Yes, dumb genre tag, but whatever.

Tension (for me) is 'tween the sensitive singer/songwriter tropes and the sonic landscape created from austere, minimal, post-goth-4AD tinged pallet.

Umm-ed and ahhed about including Galaxie 500, Mazzy Star or Cat Power, but while there's mood overlap the sonic starkness is less pronounced, and you gotta draw (arbitrary) lines somewhere. If you think I'm wrong, then you can vote other and tell me why.

Will say: those early RHP records haven't aged well for me.

GO!

or

y'know.... go. Or whatever. I guess.

(Edit: forgot Codeine)

It’s unfair including Bedhead in a poll against anyone.

Frankie99 wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 7:36 am It’s unfair including Bedhead in a poll against anyone.

Agreed, and I like some of those others quite a bit. The only things that get close in the slow/quiet tension/build department for me are categorized more as 'post rock' bands: Talk Talk, Bark Psychosis, The For Carnation, etc. Silkworm has 'slo core' songs but definitely isn't overall.

I do think Galaxie 500 fits this bill, but there's a twee quality to them I don't really like. They do succeed at 3rd VU record territory at times.

Low managed to both master the form and fuck with it, so them for me.

American Music Club is my favorite of these bands, but I'm not sure if they are the best example of this, uh, genre. They had a surprising amount of upbeat/tragically funny stuff.

Vote team Bedhead team. "Living Well" is the best song by any band.

To me this is really a contest between Low and Bedhead with a list of other bands that in the "If you like x then you should check out x" sidebar.

The challenge pitting Low against Bedhead is one band released 3 albums pretty focused and crystalized, the other has a meandering discography of renewal and discovery. Even the biggest Low fan probably has a short list of the lesser albums (varies by listener).

So I vote Low for achievement but I can see someone voting BH for consistency.

rsmurphy wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:41 am Vote team Bedhead team. "Living Well" is the best song by any band.

It's hard to choose but I think Powder is the one for me. It should go on forever.

losthighway wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:43 am Even the biggest Low fan probably has a short list of the lesser albums (varies by listener).

re: Low's 'variety of output': I think a lot of that is surface level. Sure, Tchad Blake or David Fridmann mixed various records with their 'trademarks' but they're still Low. Live the band was very consistent over the 15-20 year span I occasionally saw them, even with different bass players.

penningtron wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:44 am re: Low's 'variety of output': I think a lot of that is surface level. Sure, Tchad Blake or David Fridmann mixed various records with their 'trademarks' but they're still Low. Live the band was very consistent over the 15-20 year span I occasionally saw them, even with different bass players.

That's a great point. Maybe an indie rock confession:
I admire, but I don't enjoy the last couple Low albums. The live versions win me over.

Mark Kozelek is a fucking tool and poor man's Vince Vaughn. Bedhead.