Artist: Speedy Ortiz
Album Title: Major Arcana
Label: Carpark Records
Release Date: July 9, 2013
The 90’s can be quite an idolized decade for music, with bands like Pavement and Guided By Voices making waves in the indie scene. Some bands have shown their appreciation and influence to the decade by snagging bits and pieces from all over to craft a sound that can only be described as “90s”; while the good ones take those influences and craft them into a unique voice that brings up nostalgia for a great period in music. Thankfully, Speedy Ortiz is a good band.
Major Arcana”, the latest effort from the Massachusetts quartet, is a swift 10 song affair with barely any dips in quality. Opening with the strong, harmonic-filled “Pioneer Spine” the first side of the album flows powerfully with ease. Tapping into great, Archers of Loaf-esque guitar lines the band ends the first half with album highlight “No Below”, a powerful song with a smooth guitar line and strong vocal delivery. The second side is nearly as solid as the first, with tracks like “Plough” and “Fun” picking up the pace and showing off some of the bands noisier tones. Sadie Dupuis delivers fantastic vocal performance after another throughout the LP, sounding like a young, pissed off Fiona Apple bellowing over fuzzy guitars and thumping bass. The song “Tiger Tank” may be the best example of this comparison. Dupuis’s manic, upfront vocals fit very well over the band. Anybody that is fan of rad music from decades ago with a unique twist to the sound should check out this LP.
Reviewed by Jay Dilick
Lauren Neal, a representative from the Center for the Study of the Southwest, visited the KTSW studio on Monday and discussed the recently opened exhibit, Artisans with Their Feet in the Mud: Ladrilleria, The Brickmakers of Reynosa, Mexico. The photo exhibit by Scott Cook, antropologist and author, explains the process of brick making and the brick market in the border town. In the interview, Neal delves into the details of […]
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