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.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 18 May 2018 18:21 (five years ago) link
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.
― alpine static, Friday, 18 May 2018 18:23 (five years ago) link
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.
― alpine static, Friday, 18 May 2018 18:24 (five years ago) link
It was a podcast, I think either Emil Amos or Vish Khanna or ??? My short-term memory is terrible.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 18 May 2018 18:26 (five years ago) link
I def. rate “American Water” above BTC / TT... not his solo stuff, tho. Except the “Pig Lib” bonus disc – that was as special thing.
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Friday, 18 May 2018 18:28 (five years ago) link
Mirror Traffic is better than any of the other albums after Pig Lib, right?
yes.
― geoffreyess, Friday, 18 May 2018 18:30 (five years ago) link
new one is sounding better than mirror traffic imho
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 18 May 2018 18:53 (five years ago) link
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.
― Paul Ponzi, Friday, 18 May 2018 19:35 (five years ago) link
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.
― alpine static, Friday, 18 May 2018 19:46 (five years ago) link
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
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 18 May 2018 19:47 (five years ago) link
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.
― bunny slopes, Friday, 18 May 2018 20:26 (five years ago) link
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
― bunny slopes, Friday, 18 May 2018 20:36 (five years ago) link
“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...
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Friday, 18 May 2018 20:51 (five years ago) link
bunny slopes probably otm
― alpine static, Friday, 18 May 2018 22:58 (five years ago) link
Anyone who hasn't read the Washington Post story needs to
― The Harsh Tutelage of Michael McDonald (Raymond Cummings), Friday, 18 May 2018 23:38 (five years ago) link
“Slanted and enchanted” his greatest turn of phrase imho
― calstars, Saturday, 19 May 2018 00:14 (five years ago) link
Should make its way to the OED
― calstars, Saturday, 19 May 2018 00:16 (five years ago) link
“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.../
― calstars, Saturday, 19 May 2018 00:17 (five years ago) link
Just some speculative fiction (lol)
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Saturday, 19 May 2018 00:19 (five years ago) link
― two cool rock chicks pounding la croix (circa1916), Saturday, 19 May 2018 01:36 (five years ago) link
I think that was “Crooked Rain (x2)”?
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Saturday, 19 May 2018 02:02 (five years ago) link
“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.
― two cool rock chicks pounding la croix (circa1916), Saturday, 19 May 2018 02:07 (five years ago) link
Oh wow. I didn’t think DB could improve in my estimation but yet.
― calstars, Saturday, 19 May 2018 02:38 (five years ago) link
DB:slanted and enchanted::SM:wowee zowee
― calstars, Saturday, 19 May 2018 02:39 (five years ago) link
well there is a Zappa song called Wowie Zowie
― salt sugar fat, that's where it's at (rip van wanko), Saturday, 19 May 2018 03:01 (five years ago) link
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?
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Saturday, 19 May 2018 03:19 (five years ago) link
DB:slanted and enchanted::SM:wowee zowee― calstars, Friday, May 18, 2018 7:39 PM (three hours ago)
― 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.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 19 May 2018 06:00 (five years ago) link
really into "solid silk"
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 22 May 2018 04:06 (five years ago) link
yes, this album is really good, one of his best. "bike lane" is Malk at his most political and angry
― well bissogled trotters (Michael B), Tuesday, 22 May 2018 07:11 (five years ago) link
i'm at peace with my mentors
― reggie (qualmsley), Tuesday, 22 May 2018 12:26 (five years ago) link
This is really good. Highlights after the first few listens:
-the little instrumental breaks after the verses on "Bike Lane"-Kim Gordon!
― cwkiii, Tuesday, 22 May 2018 23:36 (five years ago) link
not sure I'm ready for Woke Malkmus tbh
― Paul Ponzi, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 00:28 (five years ago) link
I don't know what that even means tbh
― cwkiii, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 00:59 (five years ago) link
"Malk at his most political and angry" sounds exactly like "Malk not being political and angry at all" to me fwiw
― cwkiii, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 01:02 (five years ago) link
I mean he literally namechecks Freddie Gray which is kinda tough to imagine on...any other Malkmus record
― Simon H., Wednesday, 23 May 2018 01:24 (five years ago) link
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, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 01:41 (five years ago) link
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
― clouds (peanutbuttereverysingleday), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 02:08 (five years ago) link
But Senator was two records ago! #justiceforjagbags
― cwkiii, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 02:09 (five years ago) link
oh sorry i am sure you are right - yep - just making the point that he hasn't been entirely apolitical this whole time
― clouds (peanutbuttereverysingleday), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 02:15 (five years ago) link
(apologies for the unnecessarily pedantic post that really was just an excuse to post a hashtag that I thought was funny)
― cwkiii, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 02:31 (five years ago) link
He referenced Bob Packwood's sexual harassment scandals about 15 years ago in "Vanessa From Queens".
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 03:24 (five years ago) link
― 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"
― Paul Ponzi, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 12:18 (five years ago) link
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.
― cwkiii, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 13:25 (five years ago) link
it's like processing that joe strummer grew up relatively privileged
― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 13:25 (five years ago) link
fwiw, he did write that Pavement song “Grounded”
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 14:15 (five years ago) link
conspicuous? yes.a tad insincere? i don't hear/believe that.a little disjointed / not fully formed as a concept / political statement? yes, i think that's a fair criticism.
― alpine static, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 15:43 (five years ago) link
Writing a (good) politically / socially conscious song must be particularly challenging for even a good songwriter
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 15:51 (five years ago) link
Maybe "insincere" is harsh, I take that back. I mean, I'm quite sure the guy's heart is in the right place. I just don't listen to Malkmus wanting or expecting social commentary. Does anyone?
FWIW I repped hard for Jagbags (see upthread) and am definitely a fan, in case that wasn't clear.
― Paul Ponzi, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 15:52 (five years ago) link
I care quite a bit more about Malkmus' songwriting than your opinion of it, if that's what you're asking.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 16:15 (five years ago) link