Recommend excellent slo-core albums to me.

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Come on, I get my wages tomorrow, and I havent bought an album in a while. What MUST I have?

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 28 August 2002 21:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Codeine's "Frigid Stars" or "White Birch"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 28 August 2002 23:01 (twenty-three years ago)

ON FIRE by Galaxie 500

― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 28 August 2002 23:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Bedhead "Transacion de Novo"

― Manny Parsons, Wednesday, 28 August 2002 23:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Speaking of great pre-post 9/11 albums, does Low's Things We Lost in the Fire count?

― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 28 August 2002 23:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Speaking of great pre-post 9/11 albums, does Low's Things We Lost in the Fire count?

Yes! But if you don't have any Low albums, get Long Division first, then Secret Name.

And although I agree with the Bedhead recommendation, I would start with Beheaded.

― Miranda, Wednesday, 28 August 2002 23:30 (twenty-three years ago)

a young person's guide to phill niblock.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 28 August 2002 23:44 (twenty-three years ago)

no, get low's the curtain hits the cast first.

― Josh (Josh), Wednesday, 28 August 2002 23:53 (twenty-three years ago)

it is one of my five best favorite most important top albums of all time, so of course I have no reasons to give you.

― Josh (Josh), Wednesday, 28 August 2002 23:54 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm with Josh. Go with The Curtain Hits the Cast if you can find a copy. BEE-RILL-EE-YUNT.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Thursday, 29 August 2002 00:26 (twenty-three years ago)

For a more dreary, Neil Young-ish kind of sound check out Idaho's Three Sheets to the Wind.

― charlie va, Thursday, 29 August 2002 01:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Speaking of Curtain Hits the Cast, I wish Ray Charles would cover "Over the Ocean."

― Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 29 August 2002 01:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Dakota Suite "Alone with everybody"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 29 August 2002 01:25 (twenty-three years ago)

I still think of Curtain Hits the Cast as the sort of stock entry-point for Low.

On Fire is a great recommendation if it's slow-core enough to fit your needs. I'd also point to the American Analog Set's The Golden Band or The Thrill of Watching Fireworks.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 29 August 2002 01:37 (twenty-three years ago)

amanset aren't slocore!

― Josh (Josh), Thursday, 29 August 2002 01:53 (twenty-three years ago)

and for that matter it's a poor label for bedhead too.

― Josh (Josh), Thursday, 29 August 2002 01:56 (twenty-three years ago)

is there really a difference between slocore and slo-fi?

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:05 (twenty-three years ago)

not to say that AmAnSet and Bedhead are either, that is

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:06 (twenty-three years ago)

dj screw - three 'n the mornin' part two
low - i could live in hope

― dk, Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Does _Pygmalion_ count? You should get it anyway.

― Clarke B., Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:32 (twenty-three years ago)

I will accept that there are family resemblances though.

― Josh (Josh), Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Radar Bros; start with most recent and work back.

But yeah, what is the best Low album? I guess I'd choose LD. TWLITF is inferior to SN, that's easy.

― Aaron A., Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:34 (twenty-three years ago)

If we're taking family resemblances that may not be exactly slo-core, then let's not forget Red House Painters. Gorgeous, mostly-slow brooding pop. The Down Colourful Hill release may be the best for that style, though most of the albums have something to recommend them.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Thursday, 29 August 2002 02:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Codeine's The White Birch? Yes.
Low's Curtain Hits The Cast? Yes.
Radar Bros.? Actually, I'd say start with the first one. All of their albums are great but the first five tracks of the first album can't be beat. "Supermarket Pharmacy" is one of the best suicide songs ever.
Galaxie 500? Hmm, maybe This Is Our Music, because it's got "Listen The Snow Is Falling". Personally I enjoy Damon and Naomi's More Sad Hits more than any Galaxie 500 album.
Is The For Carnation considered slo-core? The self-titled album is slow, and quiet, and really creepy, and very good.

― Nick Mirov, Thursday, 29 August 2002 04:36 (twenty-three years ago)

"Supermarket pharmacy" is a suicide song? Hmm... yeah, start with the first Radar Bros and work forward. It took a while for me to get into the first LP but when I did, it was worth the effort - and it's got "Goddess", one of the best album closers ever. More people should go 'da-da' along to their guitar solos.

― Rob M, Thursday, 29 August 2002 07:20 (twenty-three years ago)

I second the Idaho recommendation.

― Damian (Damian), Thursday, 29 August 2002 09:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Have all Low's stuff except "I Could Live in Hope" - and Secret Name is def the best. Have some of the stuff you mention (G500, Codeine) but perhaps I will throw my money in the direction of the Radar Brothers or Bedhead...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 29 August 2002 09:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Idaho is a good bet, if you like depressive powerful stuff. But I'd always go for their first album Year After Year. Afterwards they slowly ran out of ideas and repeated themselves.
I have to second Down Colorful Hill by RHP, the cover is as classic as the music. And the rollercoaster album has my favourite song of theirs, the phantastic Katy Song.
The first Tindersticks is the best British contribution to the genre though it is not exactly slowcore (there is more passion in there).

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Thursday, 29 August 2002 09:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd say "Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty" by Felt is a brilliant slo-core album, possibly too early to be categorised as such though. I think it achieves what Codeine SEEMED to be aiming at.

― flowersdie, Thursday, 29 August 2002 10:08 (twenty-three years ago)

The Telescopes' album that came out this year knocks all these ones cold.

― J0hn Darni1elle, Thursday, 29 August 2002 10:15 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll accept that it's slo-core, but I still don't believe it's the Telescopes.

I say get Sugar Plant's Happy/Trance Mellow, Mazzy Star's Among My Swan or something by Acetone.

― Curt (cgould), Thursday, 29 August 2002 12:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Komeit - Falling Into Place (best album of the year!)
Heartworms - Enemies EP (it's quite slow really!)

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 29 August 2002 12:34 (twenty-three years ago)

There was a Brit band called Submarine that found a great spot somewhere between slowcore, space rock and shoegazer -- Velvet-y simplicity, nice play of distorted noise vs. languor. Both the self-titled and Kiss Me Till Your Ears Burn Off, a singles comp, are worthwhile.

Not to be confused with the Submarine whose Skindiving litters cutout bins far and wide. From what little I've heard of them, they're to be avoided.

Oh yeah, I second the votes for the Radar Brothers' new one, and Low is great. Curtain and Secret Name are both good choices. I think TWLIF is great, but kind of getting away from their signature. Haven't given their forthcoming a good listen yet. Long Division leaves me cold for some reason.

― wl, Thursday, 29 August 2002 15:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Must hear that new Telescopes album. When I get back from the trip...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 29 August 2002 15:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Codeine's The White Birch is fanfuckingtastic. I also manage lots of heart for Low's Things We Lost In The Fire.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 29 August 2002 15:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Okay I definitely don't think of Sugarplant as slow-core, at least not in the Happy / Trance Mellow period, but good god is that a striking album.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 29 August 2002 15:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Recommendations are much appreciated, folks, but I'm surprised none of you mentioned Boa Morte, the new kings of slow melancholy. Their new album "Soon it Will Come Time to Face the World Outside" is one of the year's best, and you must all own it...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 29 August 2002 21:10 (twenty-three years ago)

"The Problem With Me" and "Are You Driving me Crazy" by Seam. Rex and Karate put out some decent slowcore stuff but nothing really essential.

― Underclocked, Saturday, 31 August 2002 10:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Since "On Fire" and "This is Our Music" have already been mentioned, I'll just let you know that "Today" is Galaxie 500's absolute best album. The guitar tones are just so warm. It's like heroin and molasses. You could also get "Today"'s inspiration, The Velvet Underground "Live 1969" which isn't always slo.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 31 August 2002 19:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I forgot some great British slow-core bands in my recent post. There is Arco from London which sound like Neil Halstead meets Robert Wratten or something like that. A great track is All This World downloadable at the epitonic site.
There is Dakota Suite which I haven't listened to enough. And Midnight Choir from Norway who are a little more like The Tindersticks more exuberant and passionate than the usual slow-core band. The singer sounds like an opera singer out of a film noir.
Mojave 3 of course, Neil Halstead's (ex-Slowdive) band which is a little too close to schmaltz for my liking.
And Lilium is a solo project by the French bassisit Pascal Humbert from 16 Horsepower. Sounding like acoustic ambient. Most these records are available via Glitterhouse.
Slint, the band who more or less started slow-core I don't know too much but I like their cover of Cortez the Killer.
The Radar Bros are great but I haven't heard their latest.
And Low's slow-motion version of Joy Division's Transmission is absolutely gorgeous.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Sunday, 1 September 2002 09:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Interestingly enough, this was the exact record I was listening to in the car the morning of 9/11. I was on my way to work in the Seattle suburbs, blissfully listening to "In Metal," unaware of the horror that was happening in my old home of Manhattan at that exact moment.

A year later, it's still hard for me to listen to that album.

― mike a, Sunday, 1 September 2002 13:37 (twenty-three years ago)

er, that would be Low's "Things We Lost In The Fire."

― mike a, Sunday, 1 September 2002 13:37 (twenty-three years ago)

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