If I could somehow figure out a way to enforce it, everyone I know would be required to hear the Shipping News record, Save Everything. Ever since my first listen, they've had a fan for life. The six songs contained on that record really hit me in a way that very few records have ever been able to do. The last time I saw them was at the Hideout Block Party in 2006, curated entirely by Touch and Go Records for their 25th Anniversary. Shipping News kicked off that amazing weekend, and I remember walking up to the stage just as they started into "Books on Trains", the opening track on Save Everything.

I don't know what the official status of the band is these days, but they are playing tonight at The Hideout with The Poison Arrows. They haven't released a proper record since 2005 and Chicago shows are very scarce, but regardless... seeing them live is an opportunity you shouldn't pass up, especially at a venue like The Hideout. In addition, here is a free mp3 the band is offering though the Touch and Go site.

This is a clip of Shipping News at the T&G 25th Anniversary, along with some interview footage of the band.