Steve Albini - Q and A [Drexel Music Industry Program]

[@kirstinline]

we'll miss you steve.

[@mattcook7881]

Ultimately, Steve's point is, make peace with the fact that you're a weirdo, and make the most of the fact that you can find the other weirdos in a way never before possible. Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift don't exist because big media forced them on us, they exist because most people are fine with that. Maybe you can siphon off a few of their fans, but don't stress. Be happy the other weirdos found you and concoct a life where those precious few support you enough that you get to keep doing it.

[@kodrinsky]

It's a good point. Although, lately, it came across my mind another point: the digital world and globalization, maybe, adds a ton of noise, hence is more difficult that gathering. In the 80s, if you liked "weird" music you used a catalog and a post office to get it. The one it worked here, and I'm talking of a small town in southern Spain, highlighted Big Black's records. I'm pretty sure here all music weirdos had their copy of Atomizer and Sons about fucking.

[@kondrashovoleg]

Steve is such a character. One minute he is doing a panel being the sweetest man there is, next minute he is such a ruthless troll on any music/poker forum he answers on. I love him both ways. Guy just slams it.

[@emeraldcelestial1058]

A true legend.

[@massapower]

Bc he's ITALIANO and us Italians are hot blooded !😁✌

[@Domingo95x]

I met Steve Albini at the MOCA in 2003, i asked him what it was like to work with Kurt Cabin in the studio and he kicked my shins repeatedly, grabbed my shoulders, held me still, and kicked my shins. Had to get a stitch.

[@topofthemornintoya]

Deserved.

[@grahamdowney5550]

Some people pay money for that

[@AnonymousAccount514]

Wow….that description of Don Caballero is perfect

[@RobertMunro-wb6jb]

I loved there early stuff but was shocked what I heard in there later output!!!

[@DrillForAbsentee]

I’m not sure that the streaming services are going to go belly up anytime soon. Honestly, I think they are as close to what Steve is talking about here as possible. For a very nominal monthly fee, I have access to virtually every album I could ever imagine. KZbin music is especially good because it will also search out videos, so that you get albums that may not be in their music distribution, but were posted on KZbin by a user. Artists have had to adjust, but now the model seems to be that your streaming music is largely promotional, you sell physical media to your core loyalists, and you make money live going out on tour. This seems more reasonable and sustainable than what we had in the 90s.

[@trentreed6928]

This was fantastic. Thanks so much for posting it.

[@Gretsch0997]

He was born in 1962???? He looks great

[@suspiciouswatermelon7639]

He's on fire now! Lol.

[@mattcook7881]

Unless you experienced pre-interwebs music seeking, i think it's very difficult for people to understand what Steve's getting at. The gatekeepers were awesome in their power. While it's problematic that we've lost them in the world of facts, it's only a good thing that we've beaten them in the world of music.

[@fuckcensorship69]

problematic that we've lost them in the world of "facts"? What makes you think big media corps and govs would ever tell you the truth? So many examples of blatant lies.

[@SharpEdgeStandardOfficial]

Hey Steve Albeanie 😂

[@EzraClaverie]

"manic nerd in a record store"

[@aedelus]

Hard to find a better brain to pick.

[@binxboi7156]

38:34 same 💔

[@massapower]

All fine & dandy free music, but 1 thing the Paesano is forgetting is how the HELL is da Artist supposed to make a living if music is being offered FREE later on as he so says . Playing LIVE is 1 thing, but if streaming becomes free and no membership fee, he's living in the dark 😏

[@drainel9707]

Same way most musicians have always done it. Rich kids

[@louderthangod]

Well he’s a big physical media guy (track tape, release to vinyl etc) but I think the answer is that they don’t just like they don’t today. Anyone making living wage on streaming today is probably making far more from merch and touring etc. The problem with the streaming services is how they distribute their revenue and how many have colluded with labels to give them big cuts while leaving musicians out. I make weirdo music but at best I make $50-100 a year from streaming and that doesn’t cover my strings for the year. Thankfully things like Bandcamp are better but still mostly obscure bands but at least they have far more control to set the prices or even none at all.

[@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ec]

@@drainel9707most successful musicians were poor kids. If our world only allowed rich kids to make music, we would lose most of our great music.

[@drainel9707]

@@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ec lol wut

[@metaphoria3]

Who’s the first question guy? (Riparadise Steve)

[@djefferson5669]

He looks like Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse doesn't he??

[@rdubb77]

The first questions premise was flawed as Albini points out. Like any great creative he had no master plan, and he’s humble to boot. People need to stop trying to emulate what great practioners do and find their own way and joy

[@justinwilliam4644]

👍

[@johnviera3884]

at 7:34 I disagree with him on this point. Because people do not know what they’re looking for. The music needs to be brought to them. Unless there is a way for this autonomous system to use artificial intelligence to create curated searches

[@superdeluxesmell]

His cd supplanting cassettes for convenience narrative doesn’t add up.

[@louderthangod]

Sure it does for mp3 cd’s but also tapes wore out from even proper use but cd’s lasted forever unless they were damaged.

[@mysteriousmansion1841]

Steve literally described The Pirate Bay in an out of touch way.

[@duncanthehut]

I disagree. What he described was something more akin to the music bots Discord has.

[@BOUZOUKI_PETE]

nah sounds like he described peer to peer shit we had 10 years ago, bearshare, kazaa, limewire, except they didn’t stream, they downloaded….

[@europa]

GHOST

[@TheTeekayes]

I love how this generations version of "asking a question" is a to make a highly grandiose personal value identification statement disguised as a question and intended to lead the speaker into making a statement that reinforces the idea the "questioner" already believes and simply wants to exhibit to the other members of the audience. 😂😂😂🤦🏻‍♂️ Cringe.

[@piggsquigg983]

ok

[@superdeluxesmell]

Indeed. I also appreciate how most “questions” are prefaced by a huge chunk of autobiographical information.

[@louderthangod]

@@superdeluxesmellWhat’s wrong asking a question based off your own experience? That’s all it seems to me.

[@louderthangod]

So basically like your comment minus the question about how anyone or Steve Albini thinks about the assertion? The only difference I see is that you didn’t ask but are getting responses based on your opinion.

[@TheTeekayes]

@@louderthangod 😂😂 you reached all the way to the top shelf for that.

[@everydaysounds3015]

yep. blockchain