#ka-prow!

Photo by patthickey Hot off being awesome on last year's Sports, Speedy Ortiz let out a limited edition two-song 7-inch this April that wasn't as critical, but at under five minutes total, still served as a solid interlude between releases.

"Ka-Prow!" b/w "Hexxy" by Speedy Ortiz

It seemed. They slowed their stampede and drifted more into singer-songwriter territory (jangly Giant Drag-y), minimizing reelings/magnifying feelings with this month's single "No Below" in preface of their pending full-length Major Arcana, out July 9. Which means their best offering lately comes from a Soundcloud mixtape hosted by label Carpark Records, revealed just today--mixtape as in playlist of artists who've influenced the band (versus just building a hook over already established tracks). It might sound pretty nice on a Saturday evening with a couple of porched-out friends stirring beers while hairplay and sketches of concept drawings bond the throb of competitive-slash-friendly conversation. It's also a total nod to their locality. "It compiles a bunch of our favorite songwriters, bands and songs from Massachusetts (our state of origin)," said the band this afternoon.

Speedy Ortiz posted the mix link and set list on their Live Journal (really, except yeah why not), and it goes something sharp, guitar-heavy, fuzzy, and unaffected like this:

They don't forget to levy the grunge with variety like The Gutters' synth-textured, spoken-roboticist track called "Lobotomy," which urges masturbation and pants-pissing; Bell Biv Devoe's cluttered harmonious post-Chronic "Gangster;" and Morphine's floaty violin- and sax-tinged "I'm Free Now." 1. Deluxx Folk Implosion “Daddy Never Understood” 2. Swirlies “Pancake” 3. Big Bear “Song 16” 4. Come “Secret Number” 5. Heatmiser “Busted Lip” 6. Drop Nineteens “Winona” 7. Sneeze “Dark Elf” 8. Grass Is Green “Somebody’s Something” 9. Sebadoh “Punching Myself in the Face Repeatedly, Publicly” 10. The Gutters “Lobotomy” 11. Blake Babies “Girl in a Box” 12. Bell Biv Devoe “Gangsta” 13. Helium “Pat’s Trick” 14. The Cars “My Best Friend’s Girl” 15. Morphine “I’m Free Now” 16. Wicked Farleys “Fitchburg, MA” 17. The Barbarians “Moulty” 18. Cave In “Moral Eclipse” 19. Spore “Number One” 20. Jonathan Richman “Twilight in Boston”

Review the entire post for spot-on descriptions.

Notable cuts that missed the bill (from their we-love-you-too/afterthoughts list) are Pile's "Big Web," the always-good "Academy Fight Song" by Mission of Burma and Galaxie 500 jam "Fourth of July." Despite a recorded shift in direction, a good mixtape is telling of decent taste in all things and attention span, so initial impressions of said band's other latest stuff could benefit from a subsequent shift in listening context/perspective, you know, if you're snide sometimes. Speedy Ortiz are on tour around North America for the summer. They're unfortunately missing the Bay, hitting up San Diego's Soda Bar; a Colorado venue even farther away; and a coolly named but we don't care cuz it's not here bar in AZ instead.

Speedy Ortiz - Ka-Prow!