Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2008, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk (guitar and vocals) and Mimi Parker (drums and vocals), both founding members, and Steve Garrington (bass guitar).
Their music is commonly described as "slowcore," a rock subgenre characterised by slow tempos and minimalist arrangements. Though Low's members disapprove of the term slowcore, the band are one of the earlier musicians to adopt and popularize the style, making them considerable contributors to the slowcore movement. Parker and Sparhawk's striking vocal harmonies represent perhaps the group's most distinctive element; critic Denise Sullivan writes that their shared vocals are "as chilling as anything Gram and Emmylou ever conspired on -- though that's not to say it's country-tinged, just straight from the heart."
Performance
Low are known for their impressive live performances. Rock club audiences sometimes watch the band while seated on the floor. During their early career, the band often faced unsympathetic and inattentive audiences in bars and clubs, to which they responded by bucking rock protocol and turning their volume down. The huge dynamic range of Low's early music made it susceptible to background noise and chatter, since many of their songs were very quiet. A performance in 1996 at the South by Southwest festival was overpowered when a Scandinavian hardc... band was booked downstairs. The Trust album, marked a turning point, and Low's music has developed a more emphatic sound.
Studio albums
* I Could Live in Hope - (Vernon Yard, 1994)
* Long Division - (Vernon Yard, 1995)
* The Curtain Hits the Cast - (Vernon Yard, 1996)
* Secret Name - (Kranky, 1999)
* Things We Lost in the Fire - (Kranky, 2001)
* Trust - (Kranky, 2002)
* The Great Destroyer - (Sub Pop, 2005)
* Drums and Guns (previously The Violent Path) - (Sub Pop, 2007)
EPs
* Low - (Summershine, 1994)
* Finally... (EP) - (Vernon Yard Recordings, 1996)
* Transmission (EP) - (Vernon Yard Recordings, 1996)
* Songs for a Dead Pilot (EP) - (Kranky, 1997)
* Christmas (EP) - (Kranky, 1999)
* Bombscare (with Spring Heel Jack) (EP) - (Tugboat, 2000)
* The Exit Papers (EP) ("a soundtrack to an imaginary film") - (Temporary Residence Limited, 2000)
* In the Fishtank (with Dirty Three) (12", EP) - (In the Fishtank, 2001)
* Murderer (10") - (Vinyl Films, 2003)
Singles
* Over the Ocean (maxi-single) - (Vernon Yard Recordings, 1996)
* If You Were Born Today (Song For Little Baby Jesus) (7") - (Wurlitzer Jukebox, 1997)
* No Need (split maxi-single with Dirty Three) - (Touch And Go, 1997)
* Venus (7") - (Sub Pop Records, 1997)
* Joan of Arc (7") - (Tugboat Records, 1998)
* Sleep At The Bottom (split 7" with Piano Magic & Transient Waves) - (Rocket Girl, 1998)
* Immune (7") - (Tugboat Records, 1999)
* Dinosaur Act (7", maxi-single) - (Tugboat Records, 2000)
* K. / Low (split) (7", maxi-single) - (Tiger Style, 2001)
* Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (CD single) - (Chairkickers' Music, 2001)
* Canada (7", maxi-single) - (Rough Trade (UK), 2002)
* David and Jude (split 7" with Vibracathedral Orchestra) - (Misplaced Music, 2002)
* California (maxi-single) - (Rough Trade (UK), 2004)
* Tonight (12", maxi-single) - (Buzzin' Fly Records, 2004)
* Hatchet (Optimimi Version) (7") - (Sub Pop Records, 2007)
* Santa's Coming Over (7") - (Sub Pop Records, 2008)
Live albums
* Maybe They Are Not Liking The Human Beings (semi-official release) - (Saturday Night Beaver, 1998)
* One More Reason To Forget - (Bluesanct, 1998)
* Paris '99: "Anthony, Are You Around?" - (P-Vine Records, 2001)
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