Fair or not, most everybody that critiques music in any kind of a public forum is eventually met with retorts along the lines of, “You’re probably just bitter because you’re a failed songwriter” or “You’re not a musician — what qualifies you to talk about music?” Engineer/producer extraordinaire Steve Albini has skewered plenty of deserving bands over the years — both in pieces he’s written for various magazines and in interviews he’s done — but he’s made himself immune to the aforementioned attacks because of the completely fucking awesome music he’s delivered to the world over two-plus decades via his bands Big Black, Rapeman, and, since 1992, Shellac. A dynamic and forceful trio featuring Albini (guitar/vox), fellow recording engineer Bob Weston (bass/vox), and drummer Todd Trainer, Shellac makes a minimalist but exceptionally potent post-hardcore racket with loud, slicing guitars and a gut-punching rhythm section. Clearly, Albini knows what sounds good. No, you don’t have to be a kickass musician – or a musician at all – to offer your opinion, good or bad, about music. But it helps. With Arcwelder. All ages.

Thu., June 11, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., June 12, 7:30 p.m., 2009