Shellac

Here's the delayed post that was meant to close out 2023. This is one of one of the most consistent and influential acts in underground rock, with a legacy that often feels understated. Of course it's none other than the one and only Shellac. They came together in 1992, with members all already established in their native Chicago scene. This included vocalist/guitarist Steve Albini, who previously helmed the foundational post-hardcore/noise rock outfit Big Black. He's also widely known for his production work with the likes of Nirvana, The Pixies, PJ Harvey, The Jesus Lizard, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and so many more. Shellac also consists of bassist/vocalist Bob Weston, formerly of Volcano Suns and a noteworthy producer in his own right, working with the likes of June of 44, Sebadoh and Archers of Loaf. Finally, to complete the single unit known as Shellac is drummer/vocalist Todd Trainer, who was previously in Breaking Circus and Rifle Sport.

Moving on from their individual résumés, their collective body of work starts in 1993 with a series of 7"'s released in quick succession, which culminated in a fully-realized sound by the time their landmark debut LP dropped in late 1994. At Action Park is the perfect introduction to a sound that is distinctly theirs. They eschew any semblance of traditional song structure, opting to lock into these hypnotic and dissonant yet dynamic grooves, with metallic string clangs and pulsating rhythms. Through each subsequent release always displayed a gradual evolution, their M.O. has always been to turn traditional rock sounds on their heads. Their output has also been very consistent, with five studio releases under their belt over a 20-year period, all via Touch And Go Records. If you have yet to give them a proper listen, now is the time. Enjoy.

The Rude Gesture: A Pictorial History (1993)

1. The Guy Who Invented Fire

2. Rambler Song

3. Billiard Player Song

Uranus (1993)

1. Doris

2. Wingwalker

The Bird Is The Most Popular Finger (1994)

1. The Admiral

2. XVI

At Action Park (1994)

1. My Black Ass

2. Pull The Cup

3. The Admiral

4. Crow

5. Song Of The Minerals

6. A Minute

7. The Idea Of North

8. Dog And Pony Show

9. Boche's Dick

10. Il Porno Star

Live In Tokyo (1994)

1. The Guy Who Invented Fire

2. Ramvler Song

3. The Admiral

4. My Black Ass

5. Song Of The Minerals

6. Billiard Player Song

7. Dog And Pony Show

8. Il Porno Star

9. Doris

10. Wingwalker

11. Boche's Dick

12. Crow

Billardspielerlied / Mantel (1995)

1. Billardspielerlied

2. Mantel

Sides 1-4 (1995)

1. Shellac - '95 Jailbreak

2. Big'n - T.N.T.

3. Brise-Glace - Angus Dei Aus Licht

4. U.S. Maple - Sin City

Soul Sound (1995)

1. Shellac - The Rambler Song

2. Mule - Beauteous

The Futurist (1997)

1. Movement 1

2. Movement 2

3. Movement 3

4. Movement 4

5. Movement 5

6. Movement 6

Terraform (1998)

1. Didn't We Deserve A Look At You The Way You Really Are

2. This Is A Picture

3. Disgrace

4. Mouhtpiece

5. Canada

6. Rush Job

7. House Full Of Garbage

8. Copper

1000 Hurts (2000)

1. Prayer To God

2. Squirrel Song

3. Mama Gina

4. Qrj

5. Ghosts

6. Song Against Itself

7. Canaveral

8. New Number Order

9. Shoe Song

10. Watch Song

Agostino / The Safeword (2000)

1. Shellac - Agostino

2. Caesar - The Safeword

Excellent Italian Greyhound (2007)

1. The End Of Radio

2. Steady As She Goes

3. Be Prepared

4. Elephant

5. Genuine Lulabelle

6. Kittypants

7. Protocal

8. Paco

9. Spoke

Dude Incredible (2014)

1. Dude Incredible

2. Compliant

3. You Came In Me

4. Riding Bikes

5. All The Surveyors

6. The People's Microphone

7. Gary

8. Mayor/Surveyor

9. Surveyor

The End Of Radio (2019)

1. Spoke

2. Canada

3. Crow

4. Disgrace

5. Ghosts

6. The End Of Radio

7. Canda

8. Paco

9. Steady As She Goes

10. Billiard Player Song

11. Dog And Pony Show

12. Il Porno Star

Note: Contains two Peel sessions, tracks 1-4 recorded in 1994 and tracks 5-12 recorded in 2004

To All Trains (2024)

1. WSOD

2. Girl From Outside

3. Chick New Wave

4. Tattoos

5. Wednesday

6. Scrappers

7. Days Are Dogs

8. How I Wrote How I Wrote Elastic Man (cock & bull)

9. Scabby The Rat

10. I Don't Fear Hell

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Instagram

Facebook

Best Of 2023

As we wrap up 2023, here are 50 of the albums that made this year definitive to me. As always, keep in mind this is based purely on personal enjoyment and rankings are fairly arbitrary (within proximity to each other). No download links are provided to avoid copyright issues, though many of them can be found in the "2023 in Review..." link round-up. There are two Spotify playlists at the end, one containing all albums listed here and the other containing a representative song from each. Please let me know your favourites of the year, I'm always interested to hear what you guys have been listening to. Thank you for continuing to check this blog out, that's what keeps it going. I hope you all have a good  holiday and a Happy New Year. Enjoy!

Honourable Mentions:

Scalp - Black Tar
Squid Pisser - My Tadpole Legion
Obroa-skai - Science Progresses One Funeral At A Time
New Forms - As Dust Collects
Feverchild - Altering A Memory

50. Captain Jazz - Captain Jazz

49. Horsehip - Consume and Burn

48. MSPAINT - Post-American

47. Blonde Redhead - Sit Down For Dinner

46. the Mountain Goats - Jenny From Thebes

45. Ostraca - Disaster

44. KEN Mode - Void

43. Portrayal of Guilt - Devil Music

42. Pupil Slicer - Blossom

41. Sincere Engineer - Cheap Grills

40. Jesus Piece - ...So Unknown

39. The Dirty Nil - Free Rein To Passions

38. Svalbard - The Weight Of The Mask

37. Incendiary - Change The Way You Think About Pain

36. James Blake - Playing Robots Into Heaven

 35. Deathcrash - Less

34. Shame - Food For Worms

33. Drain - Living Proof

32. Fucked Up - One Day

31. Dreamwell - In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You

30. Loma Prieta - Last

29. Aesop Rock - Integrated Tech Solutions

28. Single Mothers - Roy

27. Gel - Only Constant

26. Zulu - A New Tomorrow

25. The Hold Steady - The Price Of Progress

24. Danny Brown - Quaranta

23. Fiddlehead - Death Is Nothing To Us

22. Jeromes Dream - The Gray In Between

21. Spiritual Cramp - Spiritual Cramp

20. Armand Hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips

19. Militarie Gun - Life Under The Gun

18. The Armed - Perfect Saviors

17. Home Is Where - The Whaler

16. The HIRS Collective - We're Still Here

15. awakebutstillinbed - Chaos Takes The Wheel And I Am A Passenger

 14. Parannoul - After The Magic

13. Spanish Love Songs - No Joy

12. Boygenius - The Record

11. Wednesday - Rat Saw God

10. Initiate - Cerebral Circus

9. Ratboys - The Window

8. The Menzingers - Some Of It Was True

7. Jeff Rosenstock - Hellmode

6. Lana Del Rey - Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

5. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown - Scaring The Hoes

4. The Gaslight Anthem - History Books

3. The National - First Two Pages Of Frankenstein

2. The National - Laugh Track

1. Sufjan Stevens - Javelin

SPOTIFY (ALBUMS)

SPOTIFY (SONGS)