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.
Watch Song
Shellac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Regardless of my feelings on the subject
It appears that I am going to
Give up the fight and get about it
I paid more than anyone would advise for this watch
And so far I am disappointed in it
It beeps at me at noon and seven and five and I cannot turn
Off the piece of shit
Hey man I wanna have a fight with you.
And the way that you're behaving it's clear to me
You would like to have one too
So let's stop dancin'
And do what we both came here to do
Hey man hey!
Hey!
Hey man!
Hey man, hey hey!
Hey man, I wanna have a fight with you
And the way that you're behaving it's clear to me
You would like to have one too
The lyrics to Shellac's song Watch Song seem to be about a person's frustration with a newly purchased watch. They express a desire for a fight with someone, even though it's not entirely clear what they're fighting about. The person paid more than recommended for the watch but it's already disappointing them. The watch beeps frequently, and they can't seem to turn off the sound.
The person seems to be taking out their frustration on the other person, even though they may not be the cause of the problem. The repeated use of "Hey man" suggests a confrontational tone, as if the person is looking for a fight. The mention of wanting to fight "regardless of my feelings on the subject" suggests that the person may be feeling pent-up anger or frustration that they just need to release.
Overall, the lyrics seem to be a metaphor for the person's frustrations with something in their life that they can't seem to fix. They may be projecting their anger onto others, and looking for a way to release it through confrontation.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey man, I wanna have a fight with you
Despite any potential consequences, I am choosing to initiate a conflict with you.
Regardless of my feelings on the subject,
Although I may not be passionate about the issue at hand,
It appears that I am going to
It seems to be inevitable that I will engage in this altercation.
Give up the fight and get about it
I am resigning myself to the situation and will begin the conflict.
I paid more than anyone would advise for this watch
I spent a higher amount of money on this timepiece than is recommended.
And so far I am disappointed in it
However, up to this point, the product has failed to meet my expectations.
It beeps at me at noon and seven and five and I cannot turn off the piece of shit
The watch makes annoying noises at specific times, and I cannot disable this function which frustrates me deeply.
And the way that you're behaving it's clear to me
Judging from your behavior, it is apparent that you also desire conflict.
You would like to have one too
You share the same sentiment as me and would also like to engage in a fight.
So let's stop dancin'
We should stop pretending or delaying and begin the altercation.
And do what we both came here to do
We should just carry out the confrontation, which is most likely the primary reason why we met up.
Contributed by Jake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.