Shellac

All three members of Shellac have solid pedigrees in the more aggressive and experimental side of the ’80s punk scene, but the guiding force is clearly Steve Albini, the legendarily caustic record producer and musician who first made noise (lots of noise) in Big Black. Chuck Klosterman once described Albini as “an abrasive, ethical man whose legacy is built on crafting sonically authentic records that normal people hate,” and this is definitely Albini’s own project: Aided by likeminded bassist Bob Weston and drummer Todd Trainer, he uses Shellac to create rumbling, angular noise that hits like a sledgehammer. The trio tours and records infrequently—its most recent album is 2007’sExcellent Italian Greyhound—so now would be the time to figure out if you’re normal or what. 

Updated 09/20/2011