Steve Albini, Where the Hell Do You Think You're Going?

I'm just not sure if I say it enough. Actually, I'll take that back--I'm totally sure that I DO NOT say it enough--Steve Albini, I love you, I love Rapeman, I love Big Black, and I love Shellac. Seriously this man writes like the most bitter, petty, cathartic, and universally comprehensible lyrics I can think of. He thinks the same psychotic, homicidal thoughts that you do when you find out that your girlfriend has been sleeping with your sister, but he has the guts to say it--LOUD. Really fucking loud. Steve Albini writes like, the best, meanest, craziest, heaviest, TOUGHEST, bitter, angry, break-up music I can think of.

1. Example #1: Copper - This song is track 8 on 1998's Shellac release, Terraform. Once when I was pissed at this stupid kid (I'm not getting into it) I played this song on loop for like 5 hours. I think I even made a 7-minute-long pissed off video of me destroying the shit that he left at my house, and I KNOW I pissed off all 11 of my heroin-junkie roommates. But it wasn't my fault: I blame said behavior entirely on the one line from the song. But I blame my speedy emotional recovery on the same line: "Copper, you will never be gold." (read more lyrics)
   


2. Example #2: Big Black - Songs About Fucking - 03. Bad Penny--(what's with the copper motif?)--I remember this record from when I was like 16. It came out in like 1987 or something, but my parents weren't that cool--I was left to my own devices to fight off Barbara Streisand and Supertramp. I'll admit, it was hard, so I didn't hear Songs About Fucking for another 13 years. I like 'Bad Penny' for reasons I can't really say here--I can only direct you to watch the video, and if you don't understand after that just go read the lyrics. Sorry dudes, I promised the Orphan Powers That Be that I'd try to watch my language.
   


3. Example #3: Shellac - 1000 Hurts - 01. Prayer to God--The only thing I really need to say about this song is that it's scared the shit out of my ex boyfriend when I played it at full volume while he was at my house picking up his things. The video will do the rest of the talking.
   

So now that we've established Steve Albini pretty much owns at life, here's the kicker: Shellac is touring this year. STOKED. Punchline: check out WHERE they're touring. TOTALLY NOT STOKED. I'm gonna go throw something now.

03-25 Rio de Janiero, Brazil - Teatro Odisseia
03-26 Buenos Aires, Argentina - Niceto Club
03-27 Santiago, Chile - Galpôn Victor Jara
03-28 Porto Alagre, Brazil - Garagem hermetica
03-29 Sao Paulo, Brazil - Clash Club
04-01 Bauru, Brazil - SESC
04-02 Sorocaba, Brazil - SESC
05-02 Berlin, Germany - Maria um Ufer *
05-03 Dresden, Germany - Scheune *
05-04 Wroclaw, Poland - W-Z *
05-05 Prague, Czech Republic - Palace Akropolis *
05-06 Weis, Austria - Alter Schlachthof *
05-07 Vienna, Austria - Szene Wien *
05-08 Ljubljana, Slovenia - Gala Hala *
05-09 Zagreb, Croatia - Zedno Uho *
05-13 Skopje, Macedonia - Club Castro *
06-07 Paris, France - Villette Sonique