Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Odds & Ends

As you can tell, this is coming a bit late. Now that you have had the time to shake off the year-end lists from lesser tastemakers, you can pursue the one true 'best of' from Stereo Typing. Fine, that's not exactly why this was posted so late, but it does give you a chance to look over this feature and judge on its own merits. The first part of my coverage is examining just about every aspect of entertainment apart from the almighty album. The Top 50 Albums of 2012 will follow shortly. Below are the top EPs, 7"s, shows, and a few other categories of interest. There will be links to previous reviews where appropriate, otherwise I took the time to say a few words and/or link to material. Please check it all out after the jump, and don't forget to leave a comment if you discovered something new!

Download “Silver Spring” by Speedy Ortiz and Pre-order the Sports EP

Speedy Ortiz are set to unleash their Sports EP to the world on June 5th. It will be available through Exploding in Sound Records on limited edition vinyl or you can buy the intangible version via your favorite digital distributor. Exploding in Sound Records is, of course, a venture co-founded by your editor here so I would be remiss if I didn't say: Just get the damn vinyl! It comes with a download anyway and you get an awesome looking record and artwork to hold in your hands while listening. Now that that unpleasantry is behind us, I will say Sports is irrefutably one of the year's best releases. It contains five tracks of delightfully wry lyrics, winding guitars, and gripping rhythms. But don't take my word for it; The Boston Phoenix has already started generating buzz with this wonderfully written piece. The release show will be on Wednesday, May 30th at O'Brien's Pub in Allston, MA with Grass is Green, Young Adults, and Arvid Noe. It a veritable smorgasbord of sensational Boston acts. You should already know that Speedy Ortiz are a killer live act and I hope to see all you there next week. If you want Speedy Ortiz to come to your town or you are just feeling generous, the band needs help procuring a van and are offering some enticing incentives. Full details on the release and a free download of the irresistible single "Silver Spring" after the jump.

Pile, Speedy Ortiz Play New Songs at Great Scott

There is very little I enjoy more than seeing a bill that is stacked with promising bands on the rise. A bout of insomnia had kept me up the night before, but I knew I had to drag myself out to the show on April 9th at Great Scott. The unbelievable lineup included Slothrust, Speedy Ortiz, Buildings, Crinkle Face, and Pile. If I were to recommend five bands to keep your eyes on in the coming months, it would be the ones that were on that bill. Needless to say, I was pleased that I had dragged my lazy ass out to see all of them in action. To make the night even more satisfying, I captured performances of new songs from Speedy Ortiz and Pile, both of whom have upcoming releases on Exploding in Sound Records.

Speedy Ortiz - Taylor Swift / Swim Fan

Exploding in Sound Records (Stereo Typing’s joint venture with Exploding in Sound) is extremely proud to announce the signing of Speedy Ortiz. The self-proclaimed “snack rock” and “post-post-grunge” band has a new single that builds on the promise of songs like “Cutco” from their magnificent debut, The Death of Speedy Ortiz. The transition is akin to Sebadoh’s evolution on Bakesale; the songwriting is tighter, the songs are catchier, but they still pack quite a punch. “Taylor Swift” is as irresistible as the pop singer herself (minus the generic music). B-side “Swim Fan” has more delicious crunch than a bag of tortilla chips. Speedy Ortiz is like a tightly wrapped burrito layered with hearty rhythms, spicy guitar licks, and saucy lyrics. I’m clearly hungry now so I’ll let you go. You’ll find the full press release and tasty tunes after the jump.

Stream/Download: Speedy Ortiz - The Death of Speedy Ortiz

In yesterday’s post, I briefly mentioned my affinity for Sebadoh. What I didn’t mention was my love for Guided by Voices, but you know those go hand-in-hand. Speedy Ortiz, the solo project of Quilty's Sadie Dupuis, perfectly captures the spirit of both those bands with battered songs of lo-fi excellence. Each song on The Death of Speedy Ortiz was written in 30-50 minutes and home recorded the same day with Sadie playing all roles. It is an impressive feat, especially given the results in tracks like “Cutco” which bring to mind the best slacker anthems of the 90s. The chorus of “All my friends want to cut me into bits / They should throw me on a skillet / Make dinner of what they get” has a downtrodden yet infectious melody that is hard to forget. The ingenious bedroom album is available for free so don’t forget to download yourself a copy.