SHELLAC - Excellent Italian Greyhound LP

Label: Touch And Go

Shellac is a band that truly exists in a vacuum. There are many reasons for this but it seems to me that it's primarily because its fearless leader, Steve Albini, doesn't need Shellac nearly as much as its devoted fans do.

Like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, we need Albini "on that wall" to protect the last bastion of indie rock that will never appear in a Zach Braff movie or be bastardized in a car commercial. Mostly, though, we need him as living proof that just because you're white, nerdy, and pissed, it doesn't mean you can't make kick-ass records.

On Excellent Italian Greyhound, only the band's second release of the decade, the sound remains unmistakably Shellac: guttural, sarcastic, and chock-full of anger. It came with the usual non fanfare - no promos, no shows around the album, no photos but Shellac can get away with it because..well...they are Shellac and if you like them you'll buy their records unconditionally.