Low performing songs from C’Mon – Barbican, London 4 June

Low are a truly special band. Formed as a joke at the height of grunge’s high-gain heyday, its hard to imagine early audiences in 1993 considering this Duluth, Minnesota trio even existing eighteen years later, never mind selling out prestigious venues. But then again, rock 'n' roll has a habit of taking funny turns like this.

Frequently pigeonholed into a niche little sub-genre dubbed “slow-core”, Low are simply unique. The band’s melodies are rich and nourishing, but unlike Ida, stop short of coming over as sickly sweet. Sparse arrangements grow and rejoice in reverb, but in a way that’s more nuanced than Codeine’s dramatic use of dynamic range and reverential feedback. With an avant-rock savvy to match Labradford, Low can easily satisfy the most fastidious of Wire readers yet still write songs that sound like songs. That’s not to say any of these other bands aren’t great in their own ways, because frankly, they are. It’s just that over nine albums and another nine EPs, Low have earned a reputation for themselves as musically fearless and ultimately, peerless.

With that in mind, you’d be forgiven for thinking expectations would be high for tonight’s performance of songs from their latest album, C’mon. After the hushed crowd politely take their seats in the 2,000 capacity venue, the band walk on stage, heads down, all dressed in black. Barely noticing the audience, frontman Alan Sparhawk plugs in his Les Paul with a disgruntled buzz, fiddles with his little amp and shakes his head a bit before launching straight into a long, slow, distorted riff which can only be likened to Beat Happening covering a Harvey Milk tune. All of a sudden, these piercing shards of amplifier squeal wash away to reveal Nothing But Heart. As the song gradually builds up, it becomes clear that the vocal harmonies of Sparhawk and drummer Mimi Parker are still as powerful as ever. Only this time, they soar with renewed fire in their bellies and a forceful feeling of pressure and release (a trick the band later repeats on Majesty/Magic).

At the other end of the scale, songs such as $20 and Done are coloured with a distinct tone of weariness - giving them an extra fragility than their album versions - whilst Especially Me and Try To Sleep are invigorated with an almost hypnotic heartbeat-like sense of pulse and propulsion.

As far as Low records go, perhaps the biggest surprise of C’Mon is its general lack of surprises. Witches boasts a cranky distortion reminiscent of 2007s Drums and Guns. Sparhawk’s echo chamber guitar on Nightingale harks back to 1995’s Long Division. The album’s closing track, Something’s Turning Over is not unlike some of the bands acoustic covers captured on 2004’s A Lifetime of Temporary Relief. And that’s no bad thing. C’mon’s solid, confident, songwriting makes this album serve as a perfect introduction for one of the most important (yet overlooked) bands of the last twenty years by showcasing everything they’ve learnt along the way. Thanks in part to live keyboardist Eric Pollard and new-ish bassist Steve Garrington, tonight’s encore of older classics such as Laser Beam, Two Step and (That’s How You Sing)Amazing Grace, are subtly re-worked and freshened up but still retain the sacred minimalism that made these songs so special in the first place.

Low have never been ones to hang around the same places for too long. And that, dear readers, is the essence of their charm. At the very least, they make music that is interesting, at the very most you’re almost certain to fall in love with them. Either way, based on tonight alone, it seems fair to say that in another eighteen years from now, they’ll still be selling out venues somewhere.

In the meantime, watch some of their videos:

Words - I Could Live In Hope (1994)
Shame - Long Division (1995)
Over the Ocean - The Curtain Hits the Cast (1996)
Will the Night - Songs for a Dead Pilot (1997)
Weight of Water - Secret Name (1999)
Dinosaur Act - Things We Lost in the Fire: (2001)
Canada - Trust (2002)
Death of a Salesman - The Great Destroyer (2003)
Breaker - Drums and Guns (2007)
Try to Sleep - C'Mon (2011)

http://www.chairkickers.com/

A Song For Broken Homes by Lights Of Paris

Those sly hounds Lights of Paris write some of the most affecting and haunting tunes but A Ballad For Broken Homes is a new peak for Patrick Fitzroy and his merry crew.

We filmed this footage at the Live & Loaded festival in Crawley this month & it's a slow burner for sure! The storm clouds gather gradually building an intense atmosphere only for Patrick's voice to cut through the haze. The ebb and flow of the song eventually breaks into beautiful overlapping squalls of Mark Rivers' piano and Patrick's guitar. Anthony Fitzroy's bass is, as usual, a solid support for the unruly emotional upheaval of his brother's voice while Craig Brown's drumming moves from understated to bombastic without missing a beat. You could feel the shift in the room after this song had finished. I was reminded of the first time I heard How I Made My Millions.

It's hard to think of another band at this level that are equal to LoP for songwriting & showmanship. It takes a huge amount of talent and guts to unleash a song like this live, especially at an alldayer on a stage where moments earlier a rapper had finished his set followed by a band trying to goad the audience of children into starting a circle pit with very little success.

I love this band and this song is beautiful. I cannot wait for the album.

Dizzy Tales: Live at BB Heath Leisure Centre (with purple juice in support)

Hello friends, welcome to the world of Messrs Ladybird.

Moving on, my first action will be to tell you that in the peculiar, pleasant, peculiarly pleasant surroundings of Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre, a wonderful collection of men, women, children, and a Fireman Sam-skirted lady saw Dizzy Tales deliver an impressive set of catchy, hook-laden numbers that suggest these young whippersnappers could go far.

Despite the perils of bastard vending machines and lights hotter than a unicorn riding on the surface of the sun, the band tore through their tracks with confidence, with each member bringing a distinctive style to the mix.

Andy Boud's lead vocals swooped and swooned impressively, and he strutted around the stage with confidence, while he was admirably backed up in this regard by the rest of the band, notably the bassist Tom Dulson.

He goes a little further than most bassists, with a few of the main melodies coming through dextrous fingerwork, allowing Joe Woodhead's lead guitar work to shine through. His style is a little reminiscent of Chilis guitarist John Frusciante, with long hair flowing and high backing vocals adding to the mix, while being able to crack out a great solo at the same time.

Adam Ellis' drum work was tight and allowed the rest of the band space to breathe, giving the audience the chance to take in the melodies while carrying the rhythm and essence of the tracks well.

After recently being featured on BBC Introducing: The South (first track on the show), Dizzy Tales have the talent and the energy to put on a great live set. With an EP available as well, they should be playing to bigger crowds as a matter of course, so catch them before they truffle shuffle their way out of Crawley. Go on, I dares ya...

Check out a delightful video put together by TFM of the boys in action at this very gig.

Some of the delightful art work from Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre - if you like ass-pinching then this is for you.