Low– Lullaby (Demo), [A Lifetime of Temporary Relief: 10 Years of B-Sides & Rarities]

I went to a 12-hour drone fest called Slumber Duluth, in—obviously—Duluth, a little over a month ago. It was a project organized by Aaron Molina of If Thousands and it boasted an impressive line-up of experimental, ambient, drone and slowcore artists from this northern neck of the woods. Attendees were encouraged to bring sleeping materials and were told to feel free to doze off. Rumors flew that Alan Sparhawk of Low would be making a secret appearance during the 3am-7am group improvisational set but I fell asleep on the couch next to the “dark” stage (and to be honest, I felt a little bad about it because I was taking up a rather large couch) so I’m not sure if he ever showed up. Nevertheless, it was an amazing night and well worth my five bucks. When I was yawning awake at about 6am, a number of members from the groups that had played earlier in the night were still improvising on the stage. As I looked around at the bodies strew across the floor, I noticed Molina sitting on the edge of the stage with a giant grin on his face that said “Success.” Well, the last 7 or so minutes of this song kinda reminds me of that moment.

[visit Low’s website here, buy A Lifetime of Temporary Relief: 10 Years of B-Sides & Rarities here, read Ian Mathers’ Stylus review here]

Gene Autry– Red River Valley, [Gene Autry’s Western Collection]

My cousin works as a garbage man in Bismarck, North Dakota. Nearly his entire house is built on the detritus of others. When I told him I collected old records, he casually told me of how he always finds boxes full of them, and watches as they shatter in the truck’s compacter. After my crying fits subsided, I asked him if it wouldn’t be too much trouble for him to hold on to whatever he finds and that I would pick them up whenever I’m in the hood. He agreed and now I have boxes of records lying around the floor of my room yet to be alphabetized and organized. This song came off one of them. It’s off a 33 inch that came in a nice padlocked case along with a bunch of old, dusty-trail country. That pedal steel croon at the fade out kills me.

[buy Gene Autry’s Western Collection here]

Bizzy Bone– All In Together, [Alpha and Omega]

Bizzy (or Lil’ Ripsta, for those in da know), has always been the most interesting member of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Bone had always embraced the darker, mystic elements of the spirit life, but Bizzy harnessed and streamline them into a more believable and seemingly honest motif. All of his three solo album titles are spiritual in nature, but while his latest, Alpha and Omega, is the most obviously Christian, it’s paradoxically his least churchly of the bunch. In typical Bizzy fashion, he will never do what people expect. An example is “All In Together,” which to the casual listener may sound like a typical sex-track, but at its core, is much more complex. David Jeffries over at AMG made the astute remark that if it weren’t for the shout-outs to Biggie and Left Eye Lopez on one track, “Alpha and Omega’” would exist entirely outside the world of mainstream hip-hop.” And from the looks of it, that’s the way Bizzy will remain, whether he intends it or not.

[visit Bone Thugs and Harmony’s website here, buy Alpha and Omega here, read Killian Murphy’s feature on E 1999 Eternal here]