The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Month
  • Books + Movies
  • About
16
new
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ALAINA STACEY – DUSK
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SUN FREEZING COLD – NOWHERE TO HIDE
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DARON MALAKIAN AND SCARS ON BROADWAY – ADDICTED TO THE VIOLENCE
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LORD HURON – THE COSMIC SELECTOR VOL. 1
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BUSH – I BEAT LONELINESS
SPILL NEWS: GEORGIA HARMER SHARES NEW SINGLE “FARMHOUSE” FROM UPCOMING LP ‘EYE OF THE STORM’ | TOUR DATES
SPILL NEW MUSIC: KENNY NEAL BRINGS HIS SIGNATURE SWAMP GRIT ON “DEVIL’S IN THE DELTA” WITH HIS SON MICAH WILLIS
SPILL NEW MUSIC: THE LAST DINNER PARTY RELEASE “THIS IS THE KILLER SPEAKING” FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING ALBUM ‘FROM THE PYRE’ OUT OCTOBER 17
SPILL NEWS: JUSTICE AND KAYTRANADA ANNOUNCE FALL NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: ESA – “GOLDEN HOUSE” (FEAT. MASSENHYSTERIE & KONSTANTINA BUHALIS)
SPILL CONTEST: WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO SEE POSTMODERN JUKEBOX ON JULY 23 AT MASSEY HALL!
SPILL NEWS: DAVID BYRNE UNVEILS NEW SINGLE “SHE EXPLAINS THINGS TO ME” | NEW ALBUM ‘WHO IS THE SKY?’ OUT SEPTEMBER 5 | TOUR DATES
SPILL NEW MUSIC: YAWN SHARES NEW LYRIC VIDEO FOR “YOU & I” | DEBUT LP ‘WISH I COULD’VE’ OUT NOW
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: JAMIE LIDELL – “CAPTURE THE MOON”
SPILL NEWS: WORLD-RENOWNED POLKA PUNKS THE DREADNOUGHTS UNLEASH SEA SHANTY SINGLE “SIERRA” | UPCOMING FULL-LENGTH ‘POLKA PIT’ DUE OUT SEPTEMBER 19 ON PUNKERTON RECORDS
SPILL NEWS: WAVELENGTH MUSIC TURNS 25 | ANNOUNCES 2025 ‘SUMMER THING’ FESTIVAL LINEUPS AT ONTARIO PLACE AND NEW VENUE IN SCARBOROUGH
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Month
  • Books + Movies
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • Track Of The Day
    • Track Of The Month
    • Books + Movies
    • About
Album Reviews
1
645
Editor Pick
previous article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: 1st BASE RUNNER - ELLIS
next article
SPILL CONTEST: THE ROLLING STONES UNZIPPED GIVEAWAY - ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO THE EXHIBITION!

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LOWEST OF THE LOW – TAVERNS AND PALACES

Lowest Of The Low

LOWEST OF THE LOW
TAVERNS AND PALACES
WARNER MUSIC CANADA/YES BOY RECORDS

Taverns and Palaces are the places to be for the Lowest Of The Low. 30 years since the epic release of Shakespeare My Butt… and 20 years since Nothing Short Of A Bullet, their last full-length live album release, it just makes sense for the band to release Taverns and Palaces at the dawn of a new live music era. This live album was recorded at the tail-end of 2019 at two Toronto musical landmarks, the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern and at Lee’s Palace, 11 songs from each, during the AGITPOP tour. The band’s second release through Warner Music Canada and Yes Boy Records, Taverns and Palaces was worth the wait.

Although the double-album draws heavily from more recent albums AGITPOP and Do The Right Now, the Lowest Of The Low manage to mix in older favourites and two covers, “Feel It Still” from Portugal. The Man (possibly even better than the original) and The Style Council’s “Walls Come Tumbling Down”. Joining “The Low” intermittently are the soulful The Skye Wallace Band and a horn section, penned by lead singer Ron Hawkins as “The Legitimizers”.

Hawkins and bandmates David Alexander, Lawrence Nichols, Michael McKenzie, and Greg Smith have it dialed-in throughout Taverns and Palaces. Although recorded at two relatively smaller music venues, the sound is large and full.

Highlights are abundant and include “City Full Of Cowards”, “Bit/Letter From Bilbao”, “Powerlines”, “Feel It Still”, and “Night Of A Thousand Guns”.

Recently, in conversation with Spill Magazine, Hawkins remarked “Here’s another thing I love about live records, I feel like the version of “City Full Of Cowards” on Taverns and Palaces kicks the ass of the version on Hallucigenia.” Indeed, it really does.

Lowest Of The Low really hits it out of the park with Taverns and Palaces, capturing their live music experience in a dynamic fashion, with heavy guitars, a horn section and variety aplenty.



Artist Links

website_flat_2016 facebook_flat_2016 twitter_flat_2016 instagram_flat_2016

Editor Pick
Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LOWEST OF THE LOW – TAVERNS AND PALACES

Author

John Graham

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
10
9.0
Total Spill Rating
10
Total Fan Rating
5 ratings
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewalbum reviewslowest of the lowron hawkinstaverns and palaceswarner music canadayes boy records
album review, album reviews, lowest of the low, ron hawkins, taverns and palaces, warner music canada, yes boy records
About the Author
John Graham
John Graham is a Vancouver-area resident who typically spends most days admiring music of all genres. When not listening to music, John is usually at a live show, somewhere in the bowels of Vancouver.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewalbum reviewslowest of the low
 
8.0
Alaina Stacey

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ALAINA STACEY – DUSK

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on July 18, 2025
ALAINA STACEY DUSK INDEPENDENT Is it pop or is it Americana? Kacey Musgraves and a few other artists resolved that dilemma a while ago, by proving that it could be either or both and that makes no difference, as long as the songwriting and [...]
 
8.0
Sun Freezing Cold

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SUN FREEZING COLD – NOWHERE TO HIDE

by Aaron Badgley on July 18, 2025
SUN FREEZING COLD NOWHERE TO HIDE INDEPENDENT Sun Freezing Cold is a duo out of Montreal consisting of Chantal Ranger (lyrics/vocals) and Guy Pellerin (music/production) and Nowhere To Hide is their third album. Since their last album (2024’s At [...]
 
8.0
Daron Malakian And Scars On Broadway

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DARON MALAKIAN AND SCARS ON BROADWAY – ADDICTED TO THE VIOLENCE

by Joseph Mastel on July 18, 2025
DARON MALAKIAN AND SCARS ON BROADWAY ADDICTED TO THE VIOLENCE SCARRED FOR LIFE Daron Malakian is one of the most recognizable names in hard rock and metal, most known for his work in the iconic band System Of A Down, which has given us some of [...]
 
9.0
Lord Huron

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LORD HURON – THE COSMIC SELECTOR VOL. 1

by Robert Defina on July 18, 2025
LORD HURON THE COSMIC SELECTOR VOL. 1 MERCURY RECORDS Ben Schneider often croons about being alone under vast night skies on The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1. Though these themes are undeniably similar to those explored throughout Lord Huron’s [...]
 
7.0
Bush
8.6

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BUSH – I BEAT LONELINESS

by Joseph Mastel on July 18, 2025
BUSH I BEAT LONELINESS earMUSIC Nineties rock icons Bush return with I Beat Loneliness, their 10th studio album. The new record is one of Bush’s most vulnerable to date and combines Bush’s post-grunge roots with electronic, hard rock, and [...]

Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ALAINA STACEY – DUSK
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SUN FREEZING COLD – NOWHERE TO HIDE
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DARON MALAKIAN AND SCARS ON BROADWAY – AD...
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LORD HURON – THE COSMIC SELECTOR VOL. 1
9.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BUSH – I BEAT LONELINESS
7.0
8.6

STAY UP-TO-DATE
WITH OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!

Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Newsletter
  • Premieres
  • SPILL RETRO REVIEWS
  • Track Of The Month
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2024 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL CONTEST: WIN ONE OF TWO PAIRS OF TICKETS TO SEE OMD PERFORM LIVE AT HISTORY IN TORONTO ON JULY 4!
949
 
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: MAX RAEL – THE ENEMY IS US
874
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DUSTY SPRINGFIELD – LONGING
597
 
SPILL CONTEST: ENTER TO WIN A GWAR PRIZE PACK INCLUDING TICKETS TO SEE THEM LIVE AT HISTORY ON JUNE 9!
507
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PETER MURPHY – SILVER SHADE
446
 
SPILL CONTEST: WIN A MEET-AND-GREET PACKAGE TO SEE ALESSIA CARA AT ROY THOMSON HALL ON MAY 15!
423
 
SPILL FEATURE: IT JUST FEELS LIKE WE’RE A LITTLE MORE IN CHARGE – A CONVERSATION WITH CRISPIAN MILLS OF KULA SHAKER
412
 
SPILL NEWS: THE BESNARD LAKES SET TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM ON OCTOBER 10
350
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE – ALIVE IN THE CATACOMBS
333
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE SWELL SEASON – FORWARD
318
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HOWARD JONES – PIANO COMPOSED IVORY & PIANO COMPOSED SPIRIO
302
 
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: VAGUE NOTION – “BASE SICK”
268
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FISHBONE – STOCKHOLM SYNDROME
258
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES