Band: Shellac
Album: At Action Park
Best song: “The Admiral” is one of my favorite Shellac songs
Worst song: Nah.
Of the people I’ve admired most in music, Steve Albini is definitely near the top. He is not without pretense, of course, but he has been a deeply thoughtful guy and has been part of some of the best records in history and has influenced some of the best bands in history. Continue reading
Band: Shellac
Album: Terraform
Best song: “House Full of Garbage” is great for its changes and length. “Didn’t We Deserve a Look at You the Way You Really Are” is great. “This is a Picture” and “Copper” are great, great, hard quick rock shots.
Worst song: “Rush Job” might be the lowlight, but the record really works as a whole.
It’s hard to recount all the reasons that Steve Albini is a curmudgeonly jackass, though Pitchfork recently snarkily gave an account here. Needless to say, I love him and hate him equally for his Ted Rall-esque polemics. I appreciate that Albini has convictions and I love said convictions. His rants against the music industry are legendary and not far off the proverbial mark. His need to fight for his beloved records gets my admiration.