Shellac (sometimes referred to as 'Shellac of North America') is an America… Read Full Bio ↴Shellac (sometimes referred to as 'Shellac of North America') is an American rock music group formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1992 by Steve Albini (guitar and vocals), Bob Weston (bass guitar vocals) and Todd Trainer (drums). They have been classified as post-hardcore, noise rock and math rock. Albini has claimed they refer to themselves as 'Shellac of North America', "when we're being pretentious."

They have a distinctive, minimalist sound based on unusual and urgent time signatures, repetitive heavy rhythms, an angular guitar sound, and Albini'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. Albini is also known to use copper plectrums and unique 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.

Both Weston and Albini are renowned recording engineers, and use their preferred methods with Shellac: Albini prefers a very clean, analogue recording sound with little or no overdubbing, and he is meticulous about microphone placings and equipment - this is reflected in Shellac's no nonsense approach to their own music, both in the studio and live.

Shellac are also renowned for their unconventional modus operandi. Touring is often an excuse for the band to take time away from their day jobs (Albini and Weston are both recording engineers; Trainer works at a commercial photographer's studio in Minneapolis) instead of being used to promote a recent record or even for financial gain. Indeed, Shellac do not have a "fixed fee" for performances like most bands, instead preferring to take the door charge minus expenses such as promotion, running costs and venue fees. They have also been known to ask venues to remove ticket charges they regard as unnecessary, which have become common in Europe and America.

An early claim from the band was that all of their songs were about two of Albini's favourite subjects: Baseball and Canada. In actuality, Albini and Weston's songs can refer to a broad range of topics, from the highly emotional to examinations of everyday minutiae. However, regardless of the subject, each song is presented in the same deadpan, occasionally violent manner. An example can be found in the concluding tracks from the band's album 1000 Hurts. Although both songs have a title referring to a mundane house-hold object, these items are in actuality symbolic of a larger theme. Weston's "Shoe Song" deals with the realisation of love and its subsequent loss, whereas Albini's "Watch Song" details irrational anger and aggression. Shoe Song also heavily references post-rock band Slint, who were produced by Albini.

Shellac are known for their mercurial nature, which has produced some interesting records and events. Most notably, they recorded an instrumental album known as The Futurist for a modern dance troupe. Unwilling to grant what the band considered a sub-par recording a wider audience, they pressed approximately 700 vinyl LP copies of the music and gave them away as gifts to friends. The front cover was a list of the recipients, with the relevant name encircled. Shellac also played a Halloween show as the anarchic British punk group The Sex Pistols, featuring former The Jesus Lizard and Scratch Acid singer David Yow as Johnny Rotten. Both of the aforementioned can now be found on several file-sharing networks.

In 2002, the band was also responsible for curating the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Camber Sands, England. Amongst fans of independent rock, these weekends have achieved legendary status and featured performances from some of the world's finest groups. Knowing that most of the audience had come specifically to see Shellac, the band went on first every morning as an incentive for the festival-goers to be up in time to see the other acts. An album of live tracks from this festival was also released on ATP Records.

In December 2004, Shellac recorded a final BBC Session dedicated their longtime fan John Peel. Peel had been an ardent supporter of the band and his death earlier in the year came as a great shock to the independent music community. In 2005, Shellac were recorded playing 'Steady As She Goes' in an abandoned house as part of a film project called Burn To Shine, organised by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty and film-maker Christoph Green. This is the only available recorded video footage of the band playing live.

Ghosts
Shellac Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's making ghosts
She's so happy
Ballroom dancing
Spinning
Falling ghosts
Real ghosts
Lonely or forever
Real ghosts

Didn't ask to be
All her goodness
All her goodness
Pray she doesn't make you
Pray she doesn't
Or anyone you know

(unintelligible)

Carnival worker
Presidents
Sacagawea
Show jumper
A television clown

(unintelligible)

Madam Curie
Ballerinas, she's crazy about ballerinas

(unintelligible)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Shellac's "Ghosts" can be read in different ways, but on one level, they are about a woman who is creating ghosts. The song speaks to the power of the imagination and how it can manifest in unusual ways. The idea of the woman making ghosts is intriguing because it suggests that she has the power to bring something intangible to life. This is both a blessing and a curse because, although the ghosts are a testament to her creativity, they can also be the source of her pain and loneliness.

The lyrics suggest that the woman is happy as she dances and spins, creating these ghosts. The ghosts are both real and unreal, and they are caught between the two worlds, existing in a liminal space of possibility. The woman didn't ask to create them; they seem to have emerged from her subconscious, the product of her boundless imagination.

Line by Line Meaning

She's making ghosts
She is creating figments of her imagination

She's so happy
She delights in her own creation

Ballroom dancing
She envisages elegant ballroom performances

Spinning
She visualizes dancers whirling around the floor

Falling ghosts
The apparitions she creates appear and disappear briefly

Real ghosts
Her fantasy world overlaps with reality

Lonely or forever
Her illusions are fleeting and ephemeral

Real ghosts
Her figments are resolved in reality

Didn't ask to be
The reality is brought upon them unwillingly

All her goodness
She creates these illusions for her own pleasure

All her goodness
The figments are harmless, albeit somewhat peculiar