John Peel Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Advertisement
Register
in: Artists

Shellac

Sign in to edit
Shellac-band

Shellac is an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, composed of Steve Albini (guitar and vocals), Bob Weston (bass guitar and vocals) and Todd Trainer (drums and vocals) and formed in 1992. Shellac has a distinctive, minimalist sound based on asymmetric time signatures, repetitive heavy 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 are sparse, to the point where some describe them as "amelodic".

Shellac's signature sound is often associated with their enthusiasm for vintage Travis Bean guitars, a rare brand of aluminium-based instruments, and the Interfax "Harmonic Percolator" distortion pedal. Albini is also known to use copper plectrums and unusual guitar straps that fit around the waist rather than over the shoulder. The band prefers the intimacy of smaller clubs and live appearances are sporadic.

Links To Peel[]

As a fan of Big Black, Peel was interested in Albini's projects including Rapeman and Shellac. The band did two sessions for Peel's show, first in 1994 and the second in 2004 just after Peel's death, but this time presented by Rob Da Bank for the Peel Show.

In an interview with the Exclaim site, Steve Albini mentioned that doing the Shellac session after Peel's death was about his appreciation of the man and not just wanting to be on the radio: [1]

"Well, when we played "The End of Radio” at a John Peel session for the John Peel program shortly after he died, we kind of wanted to make a point of saying that we were there because we appreciated John Peel and not just because we wanted to be on the radio."

Festive Fifty Entries[]

Peel
Post-Peel

Sessions[]

Shellac_-_Live_at_Maida_Vale_2004

Shellac - Live at Maida Vale 2004

The first session can be found on the 1994 Peel Sessions (1995, vinyl 7", Not On Label). Both sessions on The End of Radio (2018, 2xLP or 2xCD, Touch and Go). In 2022, the second session placed #93 in a Guardian list of the 100 Greatest BBC Music Performances, marking the centenary of the BBC.[2]

1. Recorded: 1994-07-14. Broadcast: 22 July 1994. Repeated: 11 August 1995

  • Spoke / Canada / Crow / Disgrace

2. Recorded: 2004-12-01. Broadcast: 02 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank)

  • Ghosts / The End of Radio / Canada / Paco / Steady As She Goes / Billiard Player Song / Dog and Pony Show / Il Porno Star

Live[]

Recorded at All Tomorrow's Parties Festival: 2002-04-19/21. Broadcast: 23 April 2002

  1. The Guy Who Invented Fire
  2. The Ramblers Song
  3. Canada
  4. Mama Gina
  5. Song Of The Minerals
  6. The Dog And Pony Show
  7. The Watch Song

Other Shows Played[]

Shellac_-_dog_and_pony_show

Shellac - dog and pony show

Shellac_-_crow

Shellac - crow

1994
1996
  • 27 April 1996: Killers (v/a album - The Lounge Ax Defense & Relocation Compact Disc) Touch And Go
  • 04 May 1996 (BFBS): 'Killers (Compilation CD-The Lounge Ax Defense Relocation Compact Disc)' (Touch And Go)
  • 15 June 1996: ’95 Jailbreak (Various Artists 2x7 – Sides 1-4 )’ Skin Graft Records
1997
  • 08 April 1997: The Rambler Song (split 7" with Mule - Soul Sound) Laff & Go
  • 08 May 1997 (BFBS): 'The Rambler Song (split 7" with Mule-Soul Sound)' (Laff & Go)
1998
Shellac_Prayer_To_God

Shellac Prayer To God

2000
2002
2004

See Also[]

External Links[]

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
Advertisement

Fan Feed

More John Peel Wiki