Thanks for stopping by!

Hi, my name is Tom Jenkins, and I’d like to welcome you to the semi-official website for the Somerville, MA based band Lowman.

A while ago, I went out to a bar around the corner from my house. Now, as a general rule, I tend not to leave my house, as I am busy working on my doctoral thesis. The working title of this (sure to be groundbreaking if not positively seminal, a sort of Beowulf of its genre, if you’ll allow the conceit) paper is:

“Symbology and Semiotics in Popular Music of the Late 20th Century and Early 21st Century; It’s Relation to the Fundamental Dichotomies of Post-Modernism, It’s De-(and-Subsequent-Re-)Construction of the Popular Song Format vis-a-vis Musique Concrète and Post-Functional Harmony, and It’s Influence Upon the Ongoing Geopolitical Metanarrative”.

I’ve been working on it for about 10 years now, and it’s really starting to take shape. I hope to complete it in the next few months; just a little editing to go, trying to keep it under 1,000 pages, but there’s only so much that one can trim. Then it’s simply defend the thesis, find a suitable editor, and away we go! Keep an eye out for it at your local independent bookstores!

Where was I? Oh, yeah, so I went out to this bar and a band was playing. I thought to myself ‘perfect, a chance to analyze the current state of music in my own neighborhood, maybe even gain some valuable insights for my thesis’ The band was playing a cover of the David Bowie song “The Man Who Sold the World” and I instantly knew they meant it as a clever commentary on the state of contemporary religion, with, of course, a nod to the added subtext of the Nirvana version lurking in there, weaving the overarching theme of the song and the tragic life of Kurt Cobain into a subtle commentary on the current state music, art, and mortality (and its metaphysical implications) in 21st century American culture. They went on to a bombastic version of Benny Goodman’s end theme “Goodbye”, a down and dirty of Love And Rocket’s classic ’80′s theme “So Alive”, a slinky version of Cole Porter’s “Get Out Of Town”, a version of Neil Diamond’s version of the Dead Milkmen’s classic “Punk Rock Girl”, and of course their own original music (which songs I feel I must address individually, and will do so periodically in my corner of this site, Tom’s Musical Musings). By the end of the performance, I was basking in the grandiose (though merely implied) hypotheses, and had taken copious notes outlining the broader context (and, of course, subtext) of the music.

As the night ended, I engaged with the singer/bassist/composer/arranger of the group, Greg Loughman. He was polite, seemed interested in having me sign his email list (which of course I did), and although at first I felt he was more interested in getting the attention of the bartender than engaging in the discussion of musical philosophy that his performance was clearly begging for, after a certain number of drinks were secured and as the crowd generally thinned, we engaged in a scintillating and wide-ranging conversation about, well, everything I’ve been thesis-ing about the past 10 years. As we said our goodbyes, I knew that a bond had been formed that would lead us both to plumb the depths of music, if not life itself.

So it was no surprise when I got an email from Greg thanking me for signing his email list the night before, and I rightly took this email as an invitation to resume our discussion. At first, Greg seemed a bit taken aback, almost as if he barely remembered our conversation, but ended by saying:

“You’ve certainly got a lot of interesting things to say about music; if you want to blog about the band and what not, go nuts. Heck, you can even make up the posters and send out emails for the band if you like. Oh, yeah, and get us some gigs, too! “

I knew from that smiley face that Greg felt the same deep connection that I had felt that night, and so took him at his word. I vowed to take some time off my busy thesis-writing schedule and promote this up-and-coming band.

And so, that is what you see here, lowmantheband.wordpress.com! Check back often for updates, musical analysis, pictures, music, etc. I’ll be talking to you soon!

Best,

Tom Jenkins

Lowman April/May Newsletter

Hello faithful Newsletterarians! I bring tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people (or at least, all who are on this mailing list). You may have noticed that this Newsletter comes a bit late in the month, and that it purports to the cover both the months of April and May. My sincerest apologies to all, and I can only imagine the frustration your must have felt as you eagerly searched your inbox each morning for the arrival of Lowman’s monthly email offering. The cries of “alack!” and “alas”! The wailing and gnashing of teeth! I will explain this unfortunate tardiness later in the email (and offer a small gift in recompense for the pain endured by you, my faithful friends). But first, I must mention the upcoming Lowman shows, for they shall indeed be grand! And here they are:

• Friday, April 27:
  Precinct
  70 Union Sq
  Somerville, MA 02143
  9pm, 21+
  tickets $5 online from UNRegular radio, $7 (presale from yours trulies at Lowman, email me), or $10 at the door that night

  Back in January Lowman had the privilege and honor of playing a show for the fabulous folks at UNRegular radio. They always put on great shows with great bands, and this show at Precinct is no exception. We’re psyched to be part of this great show, and if you’re not necessarily a night owl, then this is the show for you, as we’re first on the bill, playing a short set of Lowman favorites, distilled to their most potent essence. Hope to see you there!
  

• Friday May 11th (with the John Funkhouser Trio!)
  Acton Jazz Cafe
  452 Great Road # 3
  Acton, MA 01720
  7:00pm John Funkhouser Trio, 9:30pm Lowman
  $10 (in advance)/$12 (at the door)
  We love the Acton Jazz Cafe, and had a great time doing this same double bill last fall, so we thought we’d do it all over again. The John Funkhouser Trio consists of 3 of the 4 members of Lowman, so if you come to both shows, you will have the opportunity to watch as the jazz musicians of the John Funkhouser Trio morph into the rock musicians of Lowman. A fascinating study in the malleability of musical forms and dimensions… or just a really great night out. Be there!

Now then, let me endeavor to explain my inexcusable belatedness, for I can assure you that I had, as always, only the best intentions. It all started one day in March; I was strolling through the Revere Swap ‘N Shop (as is my wont of a weekend), when I came upon a vintage Kodak Instamatic M2 camera, complete with vintage Super8  film cartridges. My head full of steampunk fantasies, I immediately purchased the camera (the cost was, admittedly, quite modest), with the intention of capturing Lowman on film in an artistic style worthy of the band’s ineffable je ne sais pas. Armed with my prized purchase, I headed to Sally O’Brien’s on March 18 for Lowman’s show. I filmed all night, giddy with the thought of the cinematic wonders I was capturing. But when I got home, I discovered to my chagrin that the film was horribly degraded, and was just able to transfer the video from the camera to my laptop when the camera started smoking and the film melted inside the camera, rendering both useless. However, once I got past the anguish of losing my beloved new (to me, at least) camera, I patiently, dilligently (this is the part that took a long time, btw) went through the digitized remnants of the film, and found there a pearl of musical genius that was (huzzah!) still salvageable. For in fact, the solos of John Funkhouser and Phil Sargent on Lowman’s version of the Police classic “Murder By Numbers” were captured, and, my friends, they are extraordinary. I humbly invite you to view them here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V-bmSSd0Mg

Though the film may be grainy, I nonetheless hope you enjoy the performances by John and Phil. And as always…

Thank you for your kind attention! Aim Low! Take the Low road! Go Low and let the love flow! See you at the show!

-Tom

Lowman March Newsletter

Greetings and salutations, dear reader! ‘Tis I, Tom Jenkins, here once more to to humbly present a fresh new Lowman Newsletter. The days grow longer, and even as we begin to dare think of warm weather to come, we we realize with delight that needn’t wait, for Lowman has a show this month guaranteed to whisper a warm breath of spring into the hearts of all who attend. In addition, I, Tom Jenkins, have finally delivered on my promise of another Musical Musing, and have made other improvements to what I refer to as the Lowman website, or as certain members of Lowman call it, “Tom’s weird little blog”.

But more on that later, for as I mentioned, Lowman has a very special gig this month, and here are the details:

• Sun. Mar. 18:
  Sally O’Brien’s
  335 Somerville Avenue
  Somerville, MA 02143
  8:00pm 21+
  The day after St. Paddy’s day, we return to our old stomping grounds Sally O’Brien’s, for a special show, and this time we’re bringing friends! There will be two utterly unique sets of music; the first set, Lowman will perform a loving tribute to those artists who have most inspired us, for the famous to the by-all-rights should be famous. Come hear who we’re shamelessly ripping off! Then the 2nd set will feature all your Lowman favorites, but in a special one time event, the songs will be embellished by newly written horn arrangements, played by some of our musical compatriots from other bands we all play in. There will be exciting soloing and interplay! There will be many instruments crammed onto that small-ish stage! It’s gonna be a good one, folks, looking forward to sharing it with you! Be there or wish you had been!

In other news:

As previously mentioned, I not only have another installment in my award-seeking series of “Musical Musings” (this time addressing the song “Hothouse Flower”), but have set up a whole new page with lyrics to all of the Lowman compositions, including the songs from the EP as well as songs that heretofore have only been played live, such as “Rainbows”, “Marco Polo”, “Your Epiphany”, etc. Finally the wordplay is made explicit, be it references to the ancient Empire of Trebizond, Gestalt Theory, or Carillon bell towers. You now have no excuse not to sing along with each and every Lowman song.

As I mentioned in the previous Newsletter, as the bud of a spring flower grows silently, slowly in the still cold earth, the Lowman CD germinates away from the light of day. New and grandiose arrangements are composed, extraordinarily talented musicians are enlisted, logistics are tackled, plans are made. In short, dreams are dreamed, then slowly, inexorably, drawn into the waking world. For now, we offer a preview of what will be the expansive nature of the Lowman CD at our Sally O’Brien’s show March 18; come hear the new-composed arrangements that will be premiered that night, many of which will be present on the full length CD once it is completed.

Until then…

Thank you for your kind attention! Aim Low! Take the Low road! Go Low and let the love flow! See you at the show!

-Tom

Tom’s fourth Musical Musing

MUSING #4: “HOTHOUSE FLOWER”

Greetings, friendly and forbearing readers, and welcome to the 4^th Musical Musing. As you are no doubt aware, I have chosen to continue my fidelity to the order of songs on the EP, as I feel it provides a pleasing synchronicity. Thus, I now turn my attention to the song “Hothouse Flower”. And may I point out that here, finally, we have a song whose title is contained in the song. 4 times in a row, in fact . At the very beginning of the song. It’s almost as if the composer anticipated my little jibes and waited until this 4^th musing to pull the rug out from under my waggish arguments. Touché, my good friend; touché.

Lowman February Newsletter

Hello once again, dear beloved Newsletterees! It is I, your humble servant Tom Jenkins, and I come bearing love in my heart and a generous helping of Lowman gigs. As we venture forth into this ‘mois d’amour’, you may rest assured that any love you graciously choose bestow upon us here at Lowman, be it in the form of attendance at any of our gigs, listed below, the purchase and or general appreciation of our EP, news about which is also listed below, or in any kind word or gesture, is received most gratefully, and that our only goal in our performances is to shine that love back upon you, grown (yea!) ever more powerful through the magic of song and the bonds of friendship.

Lowman January 2012 Newsletter

Hello to one and all! ‘Tis I (Tom Jenkins), and I wish to be… well… the last, I suppose, to wish you all a happy New Year! Now, many of you have sent emails to myself (Tom Jenkins) impatiently demanding the latest installment of the monthly Lowman newsletter. Believe me, I (Tom Jenkins) am well aware that you depend on the monthly Lowman Newsletter for all of your Lowman-related news and information, and would never dream of letting you down. In fact, I have a very good reason for the ever-so-slight delay in this month’s Lowman newsletter, which will be elucidated forthwith. But first, let’s get to the important news: a Lowman gig! This Friday! Oh, yes, Aunt Bess!

Tom’s third Musical Musing

MUSING #3: “FALL FROM GRACE”

Greetings, loyal reader, and welcome to the 3^rd Musical Musing. As you are no doubt aware, I have chosen to continue my fidelity to the order of songs on the EP, as I feel it provides a pleasing synchronicity. Thus, I now turn my attention to the song “Fall From Grace”. Before I begin, I feel I must note that, yet again, this song has a title that appears nowhere in the actual lyrics. Do we not yet tire of this game, sir? Perhaps it is an attempt to be clever? If so, the phrase “too clever by half” comes to mind. But, in light of past discussions, I will not attempt to tell the composer how best to peddle his musical wares.

Moving on, in this instance it is not difficult to know from whence the title arises. The Biblical fall from grace story is deeply imbedded the cultural zeitgeist, from Milton’s Paradise Lost to Steinbeck (and Kazan)’s East of Eden, to the ruinations of politicians, athletes, actors, and cultural icons of all stripes. In the traditional interpretation Eve, deceived by the snake, eats the fruit (forbidden by God on pain of death), and then shares it with Adam. Adam and Eve are subsequently found out by God, kicked out of Eden, and the snake is cursed to slide around on his belly & eat dirt. We all know this, right? However, as we shall see, in this song the story is retold from an unlikely perspective, leading to unusual conclusions.

Lowman December 2011 Newsletter

Seasons greeting to you, faithful Newsletterians, and welcome to this the 1st annual holiday edition of the Lowman Newsletter! Is there a holiday theme? Umm.. no. Will Lowman be playing any specially themed holiday shows? Not so much, though we could probably pull off a Christmas song or two if we were to be joined onstage by our good friend Bennie Franklin… or “Ulie” Grant… or Andy Jackson… heck, or even ol’ Al Hamilton. Abe and Georgie-boy are cool as well, but they may not be enough to help us get through a song such as, say, “Mele Kalikimaka“… just sayin’…

Tom’s second Musical Musing

MUSING #2: “DYADS”

Greetings, dear reader, and welcome to the 2^nd Musical Musing. After much careful deliberation, I have chosen to continue my fidelity to the order of songs on the EP, as I feel as if it provides a pleasing synchronicity. Thus, I now turn my attention to the song “Dyads”. Before I begin, I feel I must note that like the previous song, this song has a title that appears nowhere in the actual lyrics. Is this a deliberate obfuscation; an attempt to keep people from being able to remember song titles? Some sort of hipness litmus test? Alas, these questions remain unanswered.

To uncover the true implications of this title, and subsequently this song, we must reach back in time, to the very dawn of Western thought and the wisdom of ancient Greece. As we all know, the word ‘dyad’ comes from the Greek ‘dyas’ meaning the number two. According to the great philosopher Pythagoras, the dyad represented the principles of “twoness” or “otherness”. While his concept of ‘monad’ invoked god and godliness, ‘dyad’ referred to matter, the corporeal, to humans and their all too imperfect human endeavors. Pythagoras believed that the dyad both divides and unites, repels and attracts, separates and returns, and it is this dance of uncertainty that is the true subject of the song at hand.

Lowman November 2011 Newsletter

Kindest greetings and warmest regards to you, and welcome to the alluringly alliterative November Newsletter from your good good pals, Lowman! October just flew by, and we (both the members of the band and I, Tom Jenkins) have not been idle. There have been many exciting happenings, which will be discussed at greater detail below (including an exciting new music video!!), but first, we have shows! Boy howdy, do we! And here they are:

Tom’s first Musical Musing

MUSING #1: “BALLOON BOY”

The first musical selection for which I choose to put pen to paper (or, rather, put fingertips to keyboard) is, fittingly enough, the first track on Lowman’s EP. This track, “Balloon Boy”, is set on October 15, 2029. You may ask “How can one know such a specific date, which, as you will soon see, is not referenced anywhere in the song? And what could possibly be the significance of this date?”

The answer is that October 15, 2029 is the 20 year anniversary of what has come to be known as the “Balloon Boy Hoax“, that fateful day upon which, in a bid for (shudder…) reality TV “stardom”, Richard and Mayumi Heene of Fort Collins, Colorado captured the nation’s attention by claiming their son, Falcon, had been spirited away by a helium-filled balloon.