Here's another from the Tuesday-record-from-Spillers year. Whilst I'd heard of Shellac I'd never really listened to them. My work-mate Aled sang their praises and he knows good music so I trusted him and picked up 1000 Hurts one week (a few weeks later I picked up Big Black's Song About Fucking and a few weeks after that read the excellent Our Band Could Be Your Life. Kinda feels like these events should've happened in reverse).
I took it home that day not really knowing what to expect. The first song Prayer to God is the most accessible but also one of the most bitter, industrial sounding songs I've ever heard. I imagine this is where I got the (apparently wrong) idea that Steve Albini is a bit of a dick. (Thinking about it, the chapter on Big Black in Our Band... probably emphasised that. After seeing Shellac live I changed my mind.) Some of the other songs sound a bit more like jams than songs, but they work well for that. Squirrel Song, Ghosts and Song Against Itself are all brilliant too. I'd put good money on the lyrics of Canaveral being based on the same events as Prayer to God.
Anyway, as a record, it's a lovely package. Shellac were including cds in their LPs at no extra cost long before mp3 download cards were a thing, which I admire greatly. I love playing records, but also like to have the mp3s for on-the-go (and my USB turntable is a chore). The sleeve is a reproduction of an analogue tape box and comes with the sort of stickers you might put on such a tape (having never been in an analogue recording studio, I'm guessing. Certainly looks believable). Nice thick vinyl and a classic joke etched in the run-off groove too.
I finally saw Shellac at the All Tomorrow's Parties 10 year anniversary weekend and they were incredible. Given how serious their songs (and personalities) come across, they looked like they were having a great time on stage. I see why they play almost every festival ATP organises. Their show was one of the highlights of the weekend (which was packed with awesome bands) and the deconstruction of the drum kit outro was particularly enjoyable (the exact opposite of The Melvins outro that weekend). I missed their New Year's day show a while back so I'm looking forward to their ATP this December.
Format: 12", box, picture sleeve, sticker
Tracks: 10
Cost: £13 new
Bought: Spillers
When: 18/03/08
Colour: Black
Etching: Side A: "What's orange and looks good on hippies" Side B: "Fire"
mp3s: cd
