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LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 12.14 91 here is no formula. Tey eat what they eat. Today, McDonald's. Few days ago, bagel sandwiches at Tim Hortons, Canada's answer to Dunkin' Donuts. Te guys from Louisville rock band White Reaper — 21-year-old front- man Anthony Esposito, 20-year-old twin brothers Sam (bass) and Nick (drums) Wilkerson, keyboardist Ryan Hater, 21 — are discussing this diet while crowding around Hater's cell, on speakerphone. Tey're in the 2007 Chrysler Town and Country minivan they bor- rowed from Esposito's mother. Next stop: Rhode Island, where they'll play the 16th and fnal show of their fall tour. No shame cruising in a mommymobile. Tey drive what they drive. "Nick got dibs on the trunk," Hater says. Filled it with drums. Tank God the backseats fold down, to make enough room for guitar, bass and amps. At least there's some legroom, space to climb out for frequent bathroom breaks. Esposito and Hater met as small children. Both their fami- lies attended Northeast Christian Church. Tey became friends with the Wilkerson brothers by the ffth grade, started playing hardcore and punk music together in their early teens. After graduating from North Oldham High School, Nick and Esposito went to Middle Tennessee State University, where they formed a prototype of White Reaper, play- ing as a drums-and-guitar duo. Tey came back to Louisville after one T By Dylon Jones Photo by Chris Witzke Album Title of the Year Tie between a harp with teeth that's drooling & crying (yes, all lowercase), by Dane Waters, and Satan's On His Way and He Wants His Drugs, by Touch AC and Filthy Rich. Compilation of the Year Belle 100: Steamboat Songs, a collection by local musicians (including the Pass and the Ladybirds) to beneft The Belle of Louisville, which celebrated its centennial in October. 1 White Reaper (self-titled) 2 Joan Shelley, Electric Ursa 3 Young Widows, Easy Pain 5 Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Singer's Grave/A Sea of Tongues 4 Watter, This World 6 Jonathan Glen Wood, Ballad of Jon 7 Wax Fang, The Astronaut 8 Alex Wright, Starlight Navigator 9 The 23 String Band, 23SB 10 Howell Dawdy, The Howell Dawdy Mixtape semester. Music had taken over. White Reaper spent fve months recording their eponymous debut, and label Polyvinyl released it in June. For the song "Cool," the band shot a music video full of zonked 20-somethings, girls fghting over Esposito's face. But the show at Chi- cago's Bottom Lounge on Esposito's 21st birthday might be the best part yet. Free beer for the band. "Pabst Blue Ribbon tall boys!" the guys yell into the phone. "In Chicago, we covered 'Rock and Roll All Nite' (by Kiss) with Kliph Scurlock, who used to play drums in the Flaming Lips. I still don't really believe that happened," Esposito says, his voice free of the heavy distortion and faux-Brit lilt of his singing. Te band's EP is a six- track head-trip of punchy melodies, psychedelic rifs and Gatling-gun drumming. Critics and fans often compare White Reaper to the Ramones. "Tat's good, because we all love the Ramones," Esposito says. "We're listening to a lot of Black Sabbath, pretty much classic rock radio." Tey start talking about Canada. "Tell (the reporter) about that girl who bought you shots!" one of them screams. "It didn't hit that the drinking age was diferent in Canada until we were there," Sam says. "So Canada's pretty cool." He leaves the generous Canadian girl to the imagination. When writing the songs, does Es- posito start with chords, melodies, lyrics? "It's diferent every time. I like to record a demo and send it to everyone else, and we learn it. I wish I had a go-to formula," he says, his bandmates laughing. Tere is no formula, but it doesn't sound like they need one. They've got Ramones in their bones. "If you know Joan Shelley from her old-timey Appalachian folk collaboration Maiden Radio, Electric Ursa is less of a surprise than a gentle revelation, in which she consistently strikes just the right balance between dreamy melancholy and clear-eyed hope." — Erin Keane, Salon "Brutal, brash, and brooding — all in the best ways imaginable. With Easy Pain, Young Widows have successfully created an enormous and emotive rock album, their best to date, which auspiciously manages to capture the fervor of their live show on recording." — Sean Bailey, Louisville MUSICulture "This is a beautiful changing-of-the-seasons record, with plenty of moments to keep me warm." — Travis Searle, Guestroom Records "Watter's debut mesmerizes listeners with a mosaic of instrumental passages and carries them on a dynamic journey through space and human mystery." — Sharon Scott, ARTxFM "Because it's old-school country in a fresh way." — Laura Shine, WFPK "Once again, Scott Carney and Wax Fang continue to amaze me with The Astronaut. The 'space rock opera' concept compels me to listen from start to fnish every time. A true album." — John Timmons, WFPK "Alex Wright's music incorporates a deep sense of melodic structure, lyrical storytelling and a bit of irony thrown in for good measure." — Marion Dries, WFPK "Our commonwealth is the rightful home of bluegrass, and nobody epitomizes the past, present and future of the genre better than the 23 String Brand." — JK McKnight, Forecastle founder "The mixtape has a song on it called 'Fire Extin- guisher.' When I saw Howell Dawdy perform it live, there wasn't a single person in the crowded room who wasn't smiling and bobbing their head." — Antz Wettig, Zanzabar (No better time-waster than watch- ing hilarious Howell Dawdy videos on YouTube — Ed.) Thanks to our panel of local music experts, who helped determine this list: Sean Bailey (Louisville MUSICulture); Marion Dries, Laura Shine and John Timmons (WFPK); Lisa Foster, Travis Searle and their crew at Guestroom Records; Billy Hardison and Lizi Hagan (Headliners); Erin Keane (Salon); Kertis Creative; Sean Liter (Modern Cult Records); JK McKnight (Forecastle); Sydney O'Bryan (Mercury Ballroom and the Palace); Sharon Scott (ARTxFM); and Antz Wettig (Zanzabar).