Big Black

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Evanston, Illinois, United States (1982 – 1987, 2006 – 2006)

Big Black was an Independent punk-rock band founded in Evanston, Illinois, United States, that was active between 1982 and 1987. They were headed by singer, lyricist, guitarist, and co-songwriter Steve Albini. They have been classified as /, and were a formative influence on rock, but the band members have always described the band as solidly ; in the notes for Pigpile, a live recording of their final London performance, Albini explicitly describes Big Black as punk.

They sought and found little mainstream success, but the group’s piledriver drum machines and brutal, slashing electric guitars were widely influential, especially for industrial rock. Albini’s snide, malevolent singing and provocative lyrics garnered much attention.

Albini made a name for himself for his controversial “Tired of Ugly Fat?” column in the Chicago zine Matter, as well as irregular contributions to Forced Exposure. At the time, the band consisted of Albini and his drum machine, a Roland TR-606. (All of Big Black’s recordings credit “Roland” as if “he” were a member of the band.)

The Lungs EP, the first effort to appear under the Big Black name, was recorded by Albini in his dorm room at Northwestern University. Intended primarily to recruit members to fill out the band, Lungs was released by Ruthless Records. The record is infamous for the variety of inserts, which included a lyric sheet in most copies, plus extras like condoms, dollar bills, stickers, concert tickets, photographs, silverware, razor blades, bloody bandages, and squirt guns.
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Top Albums

  • Songs About Fucking
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  • Atomizer
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  • The Hammer Party
    Big Black Play
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  • The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape
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  • AprilPhantom

    crack up is quite possibly their best song [2] PETE SAYS SOMETHING'S WRONG AGAIN, HE AIN'T BEEN THE SAME, PETE SAYS SOMETHING'S WRONG AGAIN-ANNND THE CRACK UP

    21 days ago

  • fabiocandelori

    Great stuff, didn't know about them.

    21 days ago

  • recursivechaos

    I really like their music, but I wonder if their songs are actually lyrically multi-layered, as I initially thought, or if they just gorge themselves on the sadistic and destructive. Or rather: If such a possible multi-layeredness were really the appeal of their music? For me I think this is definitely not the case; I simply enjoy their sound that suggests the fraying consciousness of a collapsing A.I. [okay- this metaphor is obviously completely random. I'll leave it there, for general amusement.]

    24 days ago

  • NoahIsCool

    first time listening to Songs About Fucking it's pretty fucking good

    last month

  • rosanak

    Steve Albini is and always will be a fucking genius

    last month

  • GreenGiantYum

    so good wtf

    last month

  • whussupbros

    Hey can someone send me a link to Hammer Party on my shoutbox please and thanks

    last month

  • whussupbros

    YOU ARE MY PRECIOUS THING! YOU ARE MY PRECIOUS THING! YOU ARE MY PRECIOUS THING! YOU ARE MY PRECIOUS THING!

    last month
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