Infamously cantankerous studio rat/national treasure Steve Albini doesn’t like to be called a record producer. He prefers the term “recording engineer.” That’s a dry, clinical term for what Albini actually does, but it makes sense that he’d prefer to be seen that way. Over the past few decades, Albini has overseen the creation of countless numbers of recorded artifacts. And even though he’s been an outspoken opponent of the major-label system (and of other underground-rock heroes), he’s known to work with just about anyone who requests his services, whether it’s a major-label juggernaut like ’90s radio-grunge rulers Bush or the grimiest indie band you never heard of.

This week, Cloud Nothings released the visceral, scraping, full-blooded, Albini-recorded Attack On Memory, a truly great LP and a welcome reminder of the sort of visceral shit that was so common on the ’90s rock underground. That album recalled any number of past Albini-recorded efforts. And so does Ugly, the forthcoming Screaming Females album, which Albini also recorded and which also kicks all kinds of ass. Given that Albini is having a banner year so far, we thought it’d be fun to honor some of the other records that Albini recorded. Click through the gallery for our picks and rationale. And in the comments section, tell us that we were idiots for neglecting Silkworm or Urge Overkill or Pussy Galore.

[Photo by Abbey Braden @ ATP NJ]

Well, here’s something nobody expected. The Scottish post-rock institution Mogwai have given remix treatment to “Mein Land,” a new song from the long-running German shock-metal band Rammstein. Mogwai and Rammstein, of course, don’t have a whole lot in common. They’re both white, and they both use guitars, but that’s about where the similarities end — unless I haven’t heard about the Mogwai shows where they make liberal use of pyro and dildos.

In any case, the Mogwai version of “Mein Land” doesn’t sound much of anything like the original, and it also doesn’t sound like Mogwai. It’s built more on synth-pulse than on effects-pedal fury, and it buries Rammstein’s triumphal melody under mountains of evocative murk. Listen to it below, and check out Rammstein’s absurdist NSFW Beach Blanket Bingo parody of a music video for the track.

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Last week, the UK’s Larmer Tree Gardens hosted a hilariously deep bill for the End Of The Road Festival, a lineup that featured Joanna Newsom, Kurt Vile, Tinawiren, Lykke Li, Best Coast, the Walkmen and dozens of other notables. Elena Morelli was there to magnificently document the epic lineup. There’s a peacock in one of her shots. You should find it.

Scottish post-rock stalwarts Mogwai are offering one more release before the year is through: Early 2011 welcomed the band’s seventh LP Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, and for fall fashions, there comes the four-track EP Earth Division. “Get To France” is its first listen, a stomp-box free, classically oriented track more appropriate for a concert hall full of the landed gentry than the unwashed with thick-framed glasses. It’s classy.

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Most remixes are shit. This new feature exists in defense of The Remix. So, welcome to Remixtape: a monthly compilation of the best recent remix MP3s floating around the internet because despite the glut of garish promo bloghouse crap, there are actually still people doing this thing artfully. Because there’s an actual art to this thing, one that values creativity in sound and approach over simply having artists on both sides of the remix equation’s names appear in a blog headline.

For every 50 remixes that are transparent ploys for publicity there’s one by a producer, rapper, band, fan capable of doing something really special with a track reappropriation. Maybe it’s screwing the original’s tempo and laying down a verse, taking a five-second gene and spinning it out into something entirely new, teasing out a song’s emotion or interpolating a new one, or coloring over all of it with de novo beat and chord movement. Vol. I has examples of each, featuring Lindstrøm, Jamie xx, XXXChange, Diplo, Star Slinger, Holy Other, Yuck, Mogwai, Sleigh Bells, Azari & III, Glasser, Blondes, the Go! Team, et al. Play it through. It will make you want to dance, take drugs, cry. Valentine’s weekend is a remixtape. Enjoy.

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Mogwai’s seventh album Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will sounds like something Ray Cappo would say. It’s out next month. You’ve already closed your eyes and nodded knowingly to “Rano Pano,” so here’s another album track, “San Pedro.”

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“Rano Pano” is the first MP3 from Mogwai’s forthcoming, seventh studio LP, the awesomely titled Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. It’s out in February of next year via Sub Pop in the States and the band’s own Rock Action in Europe, preceded by a 7″ release of “Rano” b/w non-album track “Hasenheide.” Stream “Rano,” or download it, below. The song’s not as dynamic as Mogwai can get, but is stately and emotional in its steadiness nonetheless.

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When APW presented its inaugural festival last year, we weren’t alone in taking issue with the experience: lack of food options, a fair but generally recycled undercard which played more like “a bunch of bands opening for Radiohead,” an extremely restricted/overpriced drink situation designed to keep people sober and make them feel uncomfortable by boozing in pens with views of zero stages but plenty of other people prioritizing beer over music. For a festival that was nicknamed “Coachella East” in its early planning stages, the incorporation of elements from Indio’s fest were superficial at best, a few structures that resembled Coachella’s decor but with no deep thought given to attendees’ comfort and convenience. Goldenvoice and AEG promised big changes to the festival’s layout this year, and they delivered: an impressive food court with options for all, rearranged stage orientation with a solid sound system, beer pens along the length of the mainstage field with perfectly unobstructed views (limit raised from 5 to 7 drinks, still stupidly expensive though), and a lineup that honestly is better than the one I’ll take in at Lollapalooza this weekend (but for one Depeche Mode). Ironically, Beastie Boys’ unfortunate cancellation helped in that last regard; the band’s scheduled headlining set was hardly unique to All Points West — but Jay-Z’s first US festival appearance and triumphant 28-song performance was the only of its kind. Video of some of that and some more thoughts:

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Day last of All Tomorrow’s Parties’ first foray in the great state of New York featured another blockbuster, ’90s-leaning lineup, although this one was extra special: acts hand picked by the triumphantly returning My Bloody Valentine, and evidently proud of it. Each thanked Shields & Co. in their own way, repeatedly, echoing weekend long talks through Kutsher’s about how much the band meant, then and now. The first such set we caught was Lilys, who interestingly (and not unexpectedly) rejected their early MBV-inspired shoe-gaze material for the later Kinks-esque stuff a la “Nanny In Manhattan,” “Better Can’t Make Your Life Better,” etc. Pushing the anxiety of influence to extremes, Kurt Heasley made a joke about “Tone Bender” after a few people yelled out requests for it, saying it was “a mistake” putting it on record. (They did play “Ginger,” old timers.)

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As of today, the Glaswegian’s newest (out 9/23 via Matador) is streaming in full at the their MySpace. We’ve posted The Hawk‘s “The Sun Smells Too Loud” and “Batcat,” but now you get to see firsthand if “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead” and “I Love You, I’m Going To Blow Up Your School” live up to their billing.