About.com AboutEntertainment AlternativeMusic Top10Lists

ByAnthonyCarewAlternativeMusicExpert

Ads LatestMusicAlbums2015 RedMusicBand CanadianIndieRock NewBrandSongs BestBandSinger RedAlbum OldRecordsAlbums

Top 10 Slowcore Albums

ALTERNATIVE MUSICCATEGORIES

HistoryofAlt/IndieMusicGenresArtistsTop10ListsDefinitiveAlternativeAlbumsReviewsInterviewsRecordLabelsConcerts&FestivalsIntheMediaBlogAlternativeMusicBasicsAlternativeMusicNamestoKnowAlternativeMusicReviews&RecommendationsUpdatedArticlesandResources

FREE EMAILNEWSLETTER

LetAbout.comsendyouthelatestfromour

AlternativeMusicExpert.

Youremailaddresshere

SIGNUP

Youcanoptoutatanytime.Pleaserefertoourprivacypolicyforcontact

information.

AdsNewAlternativeMusicBandsmyspace.com/catostreetconspiracyDebutcdMonsterAttackoutnow!5+p&p,onlyafewcopiesleft.

PDFPasswordRemoverwww.aheadpdf.comRemovePDFpasswordsandallsecurityrestrictionseasily!

TODAY'S TOP 5 PICKS INENTERTAINMENT

VIEWMOREINENTERTAINMENT

Sharethis

Inthe1990s,facedwiththetorrentialonslaughtofgrungeandtheincreasinglyabrasivewaysofalternativemusic,ararehandfulofartistsstartedtochallengetheprevailingrockistmentality.Eventually,theselonesomesatellitesbandslikeCodeine,RedHousePainters,andLowwouldbegroupedin,together,asslowcore.Membershipintheclubwasnotforthefainthearted:playingslow,sad,frighteninglyquiet,remarkablybeautifulmusicintheeraofjackbootedmoshpitswasfraughtwithperil.Here,then,isthebestfromthosewhodared:arollcallofclassic1990sLPsfromthesemastersofthespartan.

1. Codeine 'Frigid Stars' (1991)It'sinterestinghowhistoryworks.Overthepasttwodecades,Slint'sSpiderlandhasgrowntosomethingresemblingclassicrockstatus,whilsttheartisticallycomparableFrigidStarshasremainedoverlookedandunderrated.AshaveCodeinethemselves.Thetrioweregamechangers:radicallyrazingawayrock'n'roll'sblusterandbombast,leavingsomethingbarelyevenpassingfor

barebones.DefinedbyStephenImmerwahr'sdispassionate,nasalmonotoneandslow,ploddingbassplaying,Codeineplayedstarksongsinahauntedstateofdruggedoutsemiconsciousness.Notonlydidtheydefinetheslowcoresound,buttheyputthe'slow'init.FrigidStarsisalandmarkLP,initsownway,butitseemsfatedtoremaineternallyonthefringes.More

ReadReview

2. Red House Painters 'DownColorful Hill' (1992)BeforethereleaseofDownColorfulHillasetoflong,unrockingsongsthatwereessentiallyMarkKozelek'sdemosnoonecaredaboutRedHousePainters.TheirmelancholyfolkrockschooledinpainfullyuncoolactslikeSimon&Garfunkel,CatStevens,andJohnDenverwasignoredinaneraofsarcasticindierock.TheyhadnolocalBayArea

followingtheirgirlfriendsdidn'tevenlikethem,preferringJane'sAddictionandNirvanatoKozelek'ssolemnlysung,mournfullydeliveredtunes.But,whenthemostinfluentialindieoftheday,England's4ADRecords,pluckedDownColorfulHillforrelease,acultwasbornKozelek'smelancholyruminationsonloss,regret,andnostalgiainforminganewgenerationofslow,sad,sombresongsmiths.More

ReadReview

3. Bedhead 'What Fun Life Was'

5

4

3

2

1

Codeine'FrigidStars'.SubPopRecords

RedHousePainters'DownColorfulHill'.4AD

AdsOutlookDuplicateKillerduplicatekiller.comDeleteduplicatedemails,contacts.FreeDownload

TopAccountingSoftwaregetapp.com/AccountingSoftwareTheBestApps&SoftwareForBusiness.FindtheRightToolNow!

AdsFreeKeywordResearchspssoftware.netFindtherightkeywordsforyourwebsites&trackrankings.Tryfree

VIEWMORE

3. Bedhead 'What Fun Life Was'(1994)TheaptlynamedBedheadwerebornonidleafternoonsinsmalltownTexas,wherebrothersMattandBubbaKadanewouldwileawaytheemptyhoursofteenagetediumviaendlessjamming.Bythetimetheywereinchargeofabonafideband,theKadanesfunctionedwithakindofmusicalESPtheirplayingtogethersosingularthat

Bedheadcouldeasilyfitanothercopaceticsixstringer,TenchCoxe.Playinginterlockingpatternsthatalmostsoundedlikeasemislumberoustakeonmathrock,thetrioofguitaristsplayedwithabelllikequality:theirclean,undistortednotesringing,chiming,andpealinginvariousmeasures.TheKadanesvocalswereuncharismaticmumbles,butthewaytheywereburiedwithinthesoundonlyseemedtoheightenit.More

4. Low 'I Could Live in Hope' (1994)Low,slowcore'spatronsaints,havelongreveledinanangelicsongworldofheavenlyharmoniesandholierthanthouairsthemarried,MormonpairofMimiParkerandAlanSparhawkplayingtheirstrikinglyspartan,powerfullyquietmusicwiththekindofreverenceusuallyreservedfordevotionals.Admittedly,they'vegrownbothgrumpierandfunnierovertheyears,testingtheboundariesofthe'Low

sound'withblastsofdistortionandstraightuppop,amongstotherexperiments.Theirdebut,though,capturedthematatimeinwhichtheirdefiantlyantirockstancewasatitsmostastonishinglypure:ICouldLiveinHopeasetofreallyslow,reallyquiet,reallysad,really,really,reallybeautifulsongslaidoutnakedinthefaceofgrunge.More

5. Bluetile Lounge 'Lowercase'(1995)Thoughcompletelyunknownoutsideslowcore'sclosedwalls,AustralianoutfitBluetileLoungearealegendarypropositionforthegenre'sdevotees.TheirtwoLPstheirluminous1995debutLowercase,anditslessmagical,stillreallygood1998followup,HalfCutarefulloflong,ponderoussongsinwhicheveryinstrument,beitguitaror

drum,ringsout,lingering.LowercasecaughtthematanearlypeakDanielErickson'ssongspilotinganocturnalwastelandinwhichanxietiesaren'ttenseandfrantic,butslowbuilding,andallconsuming.It'safivesong,45minutestudyinisolationism,inapersistentlonelinessleavingonefeelingutterlyunmooredunsurprisingsentimentsforabandfromPerth,theworld'smostisolatedmajorcity.

6. The For Carnation'Marshmallows' (1996)BrianMcMahonwasthedrivingforcebehindSlint,thoseinhindsightcolossuseswhoseSpiderlandprovidedablueprint

ENTERTAINMENT

Bedhead'WhatFunLifeWas'.TranceSyndicate

Low'ICouldLiveinHope'.VernonYard

BluetileLounge'Lowercase'.Summershine

Search...

forpostrockandinspiredmanysubsequentslowcoreacts.BythetimeMcMahonregatheredwithTheForCarnation,thosesilencetoviolencehighwiredynamicsofSlint'smutanthardcorehadwashedawayintoastillkindofmenacinggentleintrospection.Onapairofmid'90sEPs,1995'sFightSongsand1996'sMarshmallows,McMahonmintedanewsoundfarmoredelicatethanexpected.ThehighlightofMarshmallowsistheastonishinglypretty,endlesslyromantic"OntheSwing,"twonearperfectminutesinwhichalilting,

lulling,hypnoticguitarpartrocksbackandforth,andMcMahonwhispersatenderpoemingrowingup'sear.More

7. Smog 'The Doctor Came at Dawn'(1996)AniconoclastschooledintheshtickofoutsiderheroesJandekandScottWalker,KentuckiancurmudgeonBillCallahanhasneverbeen,strictly,aslowcoreact.Whereothersonthislistappliedtheformalausterityofhardcoretotheirnearsilentbands,Callahanwasjustasingersongwriterwhodeliveredhissongsatasnail'space.The

DoctorCameatDawnmarkedhismoststrippeddown,nearmonasticsettheabsurdcomedyofmuchoftheSmogcatalogueabandonedonasuiteofsolemn,starknaked,genuinelyunsettlingbreakupsongs.ChroniclinghisdivorcefromformercollaborateurCynthiaDall,heairstuneslike"AllYourWomenThings,"whereinCallahancaressesa"spreadeagledolly"ofleftbehindundergarmentsspreadoutonhisbed.More

8. Cat Power 'Myra Lee' (1996)FutureBillCallahanloveinterest(and,withKnockKnock,futurebreakupalbumsubject),ChanMarshall,wasanunknown,wildlyuntrained,particularlystrangesongwriterwhensheknockedoutthisscrappysetofscratchy,scared,utterlyhauntedsongs.ThoughfunctioninginapseudorocktriowithSonicYouth'sSteveShelleyandTwoDollarGuitar'sTimFoljahn,Marshallpilotsproceedingsintodesolate,oftatonal,genuinelyunfriendlyterritory.Onsongslike"IceWater,""Enough,"andtheutterlyguttural"NotWhatYouWant,"Marshallsoundslikealostsoul,standingontheveryfringesofrecognizablesongform/sanity.Atsuchapoint,fewcould'veexpectedthatthisleftfieldfigurewouldonedayachievemassculturalcrossover.More

9. Ida 'I Know About You' (1996)Overtheirlongrunningtenure,Idaessentiallyhusband/wifeNewYorkersElizabethMitchellandDanielLittletonwouldslowlygrowclosertothebandtheyclaimedtobemodelingthemselvesonallalong:FleetwoodMac.Intheirearlydays,though,thepairclungtoquietude,simplicity,andLowesquevocalharmonyLittleton,aveteranofprotoemohardcoreactTheHated,particularly

revelinginthenonrocknessofhisnewdigs.Ida'ssecondrecord,IKnowAboutYou,isasetofsad,forlorn,fallenlovesongsinwhicheveryadornmentbeitbrusheddrums,scoredstrings,orbasicbasslineseemscarefully,cautiouslychosen.Inlateryears,Mitchellwouldfindunexpectedfameplayingoldfolksongsforkids,butthat'sanotherstory...More

10. Movietone 'Day and Night'(1997)Intherealmofslowcore,Movietoneareamore'jazzy'entrytheirsemisyncopatedsounddaringtodabblewithbrushed

TheForCarnation'Marshmallows'.Matador

Smog'TheDoctorCameatDawn'.DragCity

CatPower'MyraLee'.SmellsLikeRecords

Ida'IKnowAboutYou'.SimpleMachines

UP NEXT

Genre Profile - SlowcoreGenres

Related ArticlesGenreProfileSlowcore

DefinitiveAlbums:Codeine'FrigidStars'(1991)

Top20DragCityAlbums

DefinitiveAlbums:RedHousePainters'DownColorfulHill'(1992)

DefinitiveAlbums:Slint'Spiderland'(1991)

Top20SubPopAlbums

Our Expert RecommendsGenreProfile:Slowcore

DefinitiveAlbums:Codeine'FrigidStars'(1991)

DefinitiveAlbums:RedHousePainters'DownColorfulHill'(1992)

Top10PostRockRecords

Top10Lists

Reviews

Reviews

Reviews

Top10Lists

Alternative Music Essentials

Rap/HipHop

ContemporaryLiterature

WarMovies

RomanceNovels

Entertainment Slideshows

Readers RecommendThe20BestRecordLabelsforIndieMusic

The10BestPostRockAlbumsEverMade

Our10FavoriteMathRockAlbums

AlternativeMusic101Are'Alternative'and'Indie'theSameThing?

10MostInspiredGerman'Krautrock'Albums

More from the Web

drums,doublebass,piano,clarinet,andbeachylyrics(!).But,withinrock'sbroadercontext,they'rebarelythere:KateWright'svocalsabreathcaughtinherthroatRachelBrook'sguitarsdanglingwhisperstheirfondnessforvritrecordingsoftenaddinglayersoftapehissandroomtonetotunesthathaveallthebrutalityofdiaphanouscurtainsfluttering.Theirsecondrecord,DayandNight,closeswithatenminutesanceofguitarharmonics,malletdrums,andsweetsingingitstitle,"TheCrystallisationofSaltatNight,"

effectivelyevokingthequiet,gradual,barelyperceptiblenatureofMovietone'smusic.

Top20Albumsof2014SoFar

TuneYards'NikkiNack'

OwenPallett'InConflict'

UpcomingAlternativeAlbumReleaseDates

10BandstoWatchin2014

15MostAnticipatedRapAlbumsof2015

10GreatNovelsWe'reReadingThisWinter

FunniestPeopleEverSpottedonaSubway

TheBestandWorstSciFiWarFilms

5RomanceNovelsHotterThan"FiftyShakesofGrey"

Movietone'DayandNight'.Domino

FamilyGathersToSayGoodbyetoBobbiKristinaBrown

ClintEastwoodSays'AmericanSniper'IsActuallyAntiWar

MelissaMcCarthyRevealsaNewSlimmedDownLook

IsKylieJenner'sWeightGainaDisturbingSign?

PoweredByZergNet

Ads LatestMusicAlbums2015 RedMusicBand CanadianIndieRock NewBrandSongs BestBandSinger RedAlbum OldRecordsAlbums

AboutEntertainment Followus: OurStory

News

About.com AboutEntertainment AlternativeMusic Top10Lists Top10SlowcoreAlbums

Youremailaddress SIGNUP

Wedeliver.GetthebestofAboutEntertainmentinyourinbox.

Youcanoptoutatanytime.Pleaserefertoourprivacypolicyforcontactinformation.

SiteMap

AllTopics

Reprints

Help

WriteforAbout

2015About.comAllrightsreserved.