Shipping News
I probably should have written about this a couple of days ago, so I’ll apologize about the lateness of it. On August 4, Shipping News front man Jason Noble died of synovial sarcoma. He was diagnosed with the rare cancer, which affects soft tissue, in 2009. He was only 40 years old.
Shipping News is a post-rock/ math-rock band from Louisville, Kentucky. They started in 1996 as sort of an extension, or spin-off from the legendary Louisville band Rodan. When Rodan ended, everyone went on to do other things that were more successful than Rodan ever was. Jason Noble and Jeff Mueller started Shipping News. Mueller would later start June of 44, and after that, a solo career. Noble and Kevin Coultas (Rodan’s drummer) would later be huge pieces of Rachel’s. While Rodan was still going, Tara Jane O’Neil (Rodan’s bassist) started Retsin. She also had The Sonora Pine (with Coultas) and a solo career.
Anyway, the band started when Noble and Mueller were hired to compose some music for NPR’s “This American Life”
The band was named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Shipping News, by Annie Proulx.
Between 1996 and 2005, Shipping News released four proper albums, and a “sort of” album. After a five-year break, they released another album in 2010. The “sort of” album —Three-Four— was an anthology of three EPs and a couple of new songs tacked on. Although the three EPs (released under the name RMSN) were released separately over an eleven month span, they were meant to be a set. I only bought the third of the three — Variegated — which was released on September 10, 2002. I was never a huge Shipping News fan, but I bought this one probably because I heard it playing in the record shop and wanted my own copy.
I don’t know if this was even released on vinyl, but the packaging on the CD for this EP is pretty amazing. It’s a really nifty hand-made paper package. A giant screen printing with a pocket sewn into it to hold the CD. The whole thing folds up neatly like an envelope. It was released by Quarterstick Records, as were the albums of all of the above named bands. A lot of the releases on Quarterstick, especially the catalog of Rachel’s, has pretty incredible hand-made packaging. I’m almost nerdy enough to make a video of the unfolding and re-folding of the packaging for this EP.
When I read the sad news of Noble’s death, I knew that I wanted to do a Shipping News post right away. Unfortunately, I was on a house-sitting assignment, and I didn’t have any Shipping News in my digital library. I was surprised to find out, once I got home, that this EP is the only Shipping News that I have.
Of the four songs on the EP, this is my favorite.
One thing that I really like about this song is that the groove of the bass reminds me a lot of the Stereolab song “Anonymous Collective”.
Going by the title, this is supposed to be about a flightless bird. I don’t think it’s about a literal bird, though. It’s about violence. And violins.
For the better part of the song, it’s all bass and drums and a little bit of keys. If you’re patient with it, though, the payoff starts around 3:20. Just after
The one you chose
The one you chose
Struck me through
My chest
there’s a bunch of strings come barging in. Like a flock of mad birds. Christian Frederickson (of Rachel’s) is credited as playing viola on this song, and I can’t imagine that it’s just one viola. I don’t know if it was layered on layers, or if there’s more than one stringed instrument there, but it’s great. It’s lovely and scary all at once.
If you can find a used physical copy of Variegated, you should grab it. The packaging alone is worth it. It’s out of print, and I think it was a limited run. Look for it under the name RMSN. I don’t know why. The Three-Four album can be got here.
Here is Jason’s web page, where you can read a bunch of tributes to him.
Jason Noble was 40. He made a lot of good records. Rest in peace, Jason.
this is that song 
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