Low

When grunge’s noisy aggression ruled early ‘90s alt-rock, Duluth, Minnesota combo Low dared to play at a snail's pace instead, taking rock’s tenets—loud guitars and cymbal-heavy drum parts—and allowing them to slowly unfold. Emerging in 1993, and helping to give rise to the growing slowcore movement, Low would become one of the most influential indie bands of the decade. Their anti-rock, minimalist aesthetic was anchored by the quiet harmonies of husband-and-wife duo Alan Sparhawk (guitar) and Mimi Parker (drums) and bassist Zak Sally (who left the group in the 2000s). Early albums such 1994’s I Could Live In Hope and 1995’s Long Division established their creeping tempos and minimalist arrangements, but into the 2000s and beyond, their sound became heavier (2005’s The Great Destroyer), occasionally infused with electronics (2018’s Double Negative) and more experimental (2021’s Hey What). Parker died in November 2022 at the age of 55.