So I went to hear this punk band, Dead Moon, from Portland, OR one Saturday at this swank space, Pioneer Works, in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Dead Moon are a great example of a DIY (Do It Yourself) band as they cut their own records on the lathe that cut The Kingsmens version of ‘Louie, Louie’. With this in mind, I brought some copies of my LP, At The Start / At Long Last, with the intention of giving a copy to them. I consider my album to be DIY due to the fact that James Beaudreau and I recorded it in his apartment in Manhattan (it was mastered for digital and vinyl at Strange Weather in Brooklyn by the skillful Alex DeTurk). On my way to the bathroom I saw Sadie Dupuis from the excellent band Speedy Ortiz….I think I blogged about their album Major Arcana a while ago….maybe part of a year end list I made? I mentioned them here https://philiplynchmusic.com/2013/08/30/luna/
Anyways I said, “Hey I love your records!” She said, “Thanks!”. I said, “Maybe you want mine? Oh but how are you going to carry it?” She took it and said, “Thanks, I’m Sadie”. I said, “Hey, I’m Philip. Take it easy!”. Flash forward a week or so I’m playing an open mic when a guy overhears me talking about giving Sadie a copy of my LP. Turns out he’s a friend of hers! They taught guitar/music together at a summer camp and they’re from the same neighborhood. So Speedy Ortiz perform as part of the NYC River Rocks free shows at Pier 84. I go to check them out (I hadn’t seen them since they had a shift in personnel, new lead guitarist). Sounded pretty good (outdoor sound is really difficult). It rained for the last coupla songs so I hightailed it off the pier after their set. Flash forward another week. I play a solo set at An Beal Bocht, a favorite spot in the Bronx, my friend Jackie comes to hear the set. We sit at the bar afterwards catching up. She has a gig working at a summer camp upstate. She asks me if I’ve heard Speedy Ortiz!! Because they performed at the summer camp she was working and she met Sadie (who was really cool). hahahahahahaha small world yo!!
Thanks dear readers! Til next time, keep your ears to the ground, your nose to the wind and eyes to the sky!
'At The Start / At Long Last' debut LP is now available at workbenchrecordings.com. Digitally available on iTunes, amazon.com, Spotify. Performance news.
Tag Archives: Speedy Ortiz
2013 Wrap Up
It’s standard practice for music review sites and blogs to give a year-end, best-of list and seeing as I’ve reached the end of my first year as a ‘blogger’ I’ve decided to join the festivities albeit a li’l bit late. I guess my criteria for a great album is pretty straightforward, I like catchy songs which hopefully have something to say or express. Basically the Oliver Sachs notion of an ‘earworm’, tunes which stick in your brain…but in a good way. Anyway, here are some of my picks for the best albums of 2013.
Quasi – Mole City: Label:Kill Rock Stars
Crunchy, inventive, psychedelic rock from one of my favorite bands. Sam Coomes (vox, guitar, roxichord (his invention)) never disappoints with sometimes cryptic lyrics which are nonetheless affecting especially as they are supported by beautiful melodic lines. A double album to boot!!
Speedy Ortiz – Major Arcana: Label: Carpark
It’s no small wonder our lead singer, Sadie, was formerly in a Pavement cover band. I continue to listen to this album and have yet to get sick of it! Plus they’re pretty damn righteous live (https://philiplynchmusic.com/2013/12/31/the-breeders-and-speedy-ortiz/)
Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold: Label: What’s Your Rupture
Punk pop fun songs. Laid back cool guy singer name-checking NYC neighborhoods. How can you go wrong with a lyric like “Socrates died in the fucking gutter!”? heh
Savages – Silence Yourself: Label: Matador
I cannot get This song out of my head and you know what? I don’t care!! Great power here, Jehnny Beth (lead singer) has drawn comparisons to Siouxsie of Siouxsie and The Banshees and rightly so but Savages a faster rock, more edge less gloom.
Julia Holter – Loud City Song: Label: Domino
Atmospheric and mysterious. I really enjoy this album. It’s a nighttime album. Julia is a very interesting composer arranger performer. Spend some time with this one the pay-off is well worth it.
I Heard The Angels Singing, Electrifying Black Gospel From the Nashboro Label 1951 – 1983:
I am not a religious person and I was in the midst of telling a friend this upon entering Other Music (15 East 4th Street, NYC) and they were playing this album which immediately shut my mouth and turned my head on it’s ear!! i.e. seems obvious but this is some of the most inspired music there is plus there are 4 glorious discs!!
David Bowie – Next Day: Label: ISO Records
Everyone and their grandmother seem to be focusing on the design of Next Day, Bowies album ‘Heroes’ cover with a white square over it. What impresses me most about this album is that David can afford to kick off the album with a more middle-of-the-road track rather than something attention grabbing. As you listen further the songs get better and better and then you realize what a great overall album this is. A true return to form! (not that I’m “against” Heathen or the Tin Machine stuff but this is better)
Califone – Stitches: Label: Dead Oceans Records
I love the Red Red Meat album ‘Bunny Gets Paid’. When that band disbanded and formed Califone Tim Rutili carried on with a similar aesthetic and man oh man I couldn’t be happier. Acoustic fuzz, broken imagery and the beauty of persisting despite it all.
Let’s all have a great 2014!!
The Breeders AND Speedy Ortiz!!!
I went to hear the Breeders play the entirety of their album ‘Last Splash’ for it’s 20 year anniversary at Webster Hall on December 19th. I read somewhere that Speedy Ortiz would be opening for them the night after and I was bummed as their album, ‘Major Arcana’, is one of my favorites this year (not sure I’ll be able to fit a year-end list in seeing as the year ends in a coupla hours or so). I was also under the impression that The Breeders would be playing their album ‘Pod’ on the following night, I’d surely miss some great tunes from that album. Turns out everything went my way that night!! A. Speedy Ortiz opened!! and B. The Breeders played BOTH albums!! I went to take a gander at the Merch table (CDs,LPs, t-shirts) I have been collecting various t-shirts over the years. I see buying a t-shirt at a show mostly as a means of support for the band. I’m generally not big on advertising. I suspect bands nowadays make their money touring and selling stuff. I guess I want to believe it’s possible for musicians to make their way in the world without having to rely on a day job heh. The Speedy Ortiz shirts were on their way from Brooklyn ahhhh fresh ink. This was my first time hearing both bands live. I wished the audience were as enthusiastic about Speedy Ortiz as I was. They’ve made some great pop punk songs, really catchy melodies and hard felt to boot. An older dude next to me was audibly complaining to himself as Sadie Dupuis (lead singer/guitarist) and company tuned between songs…it didn’t take them long to tune and they only did it maybe 3 times. It felt like some sort of patriarchal assertion, weird. The configuration of both bands was interesting to me….they had the bass player center-stage, lead singer off to stage right, guitarist to the left and the drummer in the back. The other guitarist in Speedy Ortiz is intense, full bent, almost playing on the ground. The bass player was stereotypically stoic and grounding. Catch Speedy Ortiz in 2014 if you can…I think they’re playing Irving plaza January 22nd.
Now I hate this expression but I’m going to use it nonetheless as I feel I’m running short on time…Kim and Kelley Deal have aged remarkably well. They played ‘Last Splash’ and ‘Pod’ live with all of the quirks on the albums which make them so special. I was awed at not only their faithfulness to the recordings in paying homage to their 20year anniversary but their energy on stage was amazing. Kim Deal emanates good vibes. Period. She just does. It’s an undefinable characteristic. I’m a complete stranger and hope the best for her for no good reason other than those good vibes have to be in the world. Kelley seemed to be having such fun but in a more internalized fashion (a little smile to herself). I’m so glad/lucky to have caught these two amazing bands. I hope there was some passing of the torch from The Breeders to Speedy Ortiz… but one never knows what goes on behind the scenes. Here are some pictures and the Brooklyn Vegan recap:
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/tag/The+Breeders
So look people, if you’ve been reading this blog, thanks a whole helluva lot and let’s have a kickass new year!
The Philip Lynch album is going to be finished in 2014!
Next up I’ll be playing with Ben Kraus on bass at Piano’s Upstairs 158 Ludlow Street NYC @ 8PM Friday, January 3rd, 2014 Free (now it’s going to be cold that night but I’ve heard new yorkers are tough)
Philip Lynch Music 