Low, July 15

Friday, July 15, 8 p.m.

Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA

Touring in support of their most recent, critically acclaimed album Hey What, married musicians Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker bring their indie-rock outfit Low to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on July 15, the duo's lauded vocal harmonies inspiring music journalist and historian Denise Sullivan writes to call them "as chilling as anything Gram [Parsons] and Emmylou [Harris] ever conspired on - though that's not to say it's country-tinged, just straight from the heart."

With the musicians based in Duluth, Minnesota, Low's debut album I Could Live in Hope was released on Virgin Records' Vernon Yard imprint in 1994, and established Sparhawk's and Parkers' collective gift for slow tempos and minimalist arrangements. That was release was followed by 1995's Long Division and 1996's The Curtain Hits the Cast, works that established the band as critical darlings, while extensive touring helped them develop a highly devoted fan base. "Over the Ocean," a single drawn from The Curtain Hits the Cast, also became a hit on college radio. During a 1999 that saw Low record and release their next album Secret Name, the musicians joined forces with Dirty Three to record an "In The Fishtank" session for Konkurrent records, which led AllMusic.com to deem the six-song disc "some of the best material either unit has produced," one of the songs a particularly notable cover of Neil Young's "Down by the River."

Nine addition Low albums have followed Secret Name's release, with 2005's The Great Destoyer the musicians' biggest Billboard hit, landing at number 13 on the Heatseekers chart. Their songs, meanwhile, have been frequently heard in film and television, with Low tunes included in the movies The Mothman Prophecies and KillShot, as well as TV series including Skins, Eastbound & Down, Orange Is the New Black, and 13 Reasons Why. The band has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue, recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. And in 2010, Robert Plant recorded two Great Destroyer songs for inclusion on his album Band of Joy: "Monkey" and "Silver Rider.". In an interview, Plant said of Low, "It's great music; it's always been in the house playing away beside Jerry Lee Lewis and Howlin' Wolf, you know. There's room for everything."

The musicians of Low perform their East Moline engagement on July 15, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $22, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.