Low - The Great Destroyer (2005)

Sean Coonery is back again with his weekly contributions! First up we've got Low.

Their music is commonly described as “slowcore,” a subgenre characterised by slow tempos and minimalist arrangements. They are one of the earlier bands to adopt and popularize the style, making them considerable contributors to the slowcore movement. (It is worth noting that the band dislike this label. In an interview Alan Sparhawk says of descriptions of their music: “What’s the cheesiest? Slow-core. I hate that word. The most appropriate is anything that uses the word minimal in it, but I don’t think anybody’s made one up for that”) Parker and Sparhawk’s striking vocal harmonies represent perhaps the group’s most distinctive element.

all around the pants

The Embarrassment - Heyday (1979 - 1983)

Call me trite, but whenever i see the words "the best band you never heard of" I am instantly sold.


Reasons for this band being note-worthy:
1.They borrow the name from the novel Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut (one of my all-time favorite authors).
2. They shared the stage with none other than Iggy Pop, William S. Burroughs & John Cale.
3. They were one of the original bands in the now seminal record label Sub-Pop.
4. They're rocking the thick rimmed glasses way before it became the norm.
5.They draw influences from all the right places, amongst them: The Feelies, Mission of Burma & Gang of Four.

BAM! SOLD!
This whammy of a double record spans their 4 year career.

still not scurrying to find the download link?

"It's hard to say the Embarrassment were ahead of their time: they were OF their time, as soundly and fundamentally as a band can be."

one & two.

Rivers Cuomo - Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo (2008)

Holy fucking cockballs! Am I crazy or is this the second collection of Rivers Cuomo's home recordings?! Fuck yeah it is bitch! Shitty crap man, look at that motherfucker, it's like the Weezer cd us fans should've had years ago. Well, not quite mah boi, but it's still a great collection of songs and a must have for any Weezer fan. Some songs are good, some are bad, but there is a honesty here we haven't seen since the Blue Album and Pinkerton. Rivers is the creative force behind Weezer's songwriting process and this collection gives us insight into his complicated mind. These reviewers express what many fans of Rivers and Weezer might think:

"Weezer albums of late have tried masking Cuomo's myriad insecurities (girls, addictions and his own songwriting prowess) with dumb-as-a-post riffing and lyrics so hokey that they must be some kind of inside joke for an audience of one. But stripped of Big Rock pomp, "Alone II" is a more tender take on those concerns, with a few revealing moments of sweet-hearted guitar pop. Between this and the first "Alone" installment, there's enough gristle for the third-best Weezer album as yet unmade. Cuomo's Patron problems are beatable -- it's the "Pork & Beans" that's really derailed him lately." says August Brown

"Cuomo still doesn't allow himself the freedom to venture in these directions on Weezer's albums, and that's what makes both volumes of Alone quite valuable: they're as eccentric as they are accessible, portraits of a pop hermit letting his mind wander wherever it may take him. " -All Music Guide

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