Things We Lost in the Fire

Today's Music of the Day is Low's Things We Lost in the Fire. This album has been in my music library for some time now, and it's something I've appreciated for months, though for some reason I am just getting around to it now.

This album is old-school, early period Low. There aren't any anthems here like "Walk Into the Sea"; no, this is more along the lines of "Trust"-era Low. The sound here is minimal and downtempo, with a general mood morose enough to probably even depress Robert Smith a little bit. It's amazing how barren the soundscape is; this album is probably akin to walking through a desert of only white sand, with only an occasional dead tree or cloud to give notice that any progress has been made at all.

It's difficult to listen to this album and not just be affected by the mood, rather than appreciating the quality of the work itself. This isn't to disparage potential listeners, just to give some background to anyone expecting the Apples in Stereo to show up halfway through the album. The whole work is solid, though I'm partial to "Sunflower" and "Closer", the latter of which is probably the crown jewel of the album. There are plenty of good songs here, though - "Dinosaur Act" and "July" are great, and "In Metal" is a nice closer to the album.

While I don't listen to this album every day, I'm certainly glad I have it somewhere. I don't know that I care for it as much as "The Great Destroyer" (which I feel balances its mood better), it's a lovely album if you can bear the emptiness.

In Other News:
Rock Climbing tomorrow! It's just climbing walls but dang if it isn't fun.

Go get your Creme Eggs now before all the Easter candy disappears!

I bought all of "Arrested Development" on DVD this week - the box sets were on sale at Target for $9.99 each. It was too much to pass up. Don't judge me.

Christmas

Today's Surprisingly Tolerable Holiday Music is Christmas, by Low. This album was given to me as a gift, partially because I mentioned it some time ago, but possibly a little bit to make me dislike the holidays less. Yes, I'm something of a Grinch, particularly about Christmas music. I suppose I wouldn't dislike it so much if I wasn't browbeaten with it from the moment Thanksgiving ends until the moment Christmas Day ends.

Anyway, this album sounds exactly like what would be expected from a reserved, semi-minimalist band writing Christmas songs. They're not festive, exactly, but more like Low songs that happen to be about Christmas. There are a couple covers here, which don't sound out of place, but the album is mostly originals.

This isn't really Bing Crosby Christmas music, nor is it music for a warm Christmas with your loved ones. It's more Christmas music for softly falling snow and cold winds, the kind of music that wants to celebrate the holidays but which brings a mood more fitting for a chilly night spent inside. I'm glad Low put out this album when they did, as the band's sound has changed a little, and the overall effect of a Christmas album put out under a vintage Low sound is more powerful than something under their modern ideas (which aren't bad, just more accessible).

In Other News:
Man this week has been a struggle. Maybe the weekend will lift my spirits? Who knows. But even as I complain, somewhere, people are outside in this frigid December, working or just trying not to starve or freeze to death. My 'problems' are all relative, whether they seem that way all the time or not.

Low, plus Misc.

Today I don't have an album review. I do have a little bit of music to talk about though.

Last night I saw Low in concert. Now, I was very curious to see how their music would translate to a live show - they aren't exactly the most upbeat group I can think of. But their particular downtempo, ominous rock music really works well for a small to medium sized crowd. They played a number of songs, some of their more driving numbers but mostly the kind of mellow songs I've come to expect from them. It was a really enjoyable show, particularly after the socializing crowd settled down and/or left. I hoped to hear two songs, both from The Great Destroyer - "Silver Rider" and "Death of a Salesman" - though I only got the former. It was great. Low also opened with a cover of Pink Floyd's "In The Flesh?", the opening track from The Wall. I like a good cover tune now and again, and my affinity for Waters-era Floyd is no secret, so I was sold from the opening song. Good show, I'd easily go see Low again.

The opening act was a middle-aged gentleman named Charlie Parr. He seemed like a really cool guy, played a sort of old-time country music that was enjoyable and rootsy. I wouldn't mind having his job when I get older, if only the band I was supporting would let me bring some exercise equipment on the tour bus.

And then there's this:
http://www.coucoucircus.org/ost/generique.php?id=1163

This is the theme song to "Bokurano", the anime I've been watching lately. It doesn't seem to be my type of music, but I actually really like it. As for "Bokurano", I could tell you more about it but that seems like an entry for another day. It's probably as good as anything I've seen recently; it isn't the same as Cowboy Bebop, certainly not as stylish, but very mature and realistic.

In other news:

I need to get back to a normal sleep schedule. I'm kind of cranky due to lack of sleep but hopefully the work week will straighten me out a little bit.

The Great Destroyer...and then some

Man do I ever want to blog about Challengers some more. I've been listening to it almost every day since I got it. While it's probably the least rambunctious New Pornographers album (and likely the weakest in some eyes), it's a very good album. It isn't as upbeat as any of their other albums, even Twin Cinema, but I'm still impressed. I do have one criticism: the Bejar songs (Dan Bejar contributes a few songs to each album) don't blend with the others as well on this album as they do on Twin Cinema or even Electric Version. His songs are good, and the Newman songs are excellent as well, but they are a little too different in sound to transition together cleanly. I suppose this is more a result of these two men having continued to grow as musicians since the NPs initially set out as a side project of sorts. I really like this album, though, and can't find a song that I dislike. Of course I like the Neko songs, but a lot of the others are wonderful as well.

No, no, today's Music That Is Making Jason Buy Concert Tickets is The Great Destroyer, by Low. This is far from the first Low album, but it's the first one I got my hands on, by way of the DSM public library. I heard their song 'Monkey' on BetterPropaganda and was rewarded for my curiosity. Low is a group of three people from (I think) Minneapolis who started making music in the early/mid 90's. Their sound is very reserved and minimalist, 'downtempo' or 'slowcore' for those of you who need to label your music. Whereas the New Pornographers are known for having all sorts of catchy pop hooks in songs, Low is almost exactly the opposite: ominous, foreboding promise that never explodes. Note: I really need to get some of the early Low albums. I've heard much praise for Things We Lost In The Fire, and apparently Low has a very good Christmas album.

Anyhow, The Great Destroyer is something of a departure from the traditional Low albums. It's more upbeat and louder, to be certain, though it retains the darker tone of their earlier work. For longtime fans, I suspect it came as something of a letdown, but I liked it almost immediately. My favorite song on the album is easily 'Silver Rider', which probably comes closest to emulating the slow, brooding sound that is more traditional Low. This album overall is enjoyable, even if it isn't 'fun'; it's great for holding a grudge or just being in a sour mood all day. It's also good for rainy days or just settling down.

In other news:

I need sleep. Apparently I can't just sleep four hours a night and ignore it forever.