Hmmmmm...where to start with Low.....
In 1993, when grunge and post-punk ruled the masses, the slowcore/shoegaze scene was gradually churning and collecting velocity. My Bloody Valentine and Ride had found their way into hipster's tape players, and in little ol' Duluth, Minnesota, Low was also starting to think similarly. Singer/guitarist Alan Sparhawk and his wife, drummer Mimi Parker, joined with one of Alan's previous band mates, John Nichols to create a very quiet, minimal music that still demanded attention, without being fast, loud and aggressive. And since Low's first release in 1994, they've been building layer after layer upon that idea. Low has evolved considerably from the very quiet and solemn debut, I Could Live In Hope, but with each album they seem to explore a slightly different side of themselves. Every record however shares the common thread of Sparhawk and Parker's amazing vocal harmonies. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes haunting, their vocal blend is always interesting. You'll find that Parker often sings the lower register of a harmony, with her husband singing the higher parts of the harmony in a beautiful almost-falsetto.
Low has a bunch of records, and I'll probably eventually post them all, including their newest record, set to be released next month (April 2011). Until then, here are two records for you to dive right in.
Low - Trust (2001)
Low - The Great Destroyer (2005)
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