Low

Low are a Minnesotan Alternative Rock band formed in 1993, chiefly known for being largely the Trope Namer for the silly-titled subgenre Slowcore.

The band's concept began as a joke between guitarist Alan Sparhawk and bassist John Nichols of indie band Zen Identity, wondering what would happen if they tried playing quieter music to the loud, Grunge-oriented alternative crowds of Duluth. Growing serious about trying, Sparhawk and Nichols left Zen Identity, and formed Low with the addition of Sparhawk's wife Mimi Parker on a drumkit consisting entirely of a cymbal and a floor tom.

While the bassist position underwent some changes, and the band later moved towards experimentation with electronic music, Low's music is largely centered around some easily identifiable traits:
 * Sparhawk and Parker's acclaimed vocals and harmonies.
 * Minimal instrumentation (especially compared to their Dream Pop antecedents like Galaxie 500)
 * Slow, dirgey tempos marked by very simple rhythms
 * Use of reverb for atmospheric purposes
 * General avoidance of excessive studio trickery (setting them apart from other Dream Pop bands)

They have made the following albums (along with the requisite bunch of EPs and singles):
 * I Could Live in Hope (1994)
 * Long Division (1995), their first album with bassist Zak Sally
 * The Curtain Hits the Cast (1996)
 * Secret Name (1999)
 * Things We Lost in the Fire (2001)
 * Trust (2002)
 * A Lifetime of Temporary Relief (2004), a box set with a compilation of rarities and B-sides, videos, documentaries and live tracks
 * The Great Destroyer (2005)
 * Drums and Guns (2007), for this album Sally was replaced by Matt Livingston
 * C'mon (2011), their first album with current bassist Steve Garrington

Tropes used by Low:
""What's the cheesiest? Slow-core. I hate that word. The most appropriate is anything that uses the word minimal in it, but I don't think anybody's made one up for that.""
 * Cover Version: "You Are My Sunshine", "Transmission" by Joy Division, "Jack Smith" by the Supreme Dicks, "Down by the River" by Neil Young, "Heartbeat" by Wire, "I Started a Joke" by The Bee Gees, "Long Long Long" by The Beatles, "Lord, Can You Hear Me?" by Spacemen 3, "Back Home Again" by John Denver, "Open Arms" by Journey, "Surfer Girl" by The Beach Boys, "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan, "...I Love" by Tom Hall, "Carnival Queen" by Jandek, "Fearless" by Pink Floyd, "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" by The Smiths... and those are just the ones on their studio releases and A Lifetime of Temporary Relief. All of said songs are transformed to fit the band's signature style.
 * Robert Plant covered "Monkey" and "Silver Rider" on his 2010 Band of Joy solo record.
 * Creator Breakdown: Sparhawk had one after The Great Destroyer.
 * Creator Couple: Sparhawk and Parker.
 * Epic Rocking: "Lullaby", "Down", "Stay", "Laugh", "Do You Know How to Waltz?", "Born by the Wires", "Be There", some of the material on The Exit Papers, "(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace", "The Lamb", "John Prine", "Shots and Ladders", "Pissing"
 * Incredibly Long Note: "Standby". Actually, quite a few of their songs involve long-held notes.
 * Insistent Terminology: Alan Sparhawk hates the term "slowcore", claiming it originated as a joke with a friend who worked in a record store.


 * Mohs Scale of Rock and Metal Hardness: They usually get stuck between a 1 and 2. They've been edging upwards somewhat since Things We Lost in the Fire.
 * Vocal Tag Team