Stephen Malkmus

oh no he mentioned other bands what a sellout

He talked about fantasy and playoff basketball for 10+ mins too, he's probably an ESPN brand ambassador...

malkmus has never really fallen into the standard narratives of a solo career ... the back to basics record, the divorce/sober record, the record with a big name producer, the experimental record (maybe "Groove Denied" will fill that last role). and he's never crashed and burned personally (as far as I know) so there's not some narrative to latch onto there. I don't know, it's kind of admirable in a weird way. he's a musician!

The flipside to this (and I'll choose my words carefully) is that he also arguably hasn't done a lot to change things up, work with new people, keep listeners following his career, etc. Like (I suspect) a lot of Pavement fans, I bought his first 3 or 4 records and then stopped buying them. The electronic album seems like a good move, because at least it's something different than "album #7 with the Jicks."

malkmus has never really fallen into the standard narratives of a solo career ... the back to basics record, the divorce/sober record, the record with a big name producer, the experimental record (maybe "Groove Denied" will fill that last role). and he's never crashed and burned personally (as far as I know) so there's not some narrative to latch onto there. I don't know, it's kind of admirable in a weird way. he's a musician!

― tylerw, Friday, May 18, 2018 1:05 PM (one hour ago)

yeah the thing I appreciate most about malk is he's just a totally normal seeming dude. watching him hit tennis balls in that video really got to me for some reason

The flipside to this (and I'll choose my words carefully) is that he also arguably hasn't done a lot to change things up, work with new people, keep listeners following his career, etc. Like (I suspect) a lot of Pavement fans, I bought his first 3 or 4 records and then stopped buying them. The electronic album seems like a good move, because at least it's something different than "album #7 with the Jicks."

i don't disagree with tylerw's points, but this is pretty much exactly how i view the way he has handled his post-Pavement career. which, again, is why i think the hype surrounding Sparkle Hard seems like such a major (and unexpected) change of pace.

I'm a rare mega-Pavement fan who feels that his solo work (& American Water) is stronger than BTC & TT...

I'm always a little late to the party (eg, I didn't hear Real Emotional Trash until after Wig Out At Dankos).

He says he's moving to LA near his sister in a recent interview, maybe he'll do more soundtrack work.

lol, dankos = jagbags (brain typo)

and, again, is why i wonder what changed, and who decided it should change.

like, there were *not* major feature stories in every print and online publication around Mirror Traffic or Jagbags.

maybe it's that his kids were smaller then and he wanted to just be Dad for several years, and now they're older and they're developing their own lives and he feels like he can go back to being Stephen Malkmus a bit more. that lines up w/ what everyone says about parenthood - that eventually you get your freedom back.

sorry, that was xpost to my previous comment.

Al - do you have a link to that interview where he says he's moving? i haven't seen that one.

It was a podcast, I think either Emil Amos or Vish Khanna or ??? My short-term memory is terrible.

I'm a rare mega-Pavement fan who feels that his solo work (& American Water) is stronger than BTC & TT...

I def. rate “American Water” above BTC / TT... not his solo stuff, tho. Except the “Pig Lib” bonus disc – that was as special thing.

Mirror Traffic is better than any of the other albums after Pig Lib, right?

yes.

new one is sounding better than mirror traffic imho

who's doing PR for this one? A different company than for previous SM albums? Because isn't that all we're talking about here? Matador springing for a major PR push? Call me cynical.

yes. but why now, is what i'm saying. what changed.

it's not a huge deal, i'm just interested in that kind of stuff.

he's one of a few whose new stuff is pretty eagerly awaited i'd say and discussion doesn't need much pushing from matador or billions or whoever

Maybe Malkmus and Matador just feel he has a strong record here and want to give it the push it deserves? Sparkle Hard definitely sounds more carefully crafted and has a higher standard of quality than most Jicks albums. I'd be proud of it too.

This is the guy who greeted his last album with a pull quote that "nothing classic is probably going on here, let's face it" so I take the increased push now as a way to broadcast that this album is a little more special than your usual Jicks release

“America’s Favorite Slacker Grows Up and Buckles Down”

I guess Corgan was right all along, Malkmus says, looking genuinely contrite as he gazes into his coffee cup. It took me all these years to realize the importance of a rock ‘n roll work ethic. I hope Billy accepts my apology...

bunny slopes probably otm

Anyone who hasn't read the Washington Post story needs to

“Slanted and enchanted” his greatest turn of phrase imho

Should make its way to the OED

“America’s Favorite Slacker Grows Up and Buckles Down”

/I guess Corgan was right all along,/ Malkmus says, looking genuinely contrite as he gazes into his coffee cup. /It took me all these years to realize the importance of a rock ‘n roll work ethic. I hope Billy accepts my apology.../

Just some speculative fiction (lol)

“Slanted and enchanted” his greatest turn of phrase imho

I think that was “Crooked Rain (x2)”?

“The title Slanted and Enchanted is taken from the title of a cartoon made by Silver Jews frontman David Berman.”

From wiki. Not sure about Crooked Rain. Great title nonetheless. Enjoy them both immensely as lyricists, as different as they are. Always be a Berman man myself if I had to choose, though.

Oh wow. I didn’t think DB could improve in my estimation but yet.

DB:slanted and enchanted::SM:wowee zowee

well there is a Zappa song called Wowie Zowie

Hence also the ingeniously triple-entendre–titled odds ’n ends bootleg “Stuff Up the Cracks” (also a Zappa title) – which I think actually came out before “WZ,” so not sure how they anticipated the title?

DB:slanted and enchanted::SM:wowee zowee

― calstars, Friday, May 18, 2018 7:39 PM (three hours ago)

another nope:

The album's title is an homage to former drummer Gary Young, who would frequently yell "Wowee zowee!" when excited.

really into "solid silk"

yes, this album is really good, one of his best. "bike lane" is Malk at his most political and angry

i'm at peace with my mentors

This is really good. Highlights after the first few listens:

-the little instrumental breaks after the verses on "Bike Lane"
-Kim Gordon!

not sure I'm ready for Woke Malkmus tbh

I don't know what that even means tbh

"Malk at his most political and angry" sounds exactly like "Malk not being political and angry at all" to me fwiw

I mean he literally namechecks Freddie Gray which is kinda tough to imagine on...any other Malkmus record

Oh I know, I was just saying that it still sounds like Stephen Malkmus, and in no way did it even occur to me that someone would hear it and think "oh man, I am not prepared to process this stage of this man's career."

he did write Senator on the last record though - which i took to be obviously political - i think he should do more of this stuff - to my ears it was his best song in an age because it seemed to be so pointed

But Senator was two records ago! #justiceforjagbags

oh sorry i am sure you are right - yep - just making the point that he hasn't been entirely apolitical this whole time

(apologies for the unnecessarily pedantic post that really was just an excuse to post a hashtag that I thought was funny)

He referenced Bob Packwood's sexual harassment scandals about 15 years ago in "Vanessa From Queens".

Oh I know, I was just saying that it still sounds like Stephen Malkmus, and in no way did it even occur to me that someone would hear it and think "oh man, I am not prepared to process this stage of this man's career."

― cwkiii, Tuesday, May 22, 2018 9:41 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

wasn't thinking "oh man, I am not prepared to process this stage of this man's career," was thinking "this artist who has built a career on sarcasm and above-it-all ironic detachment is now obliquely referencing social justice in a way that seems conspicuous and a tad insincere given that he has been basically shrugging at such things for decades"

I guess if part of what someone enjoys the most about him is his sarcasm and above-it-all ironic detachment then if they pay attention to the lyrics of this one song they might be slightly let down? But it's a really good song! Especially if you dig him as a guitarist.

I get how that could bug you but it was kind of a bummer to think that it would dissuade you from checking out the record because, like I said before, it still sounds like a Malkmus song and it doesn't scan as like, preachy or whatever.

it's like processing that joe strummer grew up relatively privileged