When you’re an influential musician, people tend to ask you what you’ve been listening to lately. Here at 5 for 20, we’re just as keen to find out what records loom large in our favourite artists’ memory banks. So, we’re asking folks for their top five records of the last 20 years.
For their 10th album in 20 years, Minnesota’s Low travelled to Chicago to record with engineer Tom Schick and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy at his band’s Loft Studio. The result is The Invisible Way, which co-founder Alan Sparhawk has said consists of “songs about intimacy, the drug war, the class war, plain old war war, archeology, and love,” with his bandmate Mimi Parker singing lead on five of the 11 tracks.
Low’s current tour finds them performing at the Great Hall in Toronto on March 16, and we asked Sparhawk to take some time to send us his top five albums released over the past 20 years.
In the Aeroplane over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel (1998)
“Revolutionary record for American indie rock, great songs, great imagery, great vocals, Robert Schneider's production is probably the best lo-fi had to offer.”
Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch (2001)
“Lyrically daring, structurally daring,” Sparhawk says. “She’s messing with some shit that no one wants to touch.”
“Alan, the songs are really beautiful,” Parker adds.
Throw Down Your Arms by Sinead O’Connor (2005)
“A rare triumph in modern day reggae,” Sparhawk declares. “Produced by Sly and Robbie.”
The Death of Frequent Flyerby Psalm One (2006)
“Became obsessed with this record four or five years ago,” Sparhwak says. “Chicago hip-hop. More obsessed with this record than any hip-hop record in a while.”
Green Albumby Weezer (2001)
“All great songs. Especially the 'Girlfriend' song."
See Low play at Toronto’s Great Hall (1087 Queen St. W.) on March 16.
Follow Vish Khanna on Twitter: @vishkhanna
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