Stream/Download: The Dirty Nil ​/​ Northern Primitive Split 7"

Featured in my 7 favorite 7”s from last year. The Dirty Nil have since released a split 7″ with their friends and fellow Ontario band Northern Primitive. The A-side "Zombie Eyed" is a heavily fuzzed out Weezer-esque anthem. It’s one of their catchiest tracks yet and it’s damn fun to sing along to as they scream "I guess I'm just zombie eyed!" The B-side from Northern Primitive is a slow burning distorted haze that has a soft underlying melody drifting in and out throughout its length. If we were using zombie flicks as reference points, The Dirty Nil’s side would be Zombieland, fun and aggressive, whereas Northern Primitive’s would be 28 Days Later, eerie and brooding. The digital is available for name your price, so jump on that immediately then purchase yourself a copy of the vinyl for later. Below is also a brilliant performance video of both tracks.

Get to Know Lorde: The Love Club & "Tennis Court" Single

I get defensive when it comes to pop music I enjoy. I think a lot of music bloggers do. Just because I predominantly listen to garage rock and music of the type doesn’t mean that I don’t (or can’t) listen to pop music as well. There is no discriminating at Stereo Typing (ironic, I know) and I find myself with the urge to listen to and write about everything from death metal to twee, as long as I truly believe it to be good. Over the past few months, I found myself continually revisiting The Love Club EP by an up-and-coming New Zealand popstress who performs under the name Lorde. The release is not the typical offering I jump all over, but I find it irresistible, in no small part due to the single “Royals”, one of the most infectious tunes I can think of from the past year.

Stream: Priests - Radiation ​/​ Personal Planes 7"

I recently read a piece titled “Defending Community Spaces” from The Media, a publication featuring former Boston Phoenix (RIP) contributors. It serves as a nice indirect response to what has been going on in Boston. For those who don’t know, the Boston Police have been posing as “punks” in order to shut down shows held in DIY spaces. The article is effective because it addresses the issue as a societal and universal one since it is not from a Boston resident but a touring musician from Washington DC. The musician in question is Katie Alice Greer of Priests (also in Chain and the Gang). She advocates for unmitigated community space and explains her criteria for booking the band’s upcoming tour stating, “It is important to me, and the other 3 members of my band, that we play our music in places where anyone who would like to attend the performance can do so.”

New Track Rundown

Stereo Typing has become the blog that refuses to die. I've put it on the back burner while I focused on more important things like getting my life into functional order. The good news is that I feel like things are moving along well enough to post this quick update complete with a fantastic downloadable playlist. I've seen a lot of my favorite blogs throw in the towel (RIP Built on a Weak Spot) and I've been tempted to do so myself many times over. However, I feel if I don’t put too much pressure into trying to stay relevant and instead focus on posting material when I feel compelled, I can still turn people onto good music and that’s what matters. In an effort to catch readers up with at least a portion of the amazing tracks released this year, I have compiled 23 of my favorites along with the 23 best music videos.