Steve Albini Tributes: Pixies, Cloud Nothings, Jarvis Cocker & More Honor Legendary Producer

News of Steve Albini’s unexpected passing on Wednesday, May 8th, has been met with an outpouring of tributes from fellow musicians, including those who had worked with him.

Cloud Nothings worked with Albini on their 2012 magnum opus, Attack on Memory. “steve touched countless lives and changed mine and many others for the better,” frontman Dylan Baldi wrote on Twitter. “a genuine, singular, principled person. spent the last 40 years helping people make art. there’s no reason for him to be gone and the world is less interesting without him. just a really sad day.”

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker collaborated with Albini on his 2009 solo album, Further Complications. “Working with Steve Albini was an education in many ways: the technical aspects of recording sound, for sure – but also lessons in how to live & work at making music without being destroyed by the Music Business,” Cocker remembered. “Listen to the music he was involved in & read what he wrote about it. It’s worth it.”

Related Video

Comedian and musician Fred Armisen wrote, “I love Steve so much. We said it more often to each other in recent years. I’m so glad I got to tell him. He was so funny, all the time. He sent me this text a few days ago: ‘I shouldn’t admit this but I don’t get cymbals. Like I can tell the difference between this one and that one but if I’m honest they both sound like cymbals and I don’t care.” I always loved hearing him say ‘I don’t care.’ He was such a good friend to me, endlessly. I admired his work ethic and his warmth. And his opinions on national flags. On everything.”

Advertisement

Pixies, who worked with Albini on their classic 1988 debut Surfer Rosa, Jack White, Jeff Rosenstock, Speedy Ortiz, illuminati hotties, Fucked Up, Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie, Jon Wurster of Superchunk, Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine, and The Cribs are some of the other acts who’ve paid tribute to Albini.

See all of these tributes and more below.