw Low in sold-out concerts at The Olympia, a fairly large theatre (fantastic shows both, one with cello!).
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 20:13 (fifteen years ago) link
"thought" = though
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 20:15 (fifteen years ago) link
stop all the clocks, quieten all the whisperings about low's republican tendencies:
low are playing an obama benefit somewhere.
they're also doing christmas shows in the uk, in november.
― schlump, Thursday, 17 July 2008 11:32 (fifteen years ago) link
I had only heard about teh one show. Is it definitely shows plural?
― aldo, Thursday, 17 July 2008 11:48 (fifteen years ago) link
Apparently Alan has resumed doing It's Friday I'm in Low?
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr35sj6pLK_/
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 8 May 2023 15:52 (ten months ago) link
Alan's djing on The Current rn. Anyone go to the Bad Plus/Marc Ribot show at First Ave that he opened? I'm very curious what he did.
― Random Restaurateur (Jordan), Friday, 16 June 2023 17:29 (nine months ago) link
Alan is starting to look like a younger version of Robert Plant
― that's not my post, Friday, 16 June 2023 23:42 (nine months ago) link
Maybe they'll start a band together.
― Random Restaurateur (Jordan), Saturday, 17 June 2023 00:15 (nine months ago) link
I had the pleasure of interviewing Takiaya Reed of Divide and Dissolve for a Quietus Baker's Dozen the other week; I've seen them before, had dinner with them once, a good bunch (this was when they were a duo, but Takiaya is now the sole core member). They had done various shows with Low coming out of the pandemic and indeed were scheduled to open for them for what would have been their SF show here for Hey What, which, since I missed the Double Negative tour due to circumstances beyond my control, would have been the first time I'd had a chance to see them since the Christmas tour back in 2010. That she picked Hey What for her list didn't surprise, and neither did the fact that she was a little overcome by talking and thinking about them, and so was I, honestly:
https://thequietus.com/articles/33145-takiaya-reed-divide-and-dissolve-bakers-dozen?page=11
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 12 July 2023 17:43 (eight months ago) link
Takiaya is an old friend— thanks for sharing
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Wednesday, 12 July 2023 18:20 (eight months ago) link
It's a very small thing, but I included a drone/ambient cover of "Laser Beam" on my newest album:
https://ianmanire.bandcamp.com/track/laser-beam
I'm donating all sales (CD or digital) to the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance in memory of Mimi.
I tried to record this in the days after she passed, hoping it would pull me out of the depths. I just couldn't do it at the time, but was able to revisit it on her birthday recently and finish it.
― Soundslike, Tuesday, 26 September 2023 22:48 (six months ago) link
this is lovely
― oatly carmichael (m bison), Tuesday, 26 September 2023 23:14 (six months ago) link
Thank you! Low has meant so much to me for 26 years, I hope this stands up as a small tribute.
― Soundslike, Wednesday, 27 September 2023 05:14 (six months ago) link
Did you send a link to Alan? ( lowtheband on X )
― StanM, Wednesday, 27 September 2023 07:58 (six months ago) link
A few days back I reached out to Alan to make sure he was OK with covers on DIY small-scale, and he said he was, and asked thet I share. So I tagged him in the release announcement, and he shared that, which is a huge honor to me : )
https://www.twitter.com/musicophiliamix/status/1706784425663779192
― Soundslike, Wednesday, 27 September 2023 12:36 (six months ago) link
Nice!
― StanM, Wednesday, 27 September 2023 12:56 (six months ago) link
tc psa: Tired Eyes at Turf Club tomorrow night. the one they played two years ago honestly one of my favorite shows ever.
― soup of magpies (geoffreyess), Tuesday, 7 November 2023 03:29 (four months ago) link
I wish he would tour the Neil Young tribute. I don't think I've ever seen an act fail covering Neil Young, more should do it.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 7 November 2023 19:02 (four months ago) link
Alan is doing a tour I think; and he did a Friday I'm in Low on Instagram the other week, so it's good to see him active.
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Tuesday, 7 November 2023 19:07 (four months ago) link
it's fantastic, best Neil Young covers I've ever seen. A lot of credit should go to longtime Mpls stalwart Rich Mattson from the Glentrustles, it's as much if not more his thing than Alan's
even more interesting:
Low's twitter said that tonight with be the debut of the Alan Sparhawk Solo Band, apparently a warm up for some European dates. This sounds like it will be different than Derecho
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 7 November 2023 19:09 (four months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMbMWjpjmsA
this is a recording of the single solo show he played earlier this year. new material is very heavy on the vocoder
― ufo, Tuesday, 7 November 2023 23:53 (four months ago) link
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/12/alan-sparhawk-review-le-guess-who-festival-utrecht
glad to have this review of his latest show, sounds similar to that opening set at Turf Club. he definitely played the ones identified as JCMF, Get High and Don't Take Your Light, along with some Derecho-y stuff. this captures a lot of what he played, esp. those last two, both very beautiful: "Others are piercingly direct in their desperate evocations of loss, raw and shellshocked, and often repeating single phrases that get heavier with each iteration."
― soup of magpies (geoffreyess), Sunday, 12 November 2023 23:17 (four months ago) link
looks like some of the tracks he played were derecho songs? "get high" and "want it back" were released a few months ago
― ufo, Sunday, 12 November 2023 23:37 (four months ago) link
Tired Eyes Live at Hook & Ladder Minneapolis MN on 2022-02-26 https://t.co/7BWxNesy8a via @internetarchiveRe-upping and thank you as always @lowtheband @richmattson @TheHookMpls— John Oxley (@jeoxley1) November 18, 2023
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 19 November 2023 14:46 (four months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZwriY0HEaE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCu0uLb8AkY
― ufo, Saturday, 23 December 2023 15:07 (three months ago) link
'i could live in hope' came out 30 years ago today
― mookieproof, Sunday, 18 February 2024 23:51 (one month ago) link
Really great "it's Friday I'm in low" last week. Cyrus on bass
― H.P, Monday, 19 February 2024 00:08 (one month ago) link
Well, "Lullaby" still makes me cry, so there's that.
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Monday, 19 February 2024 00:47 (one month ago) link
Got tix to see Sparhawk play in Chicago.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 7 March 2024 22:12 (three weeks ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7i-wjCZhXw
professional footage of some of alan's new songs
― ufo, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 08:31 (one week ago) link
Wow, his son looks so much like him.
There's a local band here called L0veblaster that is doing the exact classic Low instrumentation and approach. It's pretty good actually, but begs for comparison in a way I find distracting.
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Thursday, 21 March 2024 17:37 (one week ago) link
don't love that band name
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 21 March 2024 17:38 (one week ago) link
i'm friends with them (the local band)! they're so good. what's hilarious is that they don't even listen to low and were kind of unaware of them, last time i played with them, lol! but i think people mention it to them all the time
― z_tbd, Thursday, 21 March 2024 17:42 (one week ago) link
really great to see alan playing shows again - i'll have to give that video a deeper listen later today
Oh huh, I read an interview with them where they said Low was one of their two favorite bands and that they wanted to try out the format. It's a nice record though.
(lol I agree about the name though)
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Thursday, 21 March 2024 18:02 (one week ago) link
haha, whoa! yeah i just found that interview! okeydokey then, no comment :) anyway they definitely fall into the non-musical low tradition of being incredibly sweet and supportive people in addition to talented musicians.
― z_tbd, Thursday, 21 March 2024 18:25 (one week ago) link
denying your most obvious influence is a grand rock tradition
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 21 March 2024 18:27 (one week ago) link
Is it strange that I don’t really care about Alan’s music without Mimi?
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Thursday, 21 March 2024 19:32 (one week ago) link
what DO you do in his place? I fully support his decision to continue making music (and involving Cyrus) but Low is over, he said so himself, and finding another style that pleases the former fans isn't going to be easy any time - (I shudder to think of the alternatives: continuing Low with another female singer? Hologram Mimi?)
― StanM, Thursday, 21 March 2024 19:59 (one week ago) link
dude looks like thom yorke now & the band sounds like radiohead
― he/him hoo-hah (map), Thursday, 21 March 2024 20:32 (one week ago) link
I don't think it's weird, it was always the two of them. I mostly care out of goodwill for Alan, and out of curiosity about the music that comes out of this.
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Thursday, 21 March 2024 20:39 (one week ago) link
There is a lot of goodwill and I hope he can make it work for his family. I was however always much more into Mimi's voice.
― kraudive, Thursday, 21 March 2024 20:56 (one week ago) link
I'm definitely curious to hear what he does next. if only because Retribution Gospel Choir was a fantastic and criminally underappreciate band and that was without Mimi.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 21 March 2024 20:58 (one week ago) link
I feel the world for him— I mean, my life has been utterly altered by cancer and death and pain in my family. So, I extend my love and support to him— I just don’t really want to listen to the music he makes, it simply makes me want to listen to Low
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Thursday, 21 March 2024 21:43 (one week ago) link
Yeah, cosign. There's more than enough beauty and pain in Low to keep me enthralled, I don't need to hear anything new from him.
― lord of the rongs (anagram), Thursday, 21 March 2024 22:18 (one week ago) link
I get it. I just consider it a testament to Low being one of the truly great, truly special bands of our times. I can't be duplicated or bettered. but I'll still keep up with him.
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 21 March 2024 22:42 (one week ago) link
I think he’s had enough of a track record of making music outside of Low, and it has been varied, that I’m eager to hear whatever he releases next. And I don’t have any expectation that he’s going to make something that is supposed to be a, uh, new low.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 22 March 2024 02:07 (one week ago) link
I’m very at peace that Low’s catalogue is now complete. It’s a beautiful discography to behold.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 22 March 2024 02:08 (one week ago) link
Let's see... Their last few albums are some of the best reviewed and experimental of their career, and his side projects span a wide range of styles and sounds. Yeah, I can't see why anyone would be interested in what comes next. Ho hum.
― Hideous Lump, Friday, 22 March 2024 05:04 (one week ago) link
idk why anyone would not want to hear what alan might put out at this point. absolutely no way he isn't capable of putting out his own "tonight's the night"
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Friday, 22 March 2024 06:43 (one week ago) link
My wife came in and asked why I was listening to Pearl Jam. It’s not for me, but some bits sounded good.
― Chewshabadoo, Friday, 22 March 2024 14:20 (one week ago) link
Hideous Lump and Western, I am speaking only for myself, and also: I have not found much of his solo work that interesting, and also differ greatly from the ILX hivemind on the last few albums. I liked them, but Curtain, Things We Lost, and Secret Name will always be my favorites. About half of “Double Negative” is worth skipping afaic.
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Friday, 22 March 2024 15:25 (one week ago) link
I do like HEY WHAT a lot better than DN, tho
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Friday, 22 March 2024 15:26 (one week ago) link