Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana

I’m pretty sure we’ll lose our music blog license if we don’t review the latest from Western Massachusetts Speedy Ortiz. The blogosphere has been going nuts this week over this album. So far it has received universal praise for being one of the top releases of the week.

Major Arcana has an incredibly 90s indie rock sound. I hate making the comparisons because they are so easy to make, but there’s really no getting around it. They sound like Liz Phair formed a supergroup with members of Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. You get all the noise, quirky instrumentation, loud-quiet-loud moments, and aggression you would expect with this configuration, but with one huge difference: this record is fun. The pop sensibilities running behind everything is what truly connects it all and makes it unique. The opening track, “Pioneer Spine,” starts like an homage to Exile In Guyville and slowly starts snowballing with force until it erupts into chaos out of nowhere, all the while singer Sadie Dupuis doesn’t maintains a constant tone. If anything, she starts bringing more melody into the track. “Tiger Tank” begins with a bluster and turns into power pop not unlike Velocity Girl. Closer “MKVI” runs at an epic 8 minutes and could almost pass as “Teenage Riot”s long-lost cousin, with guitars that are somehow both plodding and swirling before falling apart towards the end.

I can’t seem to find an official website for them, but Speedy Ortiz does have a Facebook, Bandcamp, and Livejournal (just to prove how 90s their influences are). Check out their tour dates and a video for “Tiger Tank” below.

07/11 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick

07/12 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Milhouse

07/13 - Chicago, IL @ Coach House

07/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cause Bar

07/15 – St. Louis, MO @ Melt

07/16 – Kansas City, MO @ Czar Bar

07/17 – Omaha, NE @ The West Wing

07/18 – Denver, CO @ UMS Festival

07/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Salt Haus

07/20 – Boise, ID @ The Red Room

07/21 – Portland, OR @ Habesha

07/22 – Olympia, WA @ Hot Tub House

07/23 – Seattle, WA @ The Comet

07/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill

07/26 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar

07/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Pehrspace

07/28 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar

07/29 – Phoenix, AZ @ Last Exit Live

07/31 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory

08/01 – Denton, TX @ J&J’s Pizza

08/02 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk