Just a week after announcing it is set to close in 2016, Chick's Hotel kicks off its stellar summer season of international acts this weekend with a two-night residency by American minimalist rock outfit Shellac.
The trio is the first in a series of notable international bands visiting the Port Chalmers venue over coming months.
Other acts include Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Kurt Vile and Lou Barlow (of Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr.).
Shellac's roots lie with its leader and frontman Steve Albini.
A pivotal member of the 1980s college rock scene in the US with his first band, the atomizing art funk machine of Big Black, and later one of the most visible and notable engineers of the burgeoning ''alternative era'', Albini has been an outspoken contributor, commentator and force in American indie rock for decades.
As an engineer working with The Pixies (Sufer Rosa), Nirvana (In Utero), PJ Harvey (Dry) and on Slint's untitled 1994 debut EP, Albini is mostly known to the public for capturing raging guitars, raw percussion and a full-on in-the-head-as-much-as-the-gut punch, and, as a band, Shellac is known for much the same.
This isn't pretty music.
Instrumentally, Shellac is often brutally hypnotic.
With odd time signatures and a bleak dead steel guitar sound, the band carve like small-town butchers, and grind like an industrial processing plant.
The drums are off-kilter in their math-y exploration and the bass singes the ears with gain, while lyrically Albini leaves no taboo unturned, screeching on violence, misanthropy and the ugliness of humanity.
As journalist Jason Heller said of Alibni, he doesn't just push people's buttons, he pulverizes them.
The band only works sporadically and hasn't toured here since early 2000 with HDU, so this really is a great opportunity to see a truly singular group, and start a long, slow, but brilliant farewell to one of the best music venues in this country.
GIULLARE DEBUTS
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Dunedin's Giullare is having its debut public next week at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
Working a similar template to Sol3 Mio, Giullare (Italian for jester) is Dunedin vocalists Ben and Sam Madden and Nick Tipa, who also plays in local psychedelic, post-punk band the Violet Ohs, which, just as an aside, has recently released an incredible debut album called Battlephant.
The trio will perform a programme ranging from opera and folk through to pop songs of the 20th century.
The gigs
• Shellac New Zealand Tour 2015, Sunday, November 29, and Monday, November 30, Chick's Hotel. Presales available from undertheradar.co.nz ($48 + bf), 8.30pm doors. The Chick's Hotel Magic Bus leaves Countdown Central at 8.30pm, the University of Otago library at 8.35pm, returning to town after the show.
• Giullare In Concert, Friday, December 4, Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Tickets $24 from eventfinda.co.nz/, 7pm doors. Find out more at facebook.com/giullarenz
