DALEK @ Mercury Lounge – 2/27/07

Combining elements of shoegaze, trip-hop, ambient noise, and poignant rap lyrics, Newark’s Dalek are forerunners in the newest wave of underground rap, challenging their listeners both verbally and musically. While many critics claim that contemporary rap has reached a lull, DJ Oktopus creates sprawling ambience not typically associated with rap or hip-hop; the type of music that hearkens back to early Sonic Youth, Radiohead, or later Brian Eno. To top this off, MC Dalek, flows with an intense tone that would not be out of place for the likes of Mobb Deep or Talib Kweli. They have already won plenty of critical acclaim and it shouldn’t be long before the rest of the music world takes notice. Look for the newest release, Abandoned Language, on Mike Patton’s label, Ipecac later this month.

RIYL: TV on the Radio, Glenn Branca, Gang Starr, Tricky, Blackstar

LOW @ Bowery Ballroom – Wed 12/06

Low hails from Duluth, MN as a forerunner in the slowcore movement in the mid 90’s. Along with bands such as Calla and Red House Painters, Low creates an unsettlingly soft and quiet sound with a certain trademark roughness. However, Low isn’t all about sparse guitars, as every occasionally they will surprise their audience by turning up the amps. As an added bonus, Low’s album Christmas is an extremely underrated seasonal album: a perfect pairing for the annual tofurkey and box-of-wine dinner at your Williamsburgian friend’s house. Members of Ida, another band in the genre, are also performing, so get ready for an exciting night of quiet admiration!

RIYL: Palace, P:ano, Kind of like Spitting