By

Recap: Low played an instore set at Main Street Music

Downtempo Duluth, MN indie-Americana trio Low played a short, intimate set Monday night in the cozy confines of Manayunk record store Main Street Music. The band performed a selection of spare, haunting songs from their brand new, Jeff Tweedy-produced LP The Invisible Way (released yesterday on Sub Pop Records) and dug deep into the back-catalog for the audience-requested “Dinosaur Act,” the a-side to a 7″ the band released in 2000. The portability of the band’s signature sound was very evident. With only a minimal PA and a couple microphones, they were able to recreate the gripping vibe of the album’s most intense moments – especially “On My Own,” with its desperate climax of repeated “happy birthday” cries. This was the band’s only Philadelphia appearance on this leg of its tour, though singer-guitarist Alan Sparhawk hinted at a return in June. Check out scenes from the show in the photo gallery above and watch a video of “Waiting” below.

By

Tonight’s Concert Picks: Low at Main Street Music, Rusted Root at Sellersville Theater

low090113wMinimal music pioneers Low release their latest collection of heartrending Americana, The Invisible Way, on Sub Pop Records tomorrow. The album was produced by Wilco’s Jeff tweedy and is a phenomenal study of space and tension – you can stream the entire thing via NPR Music’s first listen series here. Though the band isn’t playing a full-on show in Philadelphia in support of this album, it is making a local appearance tonight at Manayunk’s Main Street Music for an in-store performance. The free, all-ages show begins tonight at 7 p.m., and more information can be found here. Below, listen to “So Blue” from The Invisible Way.

Worldly pop music jammers Rusted Root return to the area tonight for an appearance at The Sellersville Theater. The band released its seventh studio album, The Movement, last fall and is touring in support of it. For information on the all-ages show, check the WXPN Concert Calendar. Below, watch a music video for “Monkey Pants” from The Movement.

By

Stream Low’s Jeff Tweedy-produced new LP The Invisible Way via NPR Music (playing Main Street Music on 3/18)

12737On their latest LP, The Invisible Way, minimal Midwestern indie trio Low (would you still know what I meant if I called them “slow-core”?) got a hand from one of their musical peers with a similar grasp of sound and space. The album was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, and is streaming in its entirety this week via NPR Music’s First Listen series. NPR’s Stephen Thompson writes:

Low songs don’t often change tempo noticeably, instead achieving tension through variations in volume. But that seemingly limited framework still provides ample room for experimentation: Low can be a sweetly chiming pop band, or it can seethe and unsettle with an almost industrial buzz. It can express emotion by drawing out the barest fragment of a phrase, or it can expound thoughtfully on life, death, secrecy, war and the way humanity collides with itself.

Listen to the album in its entirety here. Low’s only Philadelphia appearance in the near future is the just-announced in-store set at Manayunk record shop Main Street Music; the free show happens next Monday, March 18th, at 7 p.m.

By

See Sera Cahoone play an instore at Main Street Music before she plays Burlap and Bean on 2/1

Photo by Hillary Harris

Plainly stated and in my humble opinion, Sera Cahoone, formerly a member of Carissa’s Wierd and Band of Horses, released one of the most compelling albums of last year. The collection of songs that make up Deer Creek Canyon, her long-awaited third solo effort after 2008′s acclaimed Only as the Day is Long, are a perfect distillation of the Northwest Pacific in sound, feel, and aesthetic. The country-tinged Americana songs are influenced, tempered, and affected by the geography and atmosphere of her home state Washington.

Before her stop at Newtown Square, PA’s Burlap & Bean on Friday, February 1st, Cahoone will be appearing for an in-store performance on Monday, January 28th at 7 PM at Main Street Music, located in Manayunk. Below, you can download the title track to Deer Creek Canyon.