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Steve Albini
Steve Albini playing guitar, wearing a black t-shirt and ripped blue jeans
Steve Albini at the ATP Music Festival in 2007
Background information
Birth nameSteven Albini
Born (1962-07-22) July 22, 1962 (age 62)
Pasadena, California, U.S.
OriginChicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • musician
  • record producer
  • audio engineer
  • music journalist
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass
  • drums
Years active1981–present
LabelsTouch and Go

Bruce Pavitt (born March 7, 1959) is an American music critic[1], music historian[2], DJ4, author1,2,5 founder of Seattle’s Sub Pop record label3, and current Co-founder and Creative Director of 8Stem. 4

He is most famous for promoting the Grunge music phenomenon in the early 1990s.6,3 Through Sub Pop, Pavitt released early recordings by Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and Nirvana.7 But equally important, he built a compelling narrative of the Seattle music scene in the international press that captured the world’s imagination.8


2 Nirenberg, Michael (December 30, 2014). "Discussion with Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt". The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Retrieved March 15, 2017.

3 Murphy, Gareth (2014) “Cowboys and Indies : The Epic History of the Record Industry” (First edition) New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04337 PAGE 328

3. Azerrad, Michael (16 April 1992). "Grunge City: The Seattle Scene". www.rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 February 2017.

4. O’Reilly, Lara (11 November 2016) “The founder of Seattle grunge label Sub Pop explains why he jacked it all in to launch a tech startup.” London: Business Insider. Retrieved 11 November 2016

5. Pavitt, Bruce (2013) Experiencing Nirvana, Grunge In Europe, 1989. (First ed.) Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points. 978-1-935950-10-3

6. Puget Sound Business Journal “Top 35 Most Influential Business Leaders: No. 35 Bruce Pavitt”

7 Murphy, Gareth (2014) “Cowboys and Indies : The Epic History of the Record Industry” (First edition) New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04337 PAGE 329

8 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 440 [3]

[4] He is the founder, owner and principal engineer of Electrical Audio, a recording studio complex located in Chicago. In March 2004, Albini said that the number of albums he had worked on was "probably as many as 1500."[5] He has had major influence on the development of genres such as noise rock, post-hardcore and math rock.

Early life

[edit]

Albini was born in Pasadena, California, to Gina (née Martinelli) and Frank Addison Albini. His father is a wildlife researcher. He also has two siblings.[6][7][8][9] In his youth, Albini's family moved often, before settling in the college town of Missoula, Montana in 1974.[6] Albini is Italian American and part of his family comes from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy.[7]

While recovering from a broken leg, Albini began playing bass guitar and participated in bass lessons in high school for one week. According to Thrill Jockey's Looking for a Thrill, Albini was exposed to punk rock by a schoolmate on a field trip when he was 14 or 15, and subsequently bought every Ramones recording available to him.[6][10]

Growing up in Montana, he became a fan of bands such as The Stooges, the Ramones, Television, Suicide, Wire, The Fall, The Velvet Underground, Throbbing Gristle, Kraftwerk, The Birthday Party, Pere Ubu, Public Image Ltd, Rudimentary Peni, and Killing Joke.[3]

After graduating from Hellgate High School,[6] Albini moved to Evanston, Illinois, to attend college at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (NU), where he attained a degree in Journalism.[11] Albini said he studied painting in college with the late Ed Paschke, someone he calls a brilliant educator and "one of the only people in college who actually taught me anything."[12]

In the Chicago area, Albini was active as a writer in local zines such as Matter, covering the then-nascent punk rock scene, and gained a reputation for the iconoclastic nature of his articles. Around the same time, he began recording musicians and engineered his first album in 1981.[5] He co-managed Ruthless Records (Chicago) with John Kezdy of The Effigies and Jon Babbin (Criminal IQ Records). According to Albini, he maintained a "straight job" for five years until 1987, working in a photography studio as a photograph retouch artist.[13]

Career

[edit]

Musician

[edit]

Prior to formation of his first prominent band Big Black, Albini played in bands, such as the Montana punk band "Just Ducky", a Chicago band called "Small Irregular Pieces of Aluminum," "Stations," and another band that record label Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records explained "he [Albini] is paying us not to mention."[14] He also played for Flour circa 1988.

1981–1987: Big Black

[edit]

In 1981, Albini formed Big Black while he was a student at NU and recorded Lungs, the band's debut EP, on Ruthless Records (Chicago), a label he co-managed with Jon Babbin (Criminal IQ Records) and John Kezdy (The Effigies).[15] Albini played all of the instruments on Lungs, except the saxophone parts, played by friend John Bohnen. The Bulldozer (1983) EP was then released on both Ruthless and Fever Records.[14][16]

Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango, of Chicago band Naked Raygun, and live drummer Pat Byrne joined shortly thereafter, and the band—along with a drum machine credited as "Roland"—released the EP Racer-X in 1984 after touring and signing a new contract with the Homestead Records business. Pezzati commenced recording the "Il Duce" 7-inch single with the band, but returned to his original band before it was completed. Pezzati was replaced on bass by Dave Riley, with whom the group recorded its debut full-length album, Atomizer (1986). The "Il Duce" recording was eventually finished with Riley as bassist and the band also released The Hammer Party album while signed to Homestead, which was a compilation of the Lungs and Bulldozer EPs.[14]

Big Black left the Homestead label for Touch and Go Records in late 1985/early 1986 and recorded the Headache EP and the 7-inch single, Heartbeat between June and August 1986—both were released the following year.[14] Also in 1986, a live album, titled Sound of Impact, was released on the Not/Blast First label.[17]

The accompanying booklet provides insight into the band's influences, as Albini cited bands such as Ramones, The Birthday Party, The Stooges, Minor Threat, Whitehouse, Pere Ubu, Throbbing Gristle, Skrewdriver, the Ex, Minimal Man, U.S. Chaos, Gang Green and Bad Brains.[18]

In 1987 the band released their second studio album Songs About Fucking, as well as the He's a Whore / The Model 7-inch single, both on Touch and Go.[14][16] Following a period of extensive touring in 1987 in support of Songs About Fucking, Big Black eventually disbanded shortly afterwards. Durango enrolled in law school and was successful in becoming a practicing lawyer.[14]

Touch and Go released a Big Black live album and video, Pigpile, in 1992 that consisted mostly of recordings from their final tour in 1987. Pigpile was also released in Japan, Australia and Germany.[19] Touch and Go states on its website in May 2014: "Someday, we might release the video on DVD. Until then, please don’t ask us about it."[14]

1987–1988: Rapeman

[edit]

Albini went on to form the controversially named Rapeman in 1987—the band consisted of Albini (vocals, guitar), Rey Washam (drums), and David Wm. Sims. The band was named after a popular Japanese comic book that garnered Albini and Washam's interests. They broke up after the release of two 7-inch singles—"Hated Chinee b/w Marmoset" (1988) and "Inki's Butt Crack b/w Song Number One" (1989), one EP titled Budd (1988) and the Two Nuns and a Pack Mule album, also released in 1988 on Touch and Go.[20]

1992–present: Shellac

[edit]

Albini formed Shellac in 1992.[21] With bandmates Bob Weston (formerly of Volcano Suns), and Todd Trainer (of Rifle Sport, Breaking Circus and Brick Layer Cake), they initially released three EPs: The Rude Gesture: A Pictorial History (1993), Uranus (1993) and The Bird Is the Most Popular Finger (1994)—the first two EP releases were on Touch and Go, while the third EP was a Drag City label release.[22]

Two years after formation, the Japanese label NUX Organization released a Japan-exclusive live album in CD format titled ライヴイン東京—an English-language reference to the name Shellac cannot be found anywhere on the CD product, which was not available outside Japan.[23] The live album was followed by five studio albums: At Action Park (1994), Terraform (1998), 1000 Hurts (2000), Excellent Italian Greyhound (2007) and Dude Incredible (2014). All of Shellac's studio albums were released on vinyl as well as CD.[22][24]

Albini explained in 2010 that Shellac had made a decision early in their existence that they would not play at festivals and this position was articulated to All Tomorrow's Parties (ATP) festival organizer Barry Hogan during the preparation stage of the inaugural ATP event. However, Scottish band Mogwai managed to convince Albini at the time that they were ATP curators and the band was very impressed by the experience: "They (ATP) completely changed the festival game. Now the whole world has to operate under the knowledge that there are these cool, curated festivals where everyone is treated well and the experience is a generally pleasant one."[25]

Recording engineer

[edit]
For a chronological list of Albini's recording work, see List of Steve Albini's recording projects.
Steve Albini on right, with Ani DiFranco and RZA at The New Yorker festival in September 2005

As of 2008, Albini is most active as a record producer; however, he dislikes the term and prefers to receive no credit on album sleeves or notes.[26] When credited, he prefers the term "recording engineer."[27]

In 2004, Albini estimated that he has engineered the recording of 1,500 albums, mostly by obscure musicians.[5] More prominent artists that Albini has worked with include: Foxy Shazam,[28] Nirvana,[29] Pixies,[30] The Breeders, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai, The Jesus Lizard, Don Caballero, PJ Harvey, The Wedding Present, Joanna Newsom, Superchunk, Low, Dirty Three, Jawbreaker, Neurosis, Cloud Nothings, Bush,[31] Chevelle,[32] Robert Plant and Jimmy Page,[33] Helmet,[34] Fred Schneider,[35] The Stooges,[36] Owls,[37] Manic Street Preachers,[38] Jarvis Cocker,[39] The Cribs,[40] The Fleshtones,[41] Nina Nastasia,[42] The Frames,[43] The Membranes,[44] Cheap Trick,[45] Motorpsycho,[46] Slint,[47] mclusky,[48] Labradford,[49] Veruca Salt,[50] Zao,[51] and The Auteurs.[52]

Following the release of Schneider's album Just ... Fred, The Vinyl District's Joseph Neff wrote: "The reality is that when enlisted by the big leagues, Albini took his job just as seriously as when he was assisting on the debut recording from a bunch of aspiring unknowns."[35]

Albini's openness toward working with any artist, regardless of their popularity, was reaffirmed in October 2014 when he said in an Uncut interview that he would produce another album with Page and Plant "in a heartbeat."[33] Furthermore, Stereogum's Tom Breihan wrote in 2012: "And even though he’s [Albini] been an outspoken opponent of the major-label system (and of other underground-rock heroes), he’s known to work with just about anyone who requests his service".[31]

Methodology

[edit]
Albini in 2008

In Albini's opinion, putting producers in charge of recording sessions often destroys records, while the role of the recording engineer is to solve problems in capturing the sound of the musicians, not to threaten the artists' control over their product.[5]

Albini's recordings have been analyzed by writers such as Michael Azerrad, who is also a musician. In Azerrad's 2001 book Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981–1991, Azerrad describes Albini's work on the Pixies album Surfer Rosa: "The recordings were both very basic and very exacting: Albini used few special effects; got an aggressive, often violent guitar sound; and made sure the rhythm section slammed as one."[3]: 344 

On Nirvana's In Utero, one can find a typical example of Albini's recording practices. Common practice in popular music is to record each instrument on a separate track at different times, and then blend the different recordings together at a later time as part of a process that is known as multi-track recording. However, Albini prefers to record "live in the studio" as much as possible: the musicians perform together as a group in the same recording space. Albini also places particular importance on the selection and use of microphones in achieving a desired sound—including the painstaking placement of different microphones at certain points around a room to best capture ambience and other qualities.[citation needed]

Production influences

[edit]

A key influence on Albini was producer John Loder, who came to prominence in the late 1970s with a reputation for recording albums quickly and inexpensively, but nonetheless with distinctive qualities and a sensitivity towards a band's sound and aesthetic.[53]

Albini has mentioned an admiration for Alan Lomax in particular before.[13] As for peers who make great sounding records, Albini likes Bob Weston. Also Brian Paulson from North Carolina, but who came up in the Minneapolis punk-rock scene. And Matt Barnhart from Texas.[13]

In Utero

[edit]

Albini's work on Nirvana's final studio album In Utero received a large amount of media attention and, in the prelude to the release of the 20th anniversary deluxe edition in September 2013, a press release stated that "Steve Albini's recording laid bare every primal nuance of the most confrontational yet vulnerable material Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl would ever record." Following the 1993 release of the original album, Rolling Stone writer David Fricke stated that the album "is a lot of things—brilliant, corrosive, enraged and thoughtful, most of them all at once. But more than anything, it's a triumph of the will."[29]

Albini has been asked about the challenges that accompanied the recording and release of In Utero, but has clarified that the record label was responsible for the difficulties that marred the trajectory of the album.[5]

Released on September 24, 2013, the deluxe reissue was mastered into copper discs, using a process called Direct Metal Mastering, and Albini explained that the method "gives you better immediate fidelity." He also referred to the conflict with the record label during the original recording process as "old injuries" and said that he found it "gratifying" that his amenable relationship with Novoselic and Grohl remains intact.[54]

Electrical Audio Studio

[edit]

Albini bought Electrical Audio, his personal recording studio, in 1995.[53][55] The impetus for the move to his own studio was the lack of privacy for Albini and his wife. His former studio was in their house, eventually taking over almost all the rooms, with the exception of the bedroom.[55]

Before Electrical Audio, Albini had a studio in the basement of another personal residence. Musician Robbie Fulks recalls the hassle of "running up two flights of stairs all the time from the tracking room" to where Albini was.[13]

Albini does not receive royalties for anything he records or mixes at his own facility, unlike many other engineer/record producers with his experience and prominence. At Electrical Audio in 2004, Albini earned a daily fee of US$750 for engineering work, and drew a salary of US$24,000 a year. Azerrad referred to Albini's rates in 2001 as among the most affordable for a world-class recording studio.[3]

Following the completion of the studio's construction, Albini initially charged only for his time, allowing his friends or musicians he respected—who were willing to engineer their own recording sessions and purchase their own magnetic tape—to use his studio free-of-charge.[3]

Perspectives

[edit]

Music industry

[edit]

Albini's opinions on the music industry, as well as on trends in indie music, have received considerable exposure. His earliest writing was for zines such as Matter and Forced Exposure, and he later wrote a significant article on the conduct of major record labels for the art and criticism journal The Baffler in 1994.[56]

In an April 29, 2014 article for "digitally native news outlet" Quartz,[57] writer John McDuling referred to the Baffler article as a "seminal essay."[58]

In the 1994 article, Albini was severely critical of the manner in which major labels were treating musicians.[56] He named young A&R scouts that he perceived with disdain at the time, claiming that they each had an "underground rock credibility flag" to wave: Lyle Preslar, former guitarist for Minor Threat; Terry Tolkin, former New York independent booking agent and assistant manager at Touch and Go; Al Smith, former soundman at the New York CBGB club; and Mike Gitter, former editor of XXX fanzine. He further explained that when he hears producers and engineers use "meaningless" words like "Punchy”, “Warm”, “Groove”, “Vibe”, “Feel”, he feels he needs to "throttle somebody."[56]

At a 2004 Middle Tennessee State University presentation, Albini reaffirmed his perspective on major labels, explaining that he was opposed to any form of human exploitation.[5] He was asked about file sharing in June 2014 and he clarified that, while he doesn't believe that the technological development is the "best thing" for the music industry, he does not identify with the music industry. He considers "the community, the band, the musician" as his peers, and is pleased that musicians can "get their music out to the world at no cost instantly".[52]

In November 2014, Albini delivered the keynote speech at the Face the Music conference in Melbourne, Australia, where he discussed the evolution of the music scene and industry since he started making music in the late 1970s. He described the pre-internet corporate music industry as "a system that ensured waste by rewarding the most profligate spendthrifts in a system specifically engineered to waste the band’s money," which aimed to perpetuate its structures and business arrangements while preventing bands (except for "monumental stars") from earning a living. He contrasted it with the independent scene, which encouraged resourcefulness and established an alternative network of clubs, promoters, fanzines, DJs and labels, and allowed musicians to make a reasonable income due to the system's greater efficiency.[59]

As part of the Face the Music speech, Albini noted that both the corporate and independent industry models had been damaged by internet file sharing; however, he praised the spread of free music as being a "fantastic development," which allowed previously ignored music and bands to find an audience (citing the protopunk band Death as one example); the use of the internet as a distribution channel for music to be heard worldwide; and the increasing affordability of recording equipment, all of which allow bands to circumvent the traditional recording industry. Albini also argued that the increased availability of recorded music stimulates demand for live music, thereby boosting bands' income.[59]

While in Australia in November 2014, Albini spoke with national radio station Double J, which described him as a "bona fide music industry legend". In addition to asserting that music will always be made due to its role in human expression, Albini explained that, while the state of the music industry is healthy in his view, the industry of music journalism is in crisis. Albini used the example of the media spotlight that he received after he made comments about Amanda Palmer's Kickstarter campaign, stating: "I don’t think I was wrong but I also don’t think that it was that big of a deal." He described the music media as "superficial" and composed of "copy paste bullshit."[60]

Albini critiqued Jay Z's subscription-only, lossless audio streaming service Tidal in an April 2015 interview with Vulture.com, arguing that streaming services would eventually be usurped by a more convenient technology, that "if you want your music to play at the push of a button, convenience is going to trump sound quality 100 percent of the time", and that audiophiles would prefer vinyl to streaming. He made the point that the internet has a history "of breaking limitations placed on its content" by making paid-for products freely available.[61]

Music recording

[edit]

Albini is a supporter of analog recording over digital, as can be evidenced by a 1987 quote on the back cover of the CD version of Big Black's Songs About Fucking: "The future belongs to the analog loyalists. Fuck digital." A CD issue, consisting of the full-length album Atomizer and the EP Headache, was released under the title The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape, providing him with another outlet for his support of analog.[citation needed] In a September 2013 interview, he reaffirmed his preference for analog over digital, insisting that his choice is not because he is "some kind of a nutball," or because he wants to be "recalcitrant or reactionary."[54] He also says he does not like and does not want to produce pop music, telling 2SER Sydney "pop music is for children and idiots.[62]"

Other activities

[edit]

Albini commenced writing a cooking and food blog, titled "Mariobatalivoice: What I made Heather for dinner", in March 2011.[9][63]

Albini is an avid poker player and ranked in 12th-place at the 2013 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Seniors Championship.[64] Albini also regularly engages in public-speaking appointments for the audio industry. In 2004 Albini was always responsible for dealing with bands directly at Electrical Audio and answered the phone in the studio.[5]

Personal life

[edit]

Albini is married to film director Heather Whinna and they work and live in Chicago.[13] His right leg is slightly deformed as a result of a car accident when he was 18.[65]

In 2010, he revealed that he is not an avid consumer of media and watches a lot of cat videos on YouTube, while avoiding feature films.[25]

Albini called himself an atheist, in a 2011 interview.[66]

Works or publications

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Pavitt, Bruce (2014). Sub Pop USA : The Subterranean Pop Music Anthology, 1980 - 1988 (1 ed.). Brooklyn: Bazillion Points. ISBN 978-1-935950-11-0.
  2. ^ Lake Smith, Aaron (December 30, 2014). "Discussion with Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt". The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. OCLC 62518347. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  4. ^ Bush, John. "Biography: Steve Albini". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Young, Andrew (March 12, 2004). "Steve Albini" (Originally published in MTSU Sidelines, March 16th, 2004. This is the unedited final draft of the story, with unpublished material.). Lecture at Middle Tennessee State University. Retrieved 11 January 2014. Records became more and more produced, and more and more layers of more abstract sounds were added
  6. ^ a b c d Thorn, Jesse (December 6, 2007). "Podcast: Live in Chicago: Steve Albini" (podcast). Bullseye with Jesse Thorn. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Albini, Steve (May 30, 2011). "Strozzapreti-Gemelli with Tomato, Shallot and Mint" (blog). Mario Batali Voice. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  8. ^ Kovacs Henderson, Andrea (2009). American men & women of science: a biographical directory of today's leaders in physical, biological, and related sciences (eBook, biography) (26th ed.). Detroit: Gale. p. 71. ISBN 9781414457260. Retrieved 10 January 2014. {{cite book}}: External link in |format= (help)
  9. ^ a b Shatkin, Elina (2012-01-24). "Steve Albini Has A Food Blog". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  10. ^ "Looking for a Thrill: An Anthology of Inspiration". Thrill Jockey. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  11. ^ "Staff & Friends – Steve Albini". Electrical Audio. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  12. ^ Carlson, Jen (September 28, 2011). "Nirvana Producer Steve Albini Tells Us How He Really Feels About NYC". Gothamist. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d e Margasak, Peter (January 6, 2014). "Artist on Artist: Robbie Fulks talks to Steve Albini". Chicago Reader. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g "Big Black". Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records. Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records. 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  15. ^ Cress, Jim (January 1, 1983). "Big Black: No Grey". Dementlieu. Archived from the original (Matter (zine)) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved January 11, 2014. Taken from Matter, Vol. 1, No. 1, January 1983. Possibly the first print Big Black received?
  16. ^ a b "Big Black: Singles & EPs". Big Black on Discogs. Discogs. 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  17. ^ "Not". Not on Discogs. Discogs. 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  18. ^ "Sound of Impact". dementlieu.com. Obik Anti. 2002. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  19. ^ "Big Black – Pigpile". Big Black on Discogs. Discogs. 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  20. ^ "Rapeman". Rapeman on Discogs. Discogs. 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  21. ^ Christe, Ian (2008). "The Hard Golden Tone of Shellac: An Interview with Steve Albini". Crawdaddy! – Wolfgang's Vault. Archived from the original on February 9, 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2014. Originally published in Warp, 1994
  22. ^ a b "Shellac". Shellac on Discogs. Discogs. 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  23. ^ "シェラック* – ライヴイン東京". シェラック* – ライヴイン東京 on Discogs (in English and Japanese). Discogs. 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  24. ^ "Shellac – At Action Park". Shellac at Discogs. Discogs. 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  25. ^ a b Lake Smith, Aaron (September 29, 2010). "The Verge Q+A: Punk Pioneer Steve Albini on Music Festivals, The Future of Radio and Why He Wants GQ To Fail". GQ Magazine. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  26. ^ Heylin, Clinton (1992). The Penguin book of rock & roll writing (1st ed.). London, UK: Penguin Group. ISBN 9780670845590. OCLC 27020626. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  27. ^ Herman, Maureen (May 13, 2014). "Who Cares What Steve Albini Thinks? You Probably Do". BoingBoing.net.
  28. ^ Crystal Brown (November 27, 2013). "FOXY SHAZAM: THE NEXT GREAT PHENOMENON?". CincyMusic.com. CincyMusic, LLC. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  29. ^ a b Sujata Murthy; Steve Martin (July 30, 2013). "Nirvana: In Utero 20th Anniversary Multi-Format Reissue Out September 24". Reuters. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  30. ^ Jason Heller (July 30, 2014). "Steve Albini's 10 Best Records". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  31. ^ a b Tom Breihan (January 26, 2012). "The Top 20 Steve Albini-Recorded Albums". Stereogum. SpinMedia. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  32. ^ "Point #1 – Epk" (Video upload). WaLLy on YouTube. Google Inc. 28 February 2006. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  33. ^ a b "Steve Albini: "I'd do another Jimmy Page and Robert Plant album in a heartbeat"". Uncut. Time Inc. (UK) Ltd Entertainment Network. October 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  34. ^ Miranda Yardley (April 4, 2012). "DARK RECOLLECTIONS: Helmet". Terrorizer. Terrorizer. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  35. ^ a b Joseph Neff (March 14, 2013). "Graded on a Curve: Fred Schneider, Just…Fred". The Vinyl District. Mom & Pop Shop Media. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  36. ^ "Steve Albini talks about recording The Stooges album The Weirdness.mp4" (Video upload). FleaVids on YouTube. Google Inc. February 14, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  37. ^ Logan Jourgenson (September 14, 2012). "Some of Missoula native Steve Albini's lesser albums still worth a listen". The Billings Gazette. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  38. ^ Jonathan Garrett (March 30, 2009). "Manic Street Preachers "Peeled Apples"". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media, Inc. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  39. ^ Ryan Dombal (March 6, 2009). "Jarvis Cocker Returns With Steve Albini-Produced LP". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media, Inc. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  40. ^ Ryan Bassil (February 24, 2012). "The Cribs: The new record addresses a lot of unexorcised demons". The Independent. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  41. ^ John D. Luerssen (February 3, 2014). "Fleshtones Celebrate 'Hipster Heaven' – Song Premiere". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  42. ^ "Nina Nastasia Once Again Pairs Up with Steve Albini for New Album". Exclaim.ca. Exclaim.ca. March 17, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  43. ^ Joe Tangari (January 29, 2002). "The Frames For the Birds". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media, Inc. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  44. ^ John Robb (March 4, 2012). "Steve Albini: In Depth Interview". Louder Than War. Louder Than War. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  45. ^ "Cheap Trick In Color mix by Steve Albini". Review Stalker. Review Stalker. May 28, 2009. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  46. ^ Matt Kerry (April 24, 2013). "Motorpsycho – Still Life With Eggplant". echoes and dust. echoes and dust. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  47. ^ Stuart Berman (April 16, 2014). "Slint Spiderland". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media, Inc. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  48. ^ Chris Dahlen (September 19, 2002). "Mclusky Do Dallas". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media, Inc. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  49. ^ Kitty Empire (September 12, 2005). "Labradford: Fixed Content". NME. Time Inc. (UK) Ltd Entertainment Network. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  50. ^ Thomas Michalski (July 11, 2014). "Veruca Salt w/ Battleme @ Turner Hall Ballroom". Express Milwaulkee. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  51. ^ "ZAO announce album title". Roadrunner Records. Roadrunner Records. December 7, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  52. ^ a b Matthew Shearn (June 17, 2014). "Steve Albini Interview". Figure 8. Figure 8. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  53. ^ a b Tingen, Paul (September 2005). "Steve Albini: Sound Engineer Extraordinaire". Sound on Sound. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  54. ^ a b Mlinaric, Jessica (September 11, 2013). "Interview: Steve Albini Talks About Shellac, Chicago, And The Specifics Of Remastering Nirvana's 'In Utero'". Chicagoist. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  55. ^ a b Crane, Larry (January 15, 2012). "Steve Albini: 'I've made a lot of records.'". Tape Op. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
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Further reading

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Bruce Pavitt (born March 7, 1959) is an American music critic1, historian2, DJ4, author1,2,5 founder of Seattle’s Sub Pop record label3, and current Co-founder and Creative Director of 8Stem. 4

He is most famous for promoting the Grunge music phenomenon in the early 1990s.6,3 Through Sub Pop, Pavitt released early recordings by Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and Nirvana.7 But equally important, he built a compelling narrative of the Seattle music scene in the international press that captured the world’s imagination.8

1 Pavitt, Bruce (2014) “Sub Pop USA : The Subterranean Pop Music Anthology, 1980 - 1988.” (First edition) Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points ISBN 978-1-935950-11-0

2 Nirenberg, Michael (December 30, 2014). "Discussion with Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt". The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Retrieved March 15, 2017.

3 Murphy, Gareth (2014) “Cowboys and Indies : The Epic History of the Record Industry” (First edition) New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04337 PAGE 328

3. Azerrad, Michael (16 April 1992). "Grunge City: The Seattle Scene". www.rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 February 2017.

4. O’Reilly, Lara (11 November 2016) “The founder of Seattle grunge label Sub Pop explains why he jacked it all in to launch a tech startup.” London: Business Insider. Retrieved 11 November 2016

5. Pavitt, Bruce (2013) Experiencing Nirvana, Grunge In Europe, 1989. (First ed.) Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points. 978-1-935950-10-3

6. Puget Sound Business Journal “Top 35 Most Influential Business Leaders: No. 35 Bruce Pavitt”

7 Murphy, Gareth (2014) “Cowboys and Indies : The Epic History of the Record Industry” (First edition) New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04337 PAGE 329

8 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 440


EARLY LIFE

Pavitt was born in Chicago, and grew up in suburban Park Forest, Illinois. As a teenager, he discovered the first two singles of the band, Devo, which he describes as “life changers” and a “huge inspiration.” Around this time, he also picked up a local fanzine called CLE, which featured an index of bands from all over Ohio.1

“A lightbulb went off in my head; small towns and cities were capable of creating great art, great music. From the summer of 1977 onward, I started to hunt for regional independent records.” 2

This epiphany led to a lifetime interest in localized culture and independently released music. Pavitt spent time at Wax Trax! records in Chicago and read the Village Voice at the local library, where he would note the bands playing at CBGBs. 2

1 Murphy, Gareth (2014) “Cowboys and Indies : The Epic History of the Record Industry” (First edition) New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04337 PAGE 412

2 Pavitt, Bruce (2014) “Sub Pop USA : The Subterranean Pop Music Anthology, 1980 - 1988.” (First edition) Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points ISBN 978-1-935950-11-0 PAGE 7

SCHOOL

In the fall of 1979, Pavitt moved to Olympia, WA to study at the Evergreen State College. He eventually started hosting a show on the community radio station, KAOS. Playing a blend of West Coast punk and Rough Trade releases, Pavitt named his show, Subterranean Pop.1

In 1980, Pavitt produced a fanzine of the same name to review independently released American rock records, region by region. The name was shortened to Sub Pop with issue #3 in 1981. He later released three cassette compilations through the fanzine that included artists like, Jad Fair, The Boneman of Barumba, and The Oil Tasters, and featured cover art by Charles Burns.2,4

From Subterranean Pop #1: “Tomorrow’s pop is being realized today on small decentralized record labels.”2

Pavitt likes to joke that he “majored in punk rock.” 3 But as a student at alternative Evergreen, he actually did get school credit for his work at KAOS-FM and the Subterranean Pop fanzine. 2

1 Murphy, Gareth (2014) “Cowboys and Indies : The Epic History of the Record Industry” (First edition) New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04337 PAGE 328

2 Pavitt, Bruce (2014) “Sub Pop USA : The Subterranean Pop Music Anthology, 1980 - 1988.” (First edition) Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points ISBN 978-1-935950-11-0 PAGE 15

3 Sonic Highways. Dave Grohl, HBO Documentary, 2014

4 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 413

EARLY CAREER

In 1983, Pavitt moved to Seattle. By 1984, he was managing Bomb Shelter, a store that sold both skateboards and independently released records.1 Located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, the store became a hub for the punk and skate community.2 During his time there, he oversaw the store’s release of an EP by local band, the U-Men, which sold out its 1,000-copy pressing.5,6

Pavitt also began writing a Sub Pop column in The Rocket, a regional music magazine.1,3,6 Continuing the theme from his fanzine, he reviewed independently released music from around the country. 2,4 The complete collection of these columns is available in Sub Pop USA, The Subterranean Pop Music Anthology, 1980 - 1988 published by Bazillion Points.3 Also at this time, Pavitt hosted a Sub Pop radio show on the local college radio station, KCMU.2,1

1 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 414

2 Murphy, Gareth (2014) “Cowboys and Indies : The Epic History of the Record Industry” (First edition) New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04337 PAGE 328

3 Pavitt, Bruce (2014) “Sub Pop USA : The Subterranean Pop Music Anthology, 1980 - 1988.” (First edition) Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points ISBN 978-1-935950-11-0

4 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 413

5 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 415

6 Humphrey, Clark (1999) “Loser: The Real Seattle Music Story” (Second edition) Seattle: MISCmedia. ISBN 1-929069-24-3 PAGE 91

SUB POP

In 1986, Pavitt formally set up his Sub Pop record label.1 His first release was Sub Pop 100, a compilation featuring Sonic Youth, Naked Raygun, Skinny Puppy, Scratch Acid, Steve Albini, The U-Men, and other bands he was documenting with his columns and radio shows.2 The next year, Pavitt released Dry as a Bone, an EP by the group, Green River.2

1 Murphy, Gareth (2014) “Cowboys and Indies : The Epic History of the Record Industry” (First edition) New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04337

2 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 420

Encouraged by a mutual friend, Kim Thayil, Pavitt partnered with Jonathan Poneman, a local music promoter in 1987.1 Poneman invested $20,000 in the label with the goal of releasing music by Thayil’s band, Soundgarden. In July of that year, Sub Pop released Soundgarden’s “Hunted Down / Nothing to Say“ seven-inch single. “Screaming Life,” a six-song EP followed in October.2 The next year, on April Fool’s Day, 1988, the two officially incorporated as Sub Pop Records, and opened a small office.3, 4

1 Azerrad, Michael (16 April 1992). "Grunge City: The Seattle Scene". www.rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 February 2017.

2 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 422

3 Murphy, Gareth (2014) “Cowboys and Indies : The Epic History of the Record Industry” (First edition) New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04337 PAGE 329

With his knowledge of music history, and inspired by the local music scene, Pavitt modeled Sub Pop after Chess, Stax, SST, and other influential independent labels that documented a regional sound.1,2

1 Azerrad, Michael (16 April 1992). "Grunge City: The Seattle Scene". www.rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 February 2017.

2 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 436

4 Yarm, Mark (2011 ) “Everybody Loves Our Town : An Oral History of Grunge.” (First Edition) New York: Crown Archetype ISBN 978-0-307-46443-9 PAGE 126

Sub Pop Records’ first release as an official business was Green River’s Rehab Doll. The album came out in June of 1988, despite the fact the band had broken up several months prior. 1,4

The compilation Sub Pop 200 soon followed, a boxed set of three EPs that featured 20 tracks by such Northwest bands as Tad, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Green River, Beat Happening and The Screaming Trees.2

Together with Poneman, Pavitt included a glossy, 20-page booklet featuring photos by music photographer, Charles Peterson. In the words of Pavitt, "It was just overkill – sheer overkill and maximum hype."3

1 Humphrey, Clark (1999) “Loser: The Real Seattle Music Story” (Second edition) Seattle: MISCmedia. ISBN 1-929069-24-3 PAGE 126

2 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGES 440-1

3 Azerrad, Michael (16 April 1992). "Grunge City: The Seattle Scene". www.rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 February 2017.

4 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 422

Pavitt’s knack for hype1 turned Sub Pop and the city of Seattle into a global brand. One of his first key marketing moves was to feature Charles Peterson’s dynamic B&W photos of the bands playing live. In many shots, the audience was prominently framed, breaking down the barrier between music fan and band.2

1 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 414


2 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 421

Pavitt also knew the importance of great graphics. He used big, bold lettering to pair with Peterson’s gritty photography. Sub Pop’s releases contained a uniform look, a strategy borrowed from Motown and other regional indies. Pavitt says,

“We were extremely conscious about trying to piece it together so there was some kind of unity in the marketing and presentation.”1

1 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 421


In early 1988, producer Jack Endino passed a demo tape of the band, Nirvana, to Poneman, who brought it to Pavitt’s attention.1 Pavitt could see an angle marketing the band’s rural, blue-collar background. 2

“If you wanted to sell records in England, you want to sell them something American… and these guys seemed very authentic and that’s what appealed to me about the group.” Sub Pop released Nirvana’s first recording, the seven-inch single “Love Buzz” / “Big Cheese” in November of that year. The record was part of another Sub Pop marketing ploy, “The Sub Pop Singles Club,” a subscription-based service to purchase limited-edition singles.2

1 Yarm, Mark (2011 ) “Everybody Loves Our Town : An Oral History of Grunge.” (First Edition) New York: Crown Archetype ISBN 978-0-307-46443-9 PAGE 125

2 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 438-9

In April of 1989, Pavitt and Poneman organized a concert for three Sub Pop bands - Mudhoney, Nirvana, and TAD - at the Moore Theatre in Seattle. Dubbed Lamefest, it was the first time a local show had sold out the 1,400-seat venue. In a bold move, they flew in Everett True, a journalist from the influential British music magazine, NME, and treated him to a weekend of partying with Sub Pop musicians. The gamble paid off, as True went home to write a hyperbolic piece about the Seattle Music Scene, and then a front-page feature of Mudhoney a week later.1,2

1 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 441

2 Humphrey, Clark (1999) “Loser: The Real Seattle Music Story” (Second edition) Seattle: MISCmedia. ISBN 1-929069-24-3 PAGE 140


The fawning of the British press dramatically increased the profile of Sub Pop and the Seattle Sound around the world. John Peel, the influential BBC DJ, wrote “It is going to take something special to stop Sub Pop 200 being the set of recordings by which all others are judged.” in the London Observer.1,2

1 Humphrey, Clark (1999) “Loser: The Real Seattle Music Story” (Second edition) Seattle: MISCmedia. ISBN 1-929069-24-3 PAGE 129

2 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 441


The next year, all three bands toured Europe, culminating in Lamefest UK, on December 3, 1989. Pavitt recounts the tour in a book entitled Experiencing Nirvana, Grunge In Europe, 1989 published by Bazillion Points in 2013.1

1.Pavitt, Bruce (2013) Experiencing Nirvana, Grunge In Europe, 1989. Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points

Sub Pop released Nirvana’s first LP, “Bleach,” on June 15, 1989. The album, along with the 1990 single, “Sliver” / “Dive”, sold well enough to capture the attention of major labels. Eventually, Nirvana signed with Geffen imprint DGC in April of 1991,1 but not before Pavitt and Poneman negotiated a sale of Nirvana’s contract. The deal netted the pair $75,000 and 2.5 points on the next two Nirvana albums.1,2

1 Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground 1981–1991 (1 ed.). Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316063791. Retrieved January 11, 2014. PAGE 451

2 Murphy, Gareth (2014) “Cowboys and Indies : The Epic History of the Record Industry” (First edition) New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04337 PAGE 335


Soon after, Nirvana rocketed to stardom with the release of Nevermind in September, 1991,1 and Seattle became ground zero for the exploding Grunge rock scene.2 Pavitt’s quote in Subterranean Pop #1 was finally realized as Nirvana overtook Michael Jackson for the number one spot on the Billboard charts.3

1 Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday, 1993. ISBN 0-385-47199-8


2 Azerrad, Michael (16 April 1992). "Grunge City: The Seattle Scene". www.rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 February 2017.

3 "Nirvana - Artist Chart History". Official Chart Company. Retrieved on 14 July 2013.


Riding the wave of Grunge, Pavitt and Poneman sold 49% of Sub Pop to Warner Brothers for a reported $20 million dollars at the end of 1994.1

1 Humphrey, Clark (1999) “Loser: The Real Seattle Music Story” (Second edition) Seattle: MISCmedia. ISBN 1-929069-24-3 PAGE 187

In 1996, Pavitt left Sub Pop. Contributing factors in his decision are reported to be disagreements with Poneman on the direction of the label's future, and the change in business culture following the sale to a major label.1,

1 Yarm, Mark (2011 ) “Everybody Loves Our Town : An Oral History of Grunge.” (First Edition) New York: Crown Archetype ISBN 978-0-307-46443-9 PAGE 495

8STEM

Currently, Pavitt acts as Co-founder and Creative Director of 8Stem, an interactive music platform and mobile application.1 The genesis for the company began in 2003, when Pavitt connected with musician and producer, Adam Farish, on Orcas island. The two spent the next decade talking about the the future of the industry, which they both agreed would be decentralized, interactive, and participatory. 2

1 Debarros, Paul (25 October 2016). "New 8Stem app puts power of remixing into everyone's hands". Seattle: Seattle Times. Retrieved 25 October 2016.

2 Doyle , Margie (2016) Adam Farish and Bruce Pavitt Launch 8 Stem : Music-mixing application revolutionizes music appreciation, sharing. Orcas Issues

After Farish developed a prototype music remixing application, the two incorporated under the name 8Stem in September of 2015. 1 Their iOS app was launched in October of 2016.2 Pavitt commented that the goal of the app is "Lowering the bar to allow people to participate in remix culture."3


1 Demmit, Jacob (25 September 2015). "Sub Pop founder Bruce Pavitt joins the startup world with a new digital music format". Seattle: Geekwire. Retrieved 25 September 2015.


2 Heater, Brian (25 October 2016). "Sub Pop’s founder launched a fun music remixing app". San Francisco: TechCrunch. Retrieved 25 October2016.


3 Jones, Rhian (4 January 2017). "Why Sub Pop's Founder Quit The Music Industry - And What He Thinks Of It Today". London: Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved 4 January 2017.

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