Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois,
active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve
Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago
Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun. In 1985,
Pezzati was replaced by Dave Riley, who played on Big Black's two
full-length studio albums, Atomizer (1986) and Songs About Fucking
(1987).Big Black's aggressive and abrasive music was characterized by
distinctively clanky guitars and the use of a drum machine rather than
a drum kit, elements that foreshadowed industrial rock. The band's
lyrics flouted commonly held taboos and dealt franklyâ€"and often
explicitlyâ€"with politically and culturally loaded topics including
murder, rape, child sexual abuse, arson, racism, and misogyny. Though
the band's lyrics contained controversial material, the lyrics were
meant to serve as a commentary or a display of distaste for the
subject matter. They were staunchly critical of the commercial nature
of rock, shunning the mainstream music industry and insisting on
complete control over all aspects of their career. At the height of
their success, they booked their own tours, paid for their own
recordings, refused to sign contracts, and eschewed many of the
traditional corporate trappings of rock bands. In doing so, they had a
significant impact on the aesthetic and political development of
independent and underground rock music.In addition to two studio
albums, Big Black released two live albums, two compilation albums,
four EPs, and five singles, all through independent record labels.
Most of the band's catalog was kept in print through Touch and Go
Records for years following their breakup.Big Black was founded by
Steve Albini in 1981 during his second year of college at Northwestern
University. Albini had become a fan of punk rock during his high
school years in Missoula, Montana, and taught himself to play bass
guitar in the fall of 1979, his senior year, while recuperating from a
badly broken leg resulting from being struck by a car while riding his
motorcycle. Moving to Evanston, Illinois the following year to pursue
a journalism degree and fine art minor at Northwestern, Albini
immersed himself in the fledgling Chicago punk scene and became a
devoted fan of the post-punk band Naked Raygun. He also DJ'd for the
campus radio station, from which he was repeatedly fired for playing
loud and abrasive music during the morning time slot as well as not
completing the required logs. He also wrote a controversial column
titled "Tired of Ugly Fat?" for the Chicago zine Matter, publishing
confrontational rants about the local music scene which polarized
readers into either respecting or hating him.
active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve
Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago
Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun. In 1985,
Pezzati was replaced by Dave Riley, who played on Big Black's two
full-length studio albums, Atomizer (1986) and Songs About Fucking
(1987).Big Black's aggressive and abrasive music was characterized by
distinctively clanky guitars and the use of a drum machine rather than
a drum kit, elements that foreshadowed industrial rock. The band's
lyrics flouted commonly held taboos and dealt franklyâ€"and often
explicitlyâ€"with politically and culturally loaded topics including
murder, rape, child sexual abuse, arson, racism, and misogyny. Though
the band's lyrics contained controversial material, the lyrics were
meant to serve as a commentary or a display of distaste for the
subject matter. They were staunchly critical of the commercial nature
of rock, shunning the mainstream music industry and insisting on
complete control over all aspects of their career. At the height of
their success, they booked their own tours, paid for their own
recordings, refused to sign contracts, and eschewed many of the
traditional corporate trappings of rock bands. In doing so, they had a
significant impact on the aesthetic and political development of
independent and underground rock music.In addition to two studio
albums, Big Black released two live albums, two compilation albums,
four EPs, and five singles, all through independent record labels.
Most of the band's catalog was kept in print through Touch and Go
Records for years following their breakup.Big Black was founded by
Steve Albini in 1981 during his second year of college at Northwestern
University. Albini had become a fan of punk rock during his high
school years in Missoula, Montana, and taught himself to play bass
guitar in the fall of 1979, his senior year, while recuperating from a
badly broken leg resulting from being struck by a car while riding his
motorcycle. Moving to Evanston, Illinois the following year to pursue
a journalism degree and fine art minor at Northwestern, Albini
immersed himself in the fledgling Chicago punk scene and became a
devoted fan of the post-punk band Naked Raygun. He also DJ'd for the
campus radio station, from which he was repeatedly fired for playing
loud and abrasive music during the morning time slot as well as not
completing the required logs. He also wrote a controversial column
titled "Tired of Ugly Fat?" for the Chicago zine Matter, publishing
confrontational rants about the local music scene which polarized
readers into either respecting or hating him.
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