Major Arcana marks the evolution of Speedy Ortiz into a wholly collaborative effort. Bassist Darl Ferm (ex-Day Sleeper), drummer Mike Falcone (Dead Wives, Ovlov), guitarist Matt Robidoux (ex-Graph, Banjo Assault), and Sadie on vocals and guitar recorded the album in November 2012 at Justin Pizzoferrato’s (Chelsea Light Moving, Dinosaur Jr.) studio, Sonelab. The huge space in an old factory set the stage for many long sessions allowing the band to experiment and further solidify their sound. It’s easy to hear the influences of Helium, Jawbox, and Chavez, on this album, as well as nods to their contemporaries including Grass Is Green, Pile, and Roomrunner, but their sound remains playful, modern, and decidedly their own.

Upcoming Shows:

 

12/10 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Milhouse

12/12 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue #

12/13 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon #

12/14 – Chicago, IL @ Metro #

12/15 – Columbus, OH @ Kafe Kerouac

12/16 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom #

12/18 – Boston, MA @ Paradise #

12/19 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall #

12/20 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall #

01/03 – New Haven, CT @ TBA $

01/04 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Keystone $

01/05 – Baltimore, MD @ Floristree $

01/06 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter $

01/07 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 $

01/08 – Charleston, SC @ Tin Roof $

01/09 – Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits $

01/10 – Tampa, FL @ TBA $

01/11 – Tallahassee, FL @ Office Lounge $

01/12 – Atlanta, GA @ Capsule Gallery $

01/13 – Birmingham, AL @ The Forge $

01/14 – Nashville, TN @ The Stone Fox $

01/15 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight $

01/16 – Charlottesville, VA @ Tea Bazaar $

01/21 – Boston, MA @ Paradise %

01/22 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza %

02/13 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds &

02/14 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club &

02/15 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast &

02/16 – Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute &

02/18 – London, UK @ Birthdays (NME Awards)

02/19 – London, UK @ The Lexington &

02/20 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store &

02/21 – Paris, FR @ Trabendo (Fireworks Fest)

02/22 – Lille, FR @ La Peniche

02/24 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix

02/25 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso

02/26 – Hamburg, DE @ Turmzimmer

02/27 – Copenhagen, DK @ BETA

02/28 – Berlin, DE @ Magnet Club

03/01 – Vienna, AT @ Flex

03/06 – Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover

03/27 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s ^

03/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey ^

03/29 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah ^

03/30 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s ^

04/01 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom ^

04/03 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge ^

04/05 – Missoula, MT @ Top Hat ^

04/07 – Calgary, AB @ Republik ^

04/08 – Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room ^

04/10 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw ^

04/11 – Victoria, BC @ Lucky Bar ^

04/12 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre ^

# Breeders

$ Grass Is Green

% Los Campesinos

^ Stephen Malkmus

& Joanna Gruesome

https://www.facebook.com/speedyortiz