― Julio Desouza, Monday, 1 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-two 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 (sixteen 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 (sixteen years ago) link
npr interview with the sparhawks a while ago that touched on his issues
― mookieproof, Sunday, 22 June 2008 02:00 (sixteen 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 (sixteen 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 (sixteen 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 (sixteen 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 (sixteen 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 (sixteen years ago) link
"subtly"
Some good discussion on this thread, methinks.
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 18:41 (sixteen 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 (sixteen 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 (sixteen 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 (sixteen years ago) link
I'll third that. Best band going today.
― stephen, Sunday, 22 June 2008 19:37 (sixteen 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 (sixteen 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 (sixteen years ago) link
"thought" = though
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 20:15 (sixteen 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 (sixteen years ago) link
I had only heard about teh one show. Is it definitely shows plural?
― aldo, Thursday, 17 July 2008 11:48 (sixteen years ago) link
yeh, manchester ('uni' i think, which i guess is hop & grape/academy three?) and oran mor glasgow. there's a churchy bit to oran mor, although i guess it's more likely they'll be downstairs.
― schlump, Thursday, 17 July 2008 11:58 (sixteen years ago) link
I'm going to the London one - it's at Koko.
― Colonel Poo, Thursday, 17 July 2008 12:12 (sixteen years ago) link
So I've just heard something bizarre about how Alan S. threw a guitar at his audience at a Saturday show in the UK?
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 17 September 2008 12:07 (sixteen years ago) link
Drowned in Sound thread with details:
http://drownedinsound.com/articles/4020122
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 17 September 2008 12:10 (sixteen years ago) link
^^ shit's wack
and yeah, classic. particularly the very early stuff, which stylistically i prefer a whole lot to the recent stuff, which tends to be a little too comfortable and prosaic for my liking
― Charlie Howard, Wednesday, 17 September 2008 12:23 (sixteen years ago) link
Buncha fuckin Helen Lovejoys on that DiS thread non-shocker
― The Slash My Father Wrote (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 17 September 2008 12:31 (sixteen years ago) link
this is all very sad. that's not the first thing i've read about onstage trouble in the last few months, either.
― toby, Wednesday, 17 September 2008 12:35 (sixteen years ago) link
weird. I know alan was talking publicly about going on medication a couple of years ago so my assumption would be that it has something to do with that.
― akm, Wednesday, 17 September 2008 13:28 (sixteen years ago) link
but it is a bit funny to think you'd get HURT at a low show
it was a seriously dangerous and fucking stupid thing to do. also, that festival was awash with kids. sparhawk is very lucky that he isn't facing manslaughter charges, and i am not being remotely hysterical here.
― Smuckles Brothers (stevie), Wednesday, 17 September 2008 14:01 (sixteen years ago) link
i mean, i was there, and the whole thing was *horrific, actually properly upsetting. sorry that the DiS readers aren't chuckling it off with sub-Chunklet ironic machismo, dude.
― Smuckles Brothers (stevie), Wednesday, 17 September 2008 14:02 (sixteen years ago) link
I primarily meant the hectoring pseudo-concern for the mental problems of someone they've never met, and directives of what he should and shouldn't do with his life. I know people care about the band (as do I) and the guy's problems sound horrible, but it rubbed me up the wrong way is all
― The Slash My Father Wrote (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 17 September 2008 14:30 (sixteen years ago) link
no worries dude, i was totally over-vociferous up there. apols.
― Smuckles Brothers (stevie), Wednesday, 17 September 2008 14:36 (sixteen years ago) link
Would anyone out there be willing to ysi me a copy of "Prisoner"? It's on the Lifetime of Temporary Relief box set (also originally appeared in the limited Finally... EP). I'm desperate to find it but the songs from the box set aren't available on emusic, amazon, or itunes. I'd be very grateful...
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Monday, 6 April 2009 05:19 (fifteen years ago) link
unless someone beats me to it i'll up it later on today for you
― balls by titleist (electricsound), Monday, 6 April 2009 05:46 (fifteen years ago) link
kinda broadcast-y?
hope he checked himself for ticks after shooting that.
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Wednesday, 21 August 2024 02:15 (one month ago) link
press release indicated that he's messing around with vocoders and autotune on this entire album
― ufo, Wednesday, 21 August 2024 02:18 (one month ago) link
I like this, reminds me of La Düsseldorf. As far as the autotune vocals go I'd rather hear him do a Trans than an Everybody's Rockin', if you know what I'm saying.
― carry on columbine (Matt #2), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 13:54 (one month ago) link
everybody's rockin' would actually be a much more interesting move in 2024
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:03 (one month ago) link
Eh I'm much more excited about this approach than coming back with another Retribution Gospel Choir record
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:05 (one month ago) link
I will always take another RGC record, but I get this being a distinct thing. I like the second single much better though. Reminds me a bit of Kim Gordon's recent records.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:14 (one month ago) link
i feel like this "oh we're an indie artist but we've discovered SYNTHs and AUTOTUNE and BEATS!!" is just as much of a cliche as "back to basics" at this point, even Decemberists did it
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:15 (one month ago) link
I mean, that's not wrong, but this also feels like a somewhat natural evolution of where the Low albums had been heading.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:16 (one month ago) link
That's how I feel about the KG record and most other stuff (KG or John Cale with trap beats, no thanks I'm good). But this feels different to me, like a catharsis and a way for him to make music without sounding like Low minus Mimi. Hard to know what I would think if I didn't know the context though.
xp
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:18 (one month ago) link
xpost
that's true
i love the last couple but also the most revolutionary music they made was the early stuff
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:18 (one month ago) link
listen i don't begrudge him anything at all...i saw the first derecho show and the first alan sparhawk band show, i enjoyed them okay but in both there was a nagging thing like do i really *like* this or just wish him well?
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:19 (one month ago) link
actually the more i think about it an alan sparhawk weird rockabilly record could rule
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:20 (one month ago) link
Yeah, I mean I don't think this is the best music he's ever made and who knows how it will feel in a few years, but this seems like a necessary transitional phase if there ever was one. I'm glad there's a record for it.
xp maybe that will be the Trampled by Turtles record, lol
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:22 (one month ago) link
I have at least one song recorded from the live set I saw with the band he has with the Trampled by Turtles guy in it - sounded way more trad obv but different than Low, I'll try to find it and post
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:31 (one month ago) link
my frustration is that "get still" is decent but him making a synths & autotune album and not getting bj burton involved just feels like a waste of potential
here's tracks that are probably going to be on the album with tbt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZwriY0HEaE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCu0uLb8AkY
― ufo, Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:39 (one month ago) link
okay found some stuff, first up Tired Eyes, Alan playing guitar in the world's greatest Neil Young cover band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl821lPCQbc
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:50 (one month ago) link
Speaking of, I could absolutely see Sparhawk having a Youngian approach to his latter career, tossing off different ideas in different modes.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:57 (one month ago) link
We've probably done this before but how did their songwriting partnership work? I seem to recall reading somewhere that whoever did the lead vocals, the song was theirs, Lennon/McCartney style. If that's the case then he should certainly have it within him to write more Low-type stuff. Which, for the avoidance of doubt, is what I'd like to see him doing.
― bored by endless ecstasy (anagram), Wednesday, 21 August 2024 15:08 (one month ago) link
There was an interview I saw where he talked about how Mimi was often the person who would tell him when to stop - that she would give his ideas some direction and could figure out what the song needed, while left to his own devices he would want to push every idea as far as possible.
― JoeStork, Wednesday, 21 August 2024 15:21 (one month ago) link
https://thegreatnorthernfestival.com/tgn-blog/low-interview
they talk about it in this interview a little bit - typically the one who wrote it is the one who sings lead, but there are exceptions - mimi mentions that there's songs where she ended up singing lead even though that wasn't the original intention, just because it worked better, and there's plenty of songs they sing together
― ufo, Wednesday, 21 August 2024 15:26 (one month ago) link
Metal
― glenn mcdonald, Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:39 (one month ago) link
Aha, that is the comment box on this Zing app, not the search box. An error I will make exactly once.
― glenn mcdonald, Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:40 (one month ago) link
Alan has a new noise rock thing w/a friend of mine called Feast of Lanterns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4BZto7Gf0M
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:41 (one month ago) link
that sounds cool, hard to keep track of all his bands
― moral ziosk (geoffreyess), Friday, 23 August 2024 02:40 (one month ago) link
first up Tired Eyes, Alan playing guitar in the world's greatest Neil Young cover band
back at Turf Club in October!
― moral ziosk (geoffreyess), Friday, 23 August 2024 02:42 (one month ago) link
― Bad Bairns (Boring, Maryland), Friday, 23 August 2024 03:32 (one month ago) link
Which Low album was it that had "There Will Never Be an Edit Button on ILM"? Trust, probably.
― glenn mcdonald, Friday, 23 August 2024 21:35 (one month ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2qukBhLLIc
― Maresn3st, Saturday, 24 August 2024 11:31 (four weeks ago) link
That whole episode of the Life of the Record podcast is excellent. RIP Mimi
― that's not my post, Sunday, 25 August 2024 04:14 (four weeks ago) link
boggles my mind that i'd never heard of their springsteen cover until today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy_bQq2sAoA
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Sunday, 25 August 2024 06:39 (four weeks ago) link
same
― StanM, Sunday, 25 August 2024 12:31 (four weeks ago) link
the only reason i knew about it because i collect different versions of that track lol
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Monday, 2 September 2024 01:43 (three weeks ago) link
Oh that's nice.
I like the Electrelane version a lot. What other good versions are out there, Table?
― Cow_Art, Monday, 2 September 2024 02:36 (three weeks ago) link
Listening party (i.e. preview stream) happening on Bandcamp right now. Only just tuned in but the album seems to be pretty short, just 34 minutes.
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Thursday, 19 September 2024 18:21 (four days ago) link