This Will Take A While

Alan Sparhawk is part of the indie band Low. They take a minimalist approach to music, with slow tempos and and a delicate sense but not in an indie-for-the-masses kind of way that Mumford & Sons do. When he wants to make a bit of a ruckus, he gets going with his band Retribution Gospel Choir. Their first couple records had a more power pop kind of feel, but their latest record, simply titled 3, contains only 2 songs, both of which clock in at nearly 20 minutes. Side A is titled "Can't Walk Out"and Side B is titled "Seven." Both tracks are modern guitar epics, especially "Seven" which features the great Nels Cline from the current incarnation of Wilco. The leads in that song are traded off between Sparhawk and Cline and even casual familiarity with Wilco's latest records one will easily tell which lead is who. Sparhawk's playing is more straight-forward and thick toned; Cline is much more angular, operating in the highs. It's a nice mix, both guitarists work well together, and it makes for a big change from the poppy-ness of the last EP. They are playing DC9 and I would totally go but it's Valentine's Day. Ugh. Stupid tour manager; who books that night!?!

Here's the creepy ass video (though also kind of howlingly funny) for "Seven." I don't know if anything really weird or odd or whatever happens because I only watch for a minute or so.

Speaking of long tracks, Neil Young reunited with Crazy Horse in 2012 for the enormous Psychedelic Pill.  I saw enormous because it has two tracks that run over 16 minutes, "Ramada Inn" and "Walk Like A Giant," and one, "Driftin' Back," that runs nearly half an hour.  It's these three songs that are obviously central to the record and show the band in great form musically. There isn't much sophisticated about it. The opener "Driftin' Back" has the feel of a studio jam that just goes on and on and on. Lyrically it is kind of terrible, Neil singing about getting a hip hop hairdo and wanting his mp3s or some kind of nonsense. But the classic Neil sound is there, soloing with gusto between the silliness. He's old, sure, and he isn't going to be writing any more songs like "Old Man" or "Cinnamon Girl" but he can still make the Earth shake.

Here's the album closer, "Walk Like A Giant." Check it out for a few minutes and you'll get the idea!