Speedy Ortiz streaming new album, begin tour this week

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Speedy Ortiz – “Tiger Tank” (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Speedy Ortiz – “No Below” (MP3)

Speedy Ortiz’ Matt Robidoux at the “Tiger Tank” video shoot (photo by Matthew Caron)
Speedy Ortiz

Northampton, MA indie rockers Speedy Ortiz are set to release their debut LP, Major Arcana, next week (7/9) via Carpark; and after revealing the songs “Tiger Tank,” “No Below,” and “Plough” from that LP, they’ve finally made the entire album available to listen to on NPR.

Major Arcana bests all of the already-great material Speedy Ortiz has put out so far, bringing together powerful rock riffage and raw honest lyrics into 10 tracks of concise songwriting that clock in just over a half hour. It’s one of the best debuts I’ve heard this year, and recommended to anyone who likes traditionalist indie rock with a new spin.

Speedy Ortiz are about to kick off a full tour in support of the album that begins with a record release show in NYC on Friday (7/5) at Death by Audio with Baltimore grunge revivers Roomrunner, Amherst sludge rock trio California X, Brooklyn no wave revivalists Sediment Club (whose Austin Julian is the son of Bush Tetras’ Cynthia Sley and Voidoids’ Ivan Julian), and No One & the Somebodies. Admission for that show is $8 at the door.

Updated dates are listed, along with streams of three Major Arcana tracks, below…

Speedy Ortiz – “Plough”

Speedy Ortiz – “No Below”

Speedy Ortiz – “Tiger Tank”

Speedy Ortiz — 2013 Tour Dates
07/05 – Brooklyn, NY @ Death By Audio (NYC Release Show)*
07/06 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott (Boston Release Show)
07/09 – Hudson, NY @ The Half Moon Pub
07/10 – Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog
07/11 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
07/12 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Milhouse
07/13 – Chicago, IL @ Coach House
07/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ College 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 @ House Show
07/23 – Seattle, WA @ The Comet
07/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
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
08/04 – New Orleans, LA @ Circle Bar
08/05 – Birmingham, AL @ The Forge
08/06 – Atlanta, GA @ 529
08/07 – Athens, GA @ Farm 255
08/08 – Charlotte, NC @ The Milestone
08/09 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
08/10 ­- Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
08/12 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
08/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Golden Tea House
* – w/ Roomrunner, California X, Sediment Club, NOATS