Arts Desk » Low

The Pragmatist: Three Songs For Quietly Disappearing

Ryan Little — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:48:06 +0000

Whether you're a ghostly apparition, a hyper-vivid memory, or even a vision of a paternal, anthropomorphic cloud, there comes a point where you need to fade away. After you give your life-changing advice or sternly and mysteriously warn the protagonist to "take heed," you've got to make your exit. Rather than offering over-the-top melodrama, here are a few low-key songs for your quiet evaporation.

After leaving The Velvet Underground, John Cale put aside his brash experimentalism for a bit to explore more traditional songcraft. The soft balladry of "Antarctica Starts Here" would make an appropriate companion to your strange dissipation—the slightly unsettling ending to the tune only emphasizing the odd situation.

The aptly-named Low—who play Black Cat next week— always have something slow and gorgeous to offer. The careful harmonies and restrained tempo of "Little Argument With Myself" will make an alluring and haunting accompaniment to your departure.

Local hushed rockers Cigarette work well in a reverb-laden, slow atmosphere. Their smoky songs readily evoke the peculiar and melancholic mood of your withdrawal from reality. If you can delay your farewell for just a bit, be sure and chill with Cigarette tonight at Galaxy Hut.

Red Red Meat/Obits @ SXSW

Aaron Leitko — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:35:13 +0000

If Tim Rutili's doesn't have the most harmonious singing voice, but it's certainly one of the most distinctive, or just the flat-out weirderst. On his records with Califone and the long defunct Red Red Meat his words are always slurred, as if he's somehow singing them backwards and forwards at the same time. I had assumed that some degree of studio trickery was involved in producing this effect–maybe running the tapes in reverse and then patching the mix through a worn out catchers mitt?–, but no, apparently it's all natural.

When Red Red Meat reunited last night to perform at Subpop's SXSW showcase all Rutili had to do to get that strange, nasal, warble was to simply push air through his lungs. Anything else that's involved remains a mystery. That voice really drives the music, though. Without him Red Red Meat's rusty, lo-fi, folk-rock might just sound like pretty-ok grunge.

More, plus photos below

The set was heavy on material from the band's third record, Bunny Gets Paid, which Subpop will be reissuing in a deluxe edition next week. There were a few cool surprises though, the band's cover of Low's "Words" (which is included on that reissue, btw). Sort of a strange symmetry there; singing defined Low's music, but in a very different way. Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk could, you know, hit notes. The eeriness of Low's original version, and most of the band's early word for that matter, largely comes out of those on-point harmonies. But, weirdly enough, it still works when Rutili sings it. He doesn't need perfect pitch to get the song's nightmarish sentiments across, his effed-up baying-hound-style croon is enough on its own.

Rick Froberg, on the other hand, probably does have the best voice in rock n' roll, as if Iggy Pop and John Fogerty had cranky sunken-eyed kid. And his band, Obits, for the most part, looks like a bunch of haggard, skeevy, weekend dads. Well, everybody except but guitarist Sohrab Habbibion, who looked a little bit like an accountant. Regardless, Obits were heavy enough to make rock-a-billy sound, you know, tolerable, maybe even good. Why isn't Froberg standing some Northwestern mega-dome stage duetting with Eddie Vedder during an encore set of Wipers covers?

Red Red Meat:

Obits:

What’s New @ Red Onion

Jason Cherkis — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:56:56 +0000

There are tons of awesome new/old vinyl at Red Onion. We just got the e-mail. You wanna race for that gospel comp on vinyl? Don't worry there's more. Lots more. The man's got some cool reissue psych folk and some Mexican psych-punk, the new Love Is All, a bunch of Low LPs, and so on.

Here's the big list:

SPENCER DAVIS GROUP: VERY BEST OF (MONO)
KRAFTWERK: AUTOBAHN (US VERTIGO PRESSING)
OMD: ARCHITECTURE & MORALITY
WINGS: WILD LIFE
BOB SEGER: SMOKIN' O.P.'S
THE HOLLIES: GREATEST (MONO)
FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS: BEST OF

GRATEFUL DEAD: AMERICAN BEAUTY (RHINO RECORDS PRESSING)

DANIEL JOHNSTON: HI, HOW ARE YOU (ETERNAL YIP REISSUE)

REDD KROSS: BORN INNOCENT (PURPLE VINYL REISSUE)

THE FREE DESIGN: ONE BY ONE (LIGHT IN THE ATTIC REISSUE)

THE FREE DESIGN: SING FOR VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE (LIGHT IN THE ATTIC REISSUE)

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE: THIER SATANIC MAJESTIES SECOND REQUEST (WHITE VINYL)
SOFT MACHINE/MARK LEEMAN 5/DEEP FEELING/T-BONES: ROCK GENERATION VOL. 8
VARIOUS ARTISTS: HARD CELL (CELLULOID COMP. FEATURING MASSACRE, GOLDEN PALOMINOS, DEADLINE, JIMI HENDRIX...)
BEACH BOYS: PET SOUNDS (MONO, VG-)
MOTT THE HOOPLE: SELF-TITLED (1970)
THE FUGS: GOLDEN FILTH (LIVE @ THE FILLMORE EAST)
C,S,N,Y: SELF-TITLED
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: GOLDEN HITS
HARRY NILSSON: PUSSY CATS (PRODUCED BY JOHN LENNON, WITH RINGO STARR AND KEITH MOON)
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY...TODAY
NRBQ: SELF-TITLED (COLUMBIA 2 EYE 360 STEREO, SUN RA COVER)
NRBQ: SCRAPS (KAMA SUTRA RECORDS)
OSMONDS: CRAZY HORSES (HEAVY ROCK ALBUM FROM THE FAMOUS FAMILY, MUST HEAR!)
OSMONDS: THE PLAN (FOLLOW UP TO CRAZY HORSES, RELIGOUS PSYCH ALBUM!!)
JANIS JOPLIN: SOUNDTRACK FROM JANIS MOVIE (2LP COLLECTION WITH SONGS, LIVE TRACKS, INTERVIEWS)
EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS: LIFE ON THE LINE
THE EXPLOITED: DEATH BEFORE DISHONOUR (ROUGH JUSTICE/COMBAT RECORDS)
VELVET UNDERGROUND: VU (A COLLECTION OF PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RECORDINGS)
TOM WAITS: RAIN DOGS
TOM WAITS: FOREIGN AFFAIRS
TOM WAITS: NIGHTHAWKS AT THE DINER
TOM WAITS: BLUE VALENTINE
LAST KISS: WEDNESDAY
GULLIVER: SELF-TITLED (FEATURES A PRE-OATES DARYL HALL)
THE GOOD EARTH: HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN

CLAIRE HAMILL: STAGE DOOR JOHNNIES

STRING DRIVEN THING: KEEP YER 'AND...

MARMALADE: SELF-TITLED
PAUL HAIG: HEAVEN HELP YOU NOW (DISQUES DU CREPUSCULE)
GOOD NEWS: SELF-TITLED (RURAL COUNTRY ROCK, COLUMBIA 360)
ALLMAN BROTHERS: EAT A PEACH
THE BAND: THE LAST WALTZ
JAMES AND THE GOOD BROTHERS: SELF-TITLED (CANADIAN RURAL ROCK)
THE VENTURES: THEME FROM SHAFT (SEALED ORIGINAL)

THE BACHELORS: PRESENTING

RICHARD WRIGHT: WET DREAM (PINK FLOYD)

FUNK/SOUL/DISCO:
ISAAC HAYES: MOVEMENT
ISLEY BROTHERS: BROTHERS: ISLEY
THE ORIGINALS: DEF I NI TIONS
AL GREEN: IS LOVE
MICHAEL JACKSON: THRILLER
FREDA PAYNE: BAND OF GOLD (VG)
LABELLE: MOON SHADOW
JEAN KNIGHT: MR. BIG STUFF (VG)
JOE TEX: LIVE AND LIVELY
THE SHIRELLES: VERY BEST OF
AL GREEN: SELF-TITLED (BELL RECORDS)
JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH: MAXIMUM STIMULATION
BILL SUMMERS & SUMMER HEAT: STRAIGHT TO THE BANK 12"
SUPER DISCO BAND: SELF-TITLED
MAN PARRISH: SELF-TITLED LP (ELECTRO-RAP-DISCO, WITH KLAUS NOMI)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: SUPER HITS OF R&B (2 LP COMP ON COLUMBIA RECORDS, GREAT COLLECTION!)
WILLIE HUTCH: ODE TO MY LADY
JOHNNIE TAYLOR: TAYLORED IN SILK
JAMES & BOBBY PURIFY: PURE SOUND OF THE PURIFYS (BELL RECORDS, STEREO)
THE DELLS: SELF-TITLED (BUDDAH RECORDS)

FAZE-O: GOOD THANG

VARIOUS ARTISTS: SAVE THE CHILDREN

VARIOUS ARTISTS: ROSES & REVOLUTIONS

JAZZ:
MONK: BIG BAND AND QUARTET IN CONCERT (COLUMBIA 2-EYE G.H.F.)
BARNEY BIGARD/ART HODES: BUCKET'S GOT A HOLE (DELMARK RECORDS)
PERCY HUMPHREY: AT MANNY'S TAVERN (BIOGRAPH RECORDS)
JAZUM-5
DOC SEVERINSEN: NIGHT JOURNEY
SONNY STITT: DUMPY MAMA (FLYING DUTCHMAN RECORDS)
JAYSON LINDH: RAMADAN (FUNKY SWEDISH FLUTE RECORD, CTI)
BOB JUNG AND HIS ORCHESTRA: JUNG! THE BIG BAND SYNDROME (COMMAND RECORDS, FUNKY MOMENTS)
JOHN KLEMMER: CONSTANT THROB (IMPULSE RECORDS)
RAMSEY LEWIS: UP POPS
MIKE GIBBS & GARY BURTON: IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT: PASSION (W. JACK DEJOHNETTE & JOHN SCOFIELD)
IDRIS MUHAMMAD: HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN (KUDU RECORDS)
ELEVENTH HOUR: GREATEST HITS (SEALED)

STANLEY TURRENTINE: SOUL OF

GIANTS OF JAZZ: THE GUITARISTS (TIME LIFE BOX SET)

QUINCY JONES: BODY HEAT

QUINCY JONES: NDEDA

QUINCY JONES: MODE

FOLK/BLUES/GOSPEL:
ETTA JAMES: COME A LITTLE CLOSER
B.B. KING: INDIANOLA MISSISSIPPI SEEDS
INCREDIBLE STRING BAND: EARTHSPAN
INCREDIBLE STRING BAND: LIQUID ACROBAT AS REGARDS THE AIR
VARIOUS ARTISTS: THE GOSPEL SOUND (2LP COLUMBIA RECORDS COMP. FROM THE 1920s-1960s)

REV. CLAUDE JETER: GREATEST HITS

JULIE DRISCOLL: THIS IS... (GERMAN PRESSING)

DAVE VAN RONK: VAN RONK (1971)

RICHARD THOMPSON: DARING ADVENTURES

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE: THESE THINGS TOO

RAP:

EPMD: UNFINISHED BUSINESS (ORIGINAL)

DR. DRE: THE CRONIC (ORIGINAL)
METHOD MAN: TICAL (ORIGINAL)

MARLEY MARL: HOUSE OF HITS (RARE 2 LP ORIGINAL)

SOUNDTRACKS:

MUSIC FROM DR. WHO (SYNTH STUFF)
DEATH WISH II (MUSIC BY JIMMY PAGE)
DEATH WISH II (MUSIC BY JIMMY PAGE, SEALED COPY)
POLTERGEIST II (MUSIC BY JERRY GOLDSMITH, SEALED COPY)
OUR MAN FLINT (MUSIC BY JERRY GOLDSMITH, MONO PRESSING)
OUR MAN FLINT (MUSIC BY JERRY GOLDSMITH, STEREO PRESSING)
LIQUID SKY
THE WARRIORS
MARJOE (STRANGE FILM ABOUT A YOUNG PREACHER, MUSIC WITH SPOKEN WORD)
THE BLACK HOLE (MUSIC BY JOHN BARRY)
HARD JOB BEING GOD (RELIGOUS ROCK ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM)
MUSIC FROM THE GREAT MOVIE THRILLERS (BERNARD HERMANN/HITCHCOCK)
CIRCLE OF LOVE
LAST OF THE SKI BUMS
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (SEALED ORIGINAL, 80'S VERSION)
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER (MUSIC BY DAVE GRUSIN)
SOUNDTRACK! (COLLECTION FEATURING MUSIC FROM CLEOPATRA JONES, BULLITT, CLOCKWORK ORANGE, KUNG FU...)
SUDDEN IMPACT AND OTHER THEMES (MUSIC BY LALO SCHIFRIN)
LA PELLE (ITALIAN ORIGINAL, MUSIC BY LALO SCHIFRIN)
OSTERMAN WEEKEND (MUSIC BY LALO SCHIFRIN)
ENTER THE DRAGON (MUSIC BY LALO SCHIFRIN)
BROTHERHOOD
THE FOURTH PROTOCOL
GHOST STORY
EMMANUELLE 2
EMMANUELLE 4
ICE STATION ZEBRA
MOTOWN PRESENTS PRIME TIME (TV THEME SONGS)
NORTH BY NORTHWEST

THE MOSQUITO COAST