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Shellac (band)

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Shellac
Black-and-white photo of three men posing lined up in crouched positions with their arms outstretched
Shellac in Shibuya, Japan, 1993. Front to back: Weston, Albini, Trainer
Background information
OriginChicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
DiscographyShellac discography
Years active1992–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Websitetouchandgorecords.com/bands/band.php?id=22

Shellac was an American noise rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1992 by Steve Albini (guitar and vocals), Bob Weston (bass guitar and vocals) and Todd Trainer (drums and vocals). Their lineup remained consistent until Albini's death in May 2024.

They have been classified as post-hardcore[1][2] and math rock, but described themselves as a "minimalist rock trio."

Biography

[edit]

Shellac formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1992 as an informal collaboration between guitarist Steve Albini of noise rock trios Big Black and Rapeman, and drummer Todd Trainer from the band Breaking Circus and solo project Brick Layer Cake. Former Naked Raygun bassist Camilo Gonzalez sat in on early rehearsals and played on one song on Shellac's first single before Volcano Suns bassist Bob Weston joined as a permanent member. Both Weston and Albini were recording engineers. They preferred a sparse, analog recording sound with little or no overdubbing, and were meticulous about microphone placement and choice of equipment.

Shellac had a distinctive, minimalist sound based on asymmetric time signatures, repetitive rhythms, an angular guitar sound, and both Albini's and Weston's surreal, bitingly sarcastic lyrics. Songs typically do not have traditional verse/chorus/verse structure and the arrangements were sparse, to the point where some described them as "amelodic". Shellac's signature sound was often associated with their enthusiasm for vintage Travis Bean guitars, a rare brand of aluminium-necked instruments, and the Interfax "Harmonic Percolator" distortion pedal. Albini was known to use copper plectrums and typically wrapped his guitar strap around his waist rather than over his shoulder. The band preferred the intimacy of smaller clubs and live appearances were sporadic.

Color photo of three men playing on stage, with the guitarist at left, the drummer in the middle, and the bassist on the right.
Shellac at All Tomorrow's Parties, 2007

Mid-set in many live performances, Shellac took the time for one or more "question and answer" sessions, where members of the band responded in an off-the-cuff and, at times, jocular manner to questions shouted out by fans and hecklers alike. The band made an early decision to not play at festivals, and this position was articulated to All Tomorrow's Parties (ATP) festival organizer Barry Hogan during the preparation stage of the inaugural ATP event. However, Scottish band Mogwai, curating the festival, convinced Albini to perform: "[ATP] completely changed the festival game. Now the whole world has to operate under the knowledge that there are these cool, curated festivals where everyone is treated well and the experience is a generally pleasant one."[3] In 2002, the band curated the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Camber Sands, England. Knowing that most of the audience had come specifically to see Shellac, the band went on first every morning as an incentive for the festival-goers to be up in time to see the other acts. A CD of tracks from the bands performing at the festival was released on ATP Records.

To celebrate their 20th anniversary as a band, Shellac returned to ATP to curate once more in December 2012 with the line-up including Wire, Scrawl, Mission Of Burma, the Ex + Brass Unbound, Red Fang, Shannon Wright, the Membranes, Alix, Bear Claw, Helen Money, Dead Rider, Arcwelder, Neurosis, Mono, Melt Banana, Uzeda, Prinzhorn Dance School, Three Second Kiss, Buke and Gase, Oxbow, Nina Nastasia, Zeni Geva, Bottomless Pit, Pinebender, STNNNG and more.[4]

Touch and Go Records released the bulk of Shellac’s material, starting with a couple of singles in 1993 and the band’s debut album At Action Park in 1994. Because of Albini and Weston’s full-time careers as audio engineers, Shellac would record their music gradually over the following decades, releasing the albums Terraform in 1998, 1000 Hurts in 2000, and Excellent Italian Greyhound in 2007. In 2014, despite the considerable downsizing that Touch and Go had undergone,[5] the band's fifth LP, Dude Incredible, was released.[6][7] Steve Albini went over each song on the album with Exclaim magazine.[8][9]

A collection of the band's two Peel Sessions from 1994 and 2004, entitled The End of Radio was released on June 14, 2019.[10][11][12][13][14]

On March 20, 2024, the band announced a new record called To All Trains, to be released on May 17 via Touch and Go Records.[15] On May 7, 2024, Albini died of a heart attack in his Chicago home, ten days before the scheduled release of To All Trains.[16][17]

Legacy

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Star honoring Shellac on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue

Writing for Drowned in Sound, Benjamin Bland said that, "Big Black and Shellac are surely the two most influential 'noise rock' groups there have ever been. Hundreds of bands have sounded like them, and in all probability so will hundreds more. Who can blame them? When a shadow that large looms over an entire subgenre of music, it’s hard not to be influenced by it, let alone ignore it altogether."[18]

John Robb, music critic and frontman of British post-punk band the Membranes, called Shellac "the finest rock band on the planet. This is the rock band that the rest of us in our bands [...] have had to measure ourselves against and if we are found wanting then we have to cower behind rocks and attempt to revive our measly offerings until they measure up."[19] Vish Khanna expanded on their influence, noting that "[t]he band's sense of empathy, great storytelling, interpersonal politics and black humour are not necessarily uncommon in post-punk noise-rock bands, but Shellac's path is likely the most distinctive and emulated one."[20]

Christian Lembach of Whores called At Action Park his favorite noise rock album of all time.[21] Mike Sullivan of Russian Circles cited the album as a major influence on his guitar-playing, noting that it "literally changed the way [he] looked at music".[22] The band has also been cited as an influence by Future Of The Left (who have been described with the moniker "Poundland Shellac"),[23] Kurt Ballou of Converge,[24] Mono,[25] Swing Kids,[26] Karin Dreijer of The Knife,[27] Gilla Band,[28][29] Black Country, New Road,[30] Jehnny Beth of Savages,[31] Silverchair,[32] My Disco,[33] Gengahr,[34] Dredg,[35] Suicide Dolls,[36] Echo Is Your Love,[37] The Futureheads,[38] KEN Mode,[18] and Pile.[39]

Shellac was honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,[40] recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.[41] Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.[42]

Shellac were recognized as the "House Band" of the All Tomorrow's Parties (now defunct) and Primavera Sound festivals, which Albini saw as the exceptions to his general distaste of music festivals for exploiting the underground music scene.[43][44] In Albini's lifetime, Shellac performed at every edition of Primavera Sound since 2006, except for 2007. In 2018, the festival sold a shirt that read "Shellac and 249 More" in reference to its lineup.[45] Following Albini's death, the festival said in a statement honoring him, "What are we going to do without you, Steve? After having welcomed them at 15 editions of the festival, it is impossible for us to imagine a Primavera Sound without him, because no band explains us better than Shellac."[46] During the 2024 edition of Primavera Sound, there was a listening party of To All Trains during Shellac's planned time slot which served as a memorial to Albini, and the festival renamed a stage for him in his honor.[47]

Discography

[edit]
Main article: Shellac discography

References

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  1. ^ "Explore: Post-Hardcore (Top Artists)". AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  2. ^ Terich, Jeff (April 24, 2007). "The 90-Minute Guide - Post-Hardcore". Treblezine. Archived from the original on April 4, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  3. ^ Lake Smith, Aaron (September 29, 2010). "The Verge Q+A: Punk Pioneer Steve Albini on Music Festivals, The Future of Radio and Why He Wants GQ To Fail". GQ Magazine. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  4. ^ "Nightmare Before Christmas curated by Shellac Of North America - All Tomorrow's Parties". Atpfestival.com. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  5. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Steve Albini says new Shellac LP is done". YouTube. 6 May 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  6. ^ "Shellac DUDE INCREDIBLE". thequietus.com. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Tiny Mix Tapes: Shellac Dude Incredible". tinymixtapes.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Steve Albini Breaks Down Shellac's 'Dude Incredible' Track by Track". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Kreative Kontrol Ep. #120: Steve Albini". vishkhanna.com. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Shellac Plan Peel Sessions Release 'The End of Radio'". rollingstone.com. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Pitchfork Media: The End of Radio". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  12. ^ "Shellac Collect Previously Unreleased Peel Sessions on Double Album". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  13. ^ "Shellac The End of Radio". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Protonic Reversal Ep150: Steve Albini (Shellac, Big Black, Rapeman)". radioneutron.com. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  15. ^ "Shellac Announce First New Album in a Decade". Pitchfork.com. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  16. ^ Corcocan, Nina; Monroe, Jazz (May 8, 2024). "Steve Albini, Storied Producer and Icon of the Rock Underground, Dies at 61". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  17. ^ Briehan, Tom (May 8, 2024). "Steve Albini Dead At 61". Stereogum. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Album Review: KEN mode - Success". DrownedInSound. 15 June 2015.
  19. ^ "Shellac: Dude Incredible - album review. '10/10 For A Stunning Return'". Louderthanwar.com. September 15, 2014.
  20. ^ "Shellac Dude Incredible". Exclaim.ca.
  21. ^ "WHORES' TOP 5 NOISE-ROCK ALBUMS". Revolver. October 7, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  22. ^ Michael (October 16, 2010). "Interviews: Russian Circles". Scene Point Blank. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  23. ^ "The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview | We Were Basically Abba: Andrew Falkous Of Mclusky Interviewed". The Quietus. 16 September 2019.
  24. ^ "Interview : Kurt Ballou (Converge)". Metalorgie (in French). Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  25. ^ Cory, Ian (October 4, 2016). "Interview: Taka Goto (Mono)". Invisible Oranges. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  26. ^ "Interview: Swing Kids Vocalist Justin Pearson Looks Back on Their Sound, Visual Aesthetic + More". Noecho.net. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
  27. ^ "The Knife: "We are both a bit too romantic to stop doing melodies" - Interview | Interviews". Musicomh.com. 2007-01-12. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
  28. ^ "Why a Group of All Dudes Named Themselves Girl Band". Vice.com. 18 November 2015.
  29. ^ O'Toole, Lucy. "Gilla Band: "I never raise my voice to anyone, but I have this unique thing in my life where I get to shout my head off – and not get arrested because of it"". Hotpress. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  30. ^ "Black Country, New Road 2021". Heartnoize Promotion. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  31. ^ Pinnock, Tom (2020). My Life In Music - Jehnny Beth. London: Uncut. p. 118.
  32. ^ "Silverchair - Press - Interview with Silverchair at the Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia". Chairpage.com.
  33. ^ "Liam Andrews of My Disco". Qromag.com. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  34. ^ "Gengahr Interview at The Great Escape Festival". FESTIVAL - Discover Festivals. 2018-05-20. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
  35. ^ "An interview with DREDG" (PDF). Elsantuariodelrock.com. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  36. ^ "Interview with the deli's Band of the Month (December): The Suicide Dolls | The Deli Magazine". M-ne.thedelimagazine.com.
  37. ^ "Echo Is Your Love: Bring Down All The Barriers". DIY Conspiracy - International Zine in the Spirit of DIY Hardcore Punk!. 11 August 2008.
  38. ^ "Futureheads interview". Amusicblogyea.com. 11 February 2013.
  39. ^ "Pile: A Million Sweaty Punks Can't Be Wrong". Spin. April 19, 2017.
  40. ^ "The Stars". First Avenue & 7th Street Entry. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  41. ^ Bream, Jon (2019-05-03). "10 things you'll learn about First Avenue in new Minnesota History Center show". Star Tribune. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  42. ^ Marsh, Steve (2019-05-13). "First Avenue's Star Wall". Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  43. ^ johnrobb (2013-08-30). "Atp Announce Extra Acts For Last Ever Festival...Shellac And More!". Louder Than War. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  44. ^ "Label Watch: Touch And Go". Normanrecords.com.
  45. ^ "Seriously, Steve Albini is a really nice guy - a conversation about the important things in life". Loud And Quiet. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  46. ^ "US record producer and 'punk legend' Steve Albini dies aged 61". The Independent. 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  47. ^ "Primavera Sound Names Stage After Steve Albini". Stereogum. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
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