Slowcore, also known as sadcore, is a subgenre of indie rock characterised by subdued tempos, minimalist instrumentation, and calm, sombre vocal performances. The genre began in the 1980s and 1990s, with several bands forming in reaction to the abrasive sounds of grunge. Slow rock music, with a pensive style inspired by genres such as singer-songwriter and folk, laid the groundwork for the genre in the early years.
In the mid-1990s, Low played a pivotal role in establishing slowcore as one of the era's microgenres; however, despite their retrospective acclamation as slowcore pioneers, Low was not the first band to produce slowcore. The influential group American Music Club formed in 1982, and Codeine, Red House Painters and Bedhead subsequently released influential albums in the 1990s. Regardless, the mellow and restrained sound of Low's debut album, I Could Live in Hope (1994), and their albums that followed over the next several years, came to define slowcore. Spain, Duster, and Ida, among others, all followed Low and furthered the reach of the genre, and by the 2000s, slowcore had a defined sound, even if it continued to lack obvious categorisation. Acts like Carissa's Wierd, Jason Molina, and Duster engaged with its archetypical sound in their music throughout the introductory years of the 21st century, while others, including Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions, Grouper, and Sun Kil Moon, introduced broader sounds but remained within the genre.
The term "slowcore" derives from "slow", referring to the tempo and energy of the music, and "-core", which refers to a scene, style, or musical subgenre. "Sadcore" imitates similar etymology, and the names are used interchangeably. The term itself has an unclear origin, though sources suggest the use of "slowcore" started in the early 1990s. Scholars and bands alike have shown ambivalence towards the name, with some deeming it pejorative.
Characteristics
Slowcore prominently incorporates stylings and traits from indie rock and contemporary folk music.. Indie rock is a broad subgenre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and encapsulates music released independently or through low-budget record labels that typically does not pertain to the musical interests of mainstream audiences. Similarly, contemporary folk refers to a musical style representative of traditional folk music but with modernthe 20th century and onwardsinterpretations,. ultimately spawning subgenres like folk rock and indie folk in the later stages of the century,.: "Following Keenan's article, most of the artists and albums included in his piece were tucked under the umbrella of 'New Weird America,' which flowed into the slightly more descriptive 'free-folk,' which became 'freak-folk,' and subsequently devolved, as more and more diverse artists were swept up in the wave, into the catchall 'indie-folk'". both of which influenced slowcore to different extents. Alongside these core influences, artists often take influence from a variety of other musical genres, including alternative rock,: "I Could Live in Hope is of course seen as one of the albums that were key in ushering in the so-called 'slowcore' genre of alternative rock, which comprise artists such as Codeine, Red House Painters, Bedhead, and Blue Tile Lounge. The members of Low appear to disapprove of this moniker". Americana, dream pop, post-rock, and shoegaze. Drone and ambient music are also cited as being similar.: "Codeine's sound was not the heavy, space-filling drone of other slow-core bands".
There is no definitive characterisation of the genre, however it is typically defined by slow tempos and a sombre and atmospheric approach to both the songwriting and composition.: ""[...] characterised by 'slow temps, a sombre, atmospheric, sometimes densely textured sound, and quiet, forlorn vocals'." Citing . Backing instrumentation is sparse, contrasting with the genres from which slowcore is derived. Slowcore uses simple melodies over a prolonged period to evoke saddening emotions; Andrea Swensson of Pitchfork wrote that the genre "gently pulls [the listener] out of linear time". While the songs can implement choruses, they often lack intense changes in instrumentation. Chris Brokaw of Codeine facetiously remarked that he could "play a snare hit, go get a drink and be back at the drumkit before the next beat". In 1998, SF Weekly wrote that "The best thing about slowcore [...] is that they demand the listener pay attention. The worst thing about them is that sometimes you fall asleep by the third song". Citing SF Weekly, 6 May 1998.
Lyrics in slowcore songs are often melancholic and descriptively plain, with the vocal performances being calm and subdued, sometimes having a lulling effect. For example, Swedish singer Stina Nordenstam has been described as slowcore because of "her sadly beautiful little-girl whisper" style of singing. Emotion is a core component of slowcore, and the sparse instrumentation emphasises the singer's voice. Stuart Braithwaite, a founding member of the renowned post-rock band Mogwai, said "You weren't going to play [slowcore] at parties, but it was beautiful: the lyrics bare and honest, the musicality sparing".
Etymology Within music, the suffix -core infers a scene or style, originating with hardcore. The American Dialect Society describes it more generally as a "productive suffix for aesthetic trends". "Slow" simply refers to the pace of the music.: "[...] what the music press came to call 'slowcore,' an unfortunate term often attached to bands such as Codeine, Low, Seam, Mazzy Star, Bedhead, and Rex [...] known for really slow tempos and a general prettiness or melancholy tendencies." For "sadcore", the same applies, except "sad" refers to the emotion of the lyrics.: "The gloomy lyrical content rather than the acoustic effects led to the synonymous sadcore."
There is no definitive origin of the label "slowcore" outside of the agreement between scholars that its use began in the 1990s. The first instance of "slowcore" cited in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1991: Chuck Eddy's book Stairway to Hell: The 500 Best Heavy Metal Albums in the Universe.. Citing : "The slowcore dirge-disco that produced said tune often devolves into this chic bored hush-hush." Another claim to the origin of the term is from Alan Sparhawk of Low, a band often considered monumental in the growth of the genre. In an interview with The Paper Crane podcast, Sparhawk said that a friend of his had coined the term "slowcore" as a joke and that he had humorously mentioned it in one of his band's earliest shows ( 1993). He also said that after he used it in an interview, he suspected that the popularity of the term had increased, as did Low's media coverage.The "slowcore" label has been criticised by scholars and bands, who have called it pejorative. Matt Kadane of Bedhead called it an "insult" and Jim Putnam of Radar Bros. resisted the term and repeatedly informed music journalists that his band was "not slowcore". Similarly, members of Low disliked the label: in 1998, Sparhawk called it "cheesy". Regardless, the term became increasingly popular and in an interview with Vice in 2018, Sparhawk recognised his band as being influential in slowcore's growth and success.
Sadcore
The term "sadcore" emerged contemporaneously with slowcore, and a variety of sources consider these neologisms to be synonymous.: "It is no coincidence that slow core rock is also known as sad core." When distinguished, the differences are attributed to a heightened melancholy and realism in the lyrics of sadcore songs, with a pronounced poetic influence, especially from confessional poets like Sylvia Plath.
Sadcore saw considerable reception in the early 2000s. For instance, The Washington Post dubbed Mark Eitzel, the lead singer of American Music Club, the "reluctant king of sadcore" in 2002 and LA Weekly called Charlyn Marshall (stage name Cat Power) the "Queen of Sadcore" in 2003. Reviewers also used it in passing for the music of Red House Painters, Shearwater, and Low. Since then, Lana Del Rey described her own music as "Hollywood sadcore" in an interview with Vogue in 2011. Despite an association with the genre, Phoebe Bridgers has said "I hate the 'sad girl' label".
History Late 1980s: Stylistic origins
The sound that would become known as "slowcore" began emerging in the United States in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a counterpoint to the rapid growth of louder rock genres, especially grunge. Grunge fused elements of punk rock and heavy metal to create a scene which Bruce Pavitt, co-founder of the record label Sub Pop, described as "gritty vocals, roaring Marshall amps, ultra-loose grunge that destroyed the morals of a generation". Grunge, in the form that it came to be known, emerged during the mid-1980s in and around Seattle, Washington, though unlike grunge, the early years of slowcore did not have a defined scene or any geographic hotspots.
American Music Club, hailing from San Francisco, California, are considered an early slowcore band. Releasing their debut album The Restless Stranger in 1985,. the band's music was slow and with characteristics akin to genres like folk and singer-songwriter.: "Red House Painters emerged from San Francisco's Bay Area in 1992, and proceeded to release a string of exceptional – and determinedly uncommercial – albums on the British label 4AD. Long, rambling reflections on death, love and drugs, invariably to a spartan backing of folk guitar and brushed drums, Kozelek's work has been described as slow fi, slowcore, lo-fi and even snorecore". This style was echoed by other bands at the time, such as the Canadian Cowboy Junkies, who were creating minimalist country and blues,: "[...] country- blues minimalists Cowboy Junkies".: "What The Trinity Session is is a country music album for people who hate country, a blues album for people who are bored to tears by blues and an album of traditional folk music for hardcore kids. Above all, it is a Cowboy Junkies album". and would come to define aspects of slowcore. Within the same period of time, Galaxie 500 formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, influenced by the music of the Velvet Underground, the Modern Lovers, Big Star and Spacemen 3 they began releasing dream pop albums. Their sophomore album, On Fire (1989), strongly influenced the genre, as did the rest of their discography,: "Like many bands featured in this book, Galaxie 500 was a big influence on a successive subgenre of band within indie rock. In the case of this seminal Boston trio, they are seen as progenitors of what the music press came to call 'slowcore'". although their dream pop style was not entirely indicative of how slowcore would develop. Regardless, the band is frequently cited as one of slowcore's leading antecedents. Andrew Earles, in his 2014 book Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996, described them as slowcore's "progenitor". Robert Rubsam, writing for Bandcamp Daily, called Galaxie 500 the "fountainhead for all that would come".
The 1980s also saw the formation of other bands that would help define slowcore, although many did not release any material until the 1990s. These include Codeine, Red House Painters, and Mazzy Star.
1990s: Peak growth and evolution While many of the bands that influenced the concept of slowcore existed before the 1990s, this decade is often cited as being when the genre began, as well as being its heyday.: "It was in this loose framework that indie rock and all its various subgenres experienced its heyday from roughly 1986 to 1996, give or take a year on either end." Throughout this period, the amount of bands and albums associated with the genre grew greatly, establishing its fundamental sound and style.