Lowest of the Low
The Lowest of the Low were a Canadian alternative rock group in the early 1… Read Full Bio ↴The Lowest of the Low were a Canadian alternative rock group in the early 1990s. Although they never broke through to the mainstream, they were one of the most influential bands on the Canadian alternative music scene.
Formed by Ron Hawkins, Stephen Stanley and David Alexander, the band was originally known as Popular Front. The band's punk-inspired jangle pop quickly became a popular draw on the Queen Street West club circuit in Toronto.
In 1991 they released their debut album, Shakespeare My Butt, featuring songs they had already performed and toured for several years as Popular Front. Hawkins's songs were filled with lyrics about Marxism and the Spanish Civil War, but also contained many references to Toronto landmarks like the Don River, Bathurst Street, and his local pub, "The Only" on Danforth Avenue. The album was actively supported by Toronto radio station CFNY, and quickly made the band a popular name across southern Ontario and western New York. The album became one of the best-selling independent releases in Canadian history (although it was eclipsed in the same year by Barenaked Ladies' Yellow Tape), and was later named one of the ten greatest albums in Canadian music history by the music magazine Chart.[1]
In 1993, the band signed a distribution deal with A&M Records, and released Hallucigenia in 1994. Unfortunately, the band was riven with tensions, and broke up later the same year.
Hawkins released a solo album, The Secret of My Excess, in 1996, and then formed Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails.
n 2000, The Lowest of the Low set aside their differences for a five-show reunion tour, which saw the band playing to sold-out venues in Toronto and Buffalo, New York. In 2001, the live album Nothing Short of a Bullet was released. The album also featured a second disc with three new studio songs, including a cover of a Bad Religion song.
Sordid Fiction, the band's first new studio album since 1994, was released in 2004. Following the tour for that record, the band went on extended hiatus again.
In November 2007 the band announced that they were breaking up for good. They played two final shows, one on December 4, 2007 at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and another on December 8, 2007 at Club Infinity in Williamsville, New York. This concert was released by fans of the band as a DVD, incorporating several camcorder recordings of the show and a soundboard audio patch. The fan released DVD was entitled Into the Black, and can be downloaded on Ron Hawkins' web site.
"Rosy and Grey", from Shakespeare My Butt, has been covered by Weddings Parties Anything. The band has also been cited as a major influence by The Weakerthans.
Formed by Ron Hawkins, Stephen Stanley and David Alexander, the band was originally known as Popular Front. The band's punk-inspired jangle pop quickly became a popular draw on the Queen Street West club circuit in Toronto.
In 1991 they released their debut album, Shakespeare My Butt, featuring songs they had already performed and toured for several years as Popular Front. Hawkins's songs were filled with lyrics about Marxism and the Spanish Civil War, but also contained many references to Toronto landmarks like the Don River, Bathurst Street, and his local pub, "The Only" on Danforth Avenue. The album was actively supported by Toronto radio station CFNY, and quickly made the band a popular name across southern Ontario and western New York. The album became one of the best-selling independent releases in Canadian history (although it was eclipsed in the same year by Barenaked Ladies' Yellow Tape), and was later named one of the ten greatest albums in Canadian music history by the music magazine Chart.[1]
In 1993, the band signed a distribution deal with A&M Records, and released Hallucigenia in 1994. Unfortunately, the band was riven with tensions, and broke up later the same year.
Hawkins released a solo album, The Secret of My Excess, in 1996, and then formed Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails.
n 2000, The Lowest of the Low set aside their differences for a five-show reunion tour, which saw the band playing to sold-out venues in Toronto and Buffalo, New York. In 2001, the live album Nothing Short of a Bullet was released. The album also featured a second disc with three new studio songs, including a cover of a Bad Religion song.
Sordid Fiction, the band's first new studio album since 1994, was released in 2004. Following the tour for that record, the band went on extended hiatus again.
In November 2007 the band announced that they were breaking up for good. They played two final shows, one on December 4, 2007 at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and another on December 8, 2007 at Club Infinity in Williamsville, New York. This concert was released by fans of the band as a DVD, incorporating several camcorder recordings of the show and a soundboard audio patch. The fan released DVD was entitled Into the Black, and can be downloaded on Ron Hawkins' web site.
"Rosy and Grey", from Shakespeare My Butt, has been covered by Weddings Parties Anything. The band has also been cited as a major influence by The Weakerthans.
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The Lowest of the Low Lyrics
...and Then the Riot I had a clear prophetic dream: Subconscious, slow-mo, jump c…
4 O'Clock Stop I don't know why You won't leave me alone Keep your mind…
7Th Birthday Your eyes are like your mothers, but your body's like…
A Casual Overdose A Saturday afternoon, Nneteen seventy-two: You can spell any…
Beer Graffiti Walls I'm filling the synaptic gaps inside my brain One more shot…
Black Monday Black Monday, Is coming around again And it feels like a fri…
Bleed A Little While Tonight I don't know where I'm going I don't know where you…
City Full Of Cowards I used to have a friend Who skipped a maximum-security…
Concave Concave...theatre of the absurd. Like a heat wave...Eighth …
Darkhorse I don't believe in things If they believe in me I'm through…
Dogs of February This melting snow has left me empty It smells just…
Eating The Rich My best friend's got a great career She answers phones…
Eternal Fatalist She felt someone else upon your lips You've blown another r…
Everywhere And Nowhere It's been a year of sad disclosure of tragic news and…
For The Hand of Magdelena You couldn't believe when they told you that she'd never…
Gamble Your hips are swaying And your eyes are saying That…
Giulietta The Just You used to be so hard to console Now everything is…
Henry Needs A New Pair of Shoes The time has long come and gone P.F. Flyers, Converse…
Just About 'The Only' Blues Let's take a walk down to the Only And drink…
Just About "The Only" Blues Let's take a walk down to the Only And drink until…
Just About 'The Only' Blues Let's take a walk down to the Only And drink…
Kinda the Lonely One Ask the question Am I on the blacklist? How long can this…
Kinda' The Lonely One Ask the question Am I on the blacklist? How long…
Last Lost Generation You'll never make wine out of these grapes of wrath…
Letter From Bilbao I am writing you this letter in desperation I'm afraid…
Life Imitates Art Hey, sad and blue, what are you gonna do? Blow…
Motel 30 There's a grenade under his desire And he burns like…
Night Of The Living Assholes A haze is in bloom Alone in my room And the only…
Penedono's Hand I have learned to never trust a handshake or a…
Pistol Spoken "We do not want to be the lowest of the…
Rosy and Grey I want to take a streetcar downtown Read Henry Miller and…
Salesmen Cheats and Liars Well I know the only feeling you have is rage And…
Salesmen, Cheats and Liars I know the only feeling you have is rage And I…
Save Me Alice Neel! All I wanted to be...when i was sixteen All I wanted…
Seven-A Your eyes are like your mothers, but your body's like…
Sincero This is the year zero: This is the Monday of your…
So Long Bernie It's like watching murder through your fingers at the theate…
St. Brendan's Way Our fortunes are fleeting And our passage in steer And…
Subversives There's something subversive about you and me 'Cause there…
That Song About Trees & Kites I don't have any money But I know that I'm not…
The Dogs of February This melting snow has left me empty It smells just…
The Last Recidivist I'm feelin' uptight hungry for the half light Taste it like …
The Sharpest Pain A stain on the paper, this conditional hell It sticks to…
The Taming of Carolyn Carolyn's a piece of coal in a world with a…
Under The Carlaw Bridge It's another cold one But what have I done To…
Winter Sleepers Through all of the shirts and all of the skins And…
Your Birthday Party We don't speak too much these days That is to say…