Lowlights

Originally framed chiefly as a side venture for singer/songwriter Dameon Lee, the Lowlights coalesced during 2000 alongside jazz vocalist and occasional collaborator la Brisa Roche. Musicians drawn from other California outfits including the Batars and Mosey supplied further personnel, and the ensemble’s dense, reverb-saturated guitars paired with understated melodic vocals found their first documentation on a self-released, self-titled debut EP issued in 2001. The band later joined Darla Records, contributing in 2000 to the label’s A Gift From a Graden to a Flower: A Tribute to Donovan with a reading of the songwriter’s early hit “Catch the Wind.” Early in 2003 the Lowlights delivered their self-titled full-length album, shaped by psych-country rock influences. Former Rocketship leader Dustin Reske produced the set while adding guitar, keyboard, and vocal support, and the recording showcased Lee handling guitars, bass, and assorted keyboards, Roche supplying vocals, Angela Brown on harmony vocals, Noah Wilson on drums, H.A. Nethery on guitar, and Brooks Otis on pedal steeel.