The past couple of months has seen some incredible music coming out of the Derby City. Here are two artists that maintain some serious spin in our rotation, the legendary Shipping News, and the sophisticated vintage folk of Brother Stephen…

It’s damn near impossible to discuss Louisville music these days without talking about Jason Noble, crucial member of post-rock legends Rodan and Rachel’s. It’s also difficult not to discuss Jason’s struggle with cancer the past few years. However, Jason’s fight provides an extra sense of urgency and triumph within the brand new Shipping News release, One Less Heartless to Fear, as well as the sense of joy knowing he’s been doing well enough to share some new music. While life has gotten in the way since their last release over five years ago, I’m happy to say with One Less Heartless to Fear that the band, featuring equally legendary Todd Cook (The For Carnation, Dead Child), Jeff Mueller (June of ’44), and Kyle Crabtree (Metroschifter), hasn’t lost their streamroller fury. Not. One. Bit. Thick, nasty, grinding bass pounds over scream-of-consciousness vocal exercises and snakey guitar lines in “This Is Not an Exit,” a suffocating, mathematical post-punk anthem sure to whet the palates of Shellac and 90 Day Men fans. “Half A House” showcases in grand form the post-punk genre these fore-bearers helped to form, recalling the paranoid tension-and-release battle marches of early Mogwai and, well, Rodan and June of ’44. And the album packs everything in between said extremes, with cohesive prowess to boot. Shipping News continues to be the band they always were – a smart and sinister cult, concocting mind-expanding sludge punk for the thinking man and woman.

Shipping News celebrates their grand return on November 26th (Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day Unless You Didn’t Grip the New Shipping News Joint) at ear X-tacy at 7 p.m. One Less Heartless to Fear just dropped today, and you can pick it up at your beloved brick and mortar record store courtesy of Karate Body Records.

In sharp contrast to the chaos that is Shipping News, I also must give Mr. Scott Kirkpatrick a shout, a.k.a. Brother Stephen. Brother Stephen calls Louisville one of his three homes – the others being Bloomington, where he helps run XRA Records, and the UP of Michigan, where he retreats for transcendental solitude. After spending an immeasurable amount of time mulling through harsh noise dub art rock whatever-the-fuck, I start to hate music and feel relieved to enjoy some restrained and subtle autumnal electric folk without the freak. Brother Stephen delivers the goods, showcasing a pastoral sound informed by Nick Drake, Bedhead’s sparse and slow-burning acoustic offerings, the introspective vibe of Sparklehorse, and a touch of good Fairport Convention, transmitting the sort of vibe of an artist who came of age with punk, but realized the acoustic axe coupled with sonic space could be a more devastating divining rod. Fans of Hush Arbors,Vetiver, and The Skygreen Leopards would do well to take notice. Check the spiraling 8-minute “Telephone” below.

Brother Stephen specializes in releasing nicely designed 3″ CDs whenever he drops off some songs at the factory, and you can peruse his latest catalogue over at the aforementioned XRA. You can also get the skinny on him through is witty tour blog.

MP3 :::
Shipping News – Half a House
Brother Stephen – Telephone