Twin sets

Indie rock bands Gutter Twins and Low play at opposite ends of the music spectrum.

By DAVID BRINN
Two of the most widely regarded American indie rock bands will be gracing the stage at the Barbie Club in Tel Aviv next month, when The Gutter Twins perform on September 3 and 4, and Low takes over on September 11. The Gutter Twins, an alt-rock supergroup, features Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan, the frontmen respectively for the Afghan Whigs and the Screaming Trees, among the more accomplished manifestations of '80s/'90s grunge rock. Lanegan and Dulli began collaborating in 2003, but with other projects in full swing - Dulli fronting The Twilight Singers and Lanegan doing a stint in Queens of the Stone Age - the duo didn't coalesce into The Gutter Twins until 2006. Their debut album, Saturnalia, released earlier this year on grunge flagship Sub Pop, has received rave reviews for its dark, dense music. Dulli has nicknamed the collaboration "the Satanic Everly Brothers." Lanegan joined Dulli on a Twilights Singers tour in 2006, and they performed a well-received show at the Barbie Club, which has whetted fans' appetites for a return engagement in their new incarnation. If the Gutter Twins represent the ominous, aggressive side of indie rock, then Minnesota-based trio Low stakes its claim in the "slowcore" minimalist sound, featuring low-key musicianship and beautiful harmonies provided by married singers Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker. Formed in 1993, the group has released a string of acclaimed albums that propelled them into opening act status for groups such as Radiohead and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Practicing Mormons, guitarist Sparhawk and drummer Parker, accompanied by bassist Matt Livingstone, have been known to pepper their impressive live shows with covers by bands they admire, such as Joy Division and The Smiths. For music fans who can't afford to pay to see an ex-Beatle in the flesh, either the Gutter Twins or Low will make for a satisfying alternative.