Stephen Malkmus - Traditional Techniques (2020)

Has the name Lee Hazlewood been dropped yet?

didn't know Spooner Oldham played on this

Did he now?

according to the liner notes! (tho he's listed as an additional player and it doesn't specify which songs he's on)

On my first listen and this is just great. Will def try to see them on your.

I just ordered this on LP after listening to the first half on Spotify. Streaming works, lol?

I get an Incredible String Band vibe off this with all the weird instruments.

SM talking about some obscure records
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/stephen-malkmus-discusses-the-folk-influences-on-his-new-lp-traditional-techniques/

thx 4 link

"Amberjack" is really beautiful. At times, he's a bit more naked and emotional on this record than he's been in some time.

Really enjoyed his record list. One in particular, the Michael Wendling lp, was a recent thrift score of mine, along with his other Sheepeater release, and it’s a whopper. As good as Takoma release. It’s also fairly cheap and available on discogs.

Mellow candle rules

I need to stay with this a while but it’s sounding so good this far. Much more Pavement than recent solo/Jicks offerings, but also weirder, plus sitar.

When is he releasing that filter from the video?

Sounds like the outro fuzz guitar of “Brainwashed” is quoting something, maybe “Food, Glorious Food” from Oliver!

"Amberjack" is really beautiful. At times, he's a bit more naked and emotional on this record than he's been in some time.

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, March 7, 2020 12:52 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

This one got me a bit yesterday. Great closer.

I think his post-Pavement lyrics have, with a few exceptions, been soulless, unfunny word games that haven't appealed to me much. I think he changed his approach a bit and/or it works better with this album, especially the lyrics for "Shadowbanned", which have a Burroughs cut-up flavor and menace. Perfect lyrics for the paranoia of a year of election interference and pandemic. William Gibson would be proud.

Was this recorded post DCB’s death?

From what I can tell it was recorded prior to the release of Groove Denied in early 2019, so prior.

The press junket said that this record was "...Conceived while recording Sparkle Hard with the Jicks at Portland’s Halfling Studio, Malkmus had observed the variety of acoustic instruments available for use. The idea escalated within a matter of weeks into a full set of songs and shortly thereafter into a realized and fully committed album."

...so that would be Summer/Fall 2017? Explains the sudden prolificness after the long gap.

Ok, I am fully on board with this album; one of his best. The first side is A+ perfect.

Some of his best, most tender singing since Zurich is Stained, especially Amberjack.

Shadowban... I haven't heard him make these vocalizations in songs ever. Or has this been a new thing ( i haven't kept up the last couple of albums). It's very brownstein.

Oh! This is so lovely. I am so happy. I've not liked anything he's done for such a long time and this is beautiful.

This rules.

this is the most interesting non Pavement record i've heard from him. right up my alley.

Oh! This is so lovely. I am so happy. I've not liked anything he's done for such a long time and this is beautiful.

This rules.

this is the most interesting non Pavement record i've heard from him. right up my alley.

Finally got around to giving this a listen, and entirely agree with these sentiments. This is great.

1. never having been a fan of pavement, and never having followed SM's solo career, this record really caught me by surprise. it's very, very good ! i love the textures, the mood, nothing feels rushed.

2. i have this on a playlist of things i've been meaning to listen to (or re-listen to) and i'll just say that it pairs well, or rather transitions nicely into, john cale's "the academy in peril"

yeah I haven't stopped playing it for more than a few days at a time

fuck "Amberjack" is just so beautiful and heavy

One of his best songs, Pavement or solo.

It has the emotional heft of Zurich is Stained or Here, which not much of his solo stuff has imo.

haven't posted itt yet so I'll just repeat my take from twitter:

That new S.M. album has such strong Sunday afternoon vibes... like a normal, pre-Trump era Sunday afternoon when I just sat on the couch watching televised sports & didn't feel the urge to check Twitter... ty king for this gift @dronecoma

— Bernard Snowy (@wasntmebro) March 23, 2020

Yeah I pretty much agree with all takes here...not much of a Malkmus fan but this album totally rules

Damn Bernard that nails the vibe exactly

still one of the year's best

IDK. I really liked "Xian Man" but the rest of it hasn't stuck with me. Need to give it a re-listen I guess

same ... a few good tracks, but overall kinda wallpaper-y

Really like "Shadowbanned"

Agree it's one of the year's best. The back half has an On the Beach-like flow to me, minus the emotionally dejected vibe.

Maybe his best solo effort imo. The psych folk album that he was always hinting to make.

co-sign on Shadowbanned as a highlight

Thirded - that's my favorite on the album

I was thinking about how the last three Malkmus albums were all finished in pretty quick succession, as I understand it -- Groove Denied was done in 2017 (albeit after a 12-year gestation period), and then Sparkle Hard was knocked out quickly when Matador denied the groove, as it were, and Traditional Techniques came together in "a matter of weeks" after Sparkle Hard was done -- which gave me the idea that they could have been combined and released as a sprawling triple album instead, so I wove the tracklists together into a playlist and I have to say...I think this fake album I just made up is his (post-Pavement) masterpiece. Here's how it would look over six sides of vinyl:

SIDE A
Cast Off
Belziger Faceplant
ACC Kirtan
Future Suite
Xian Man

SIDE B
A Bit Wilder
Solid Silk
Viktor Borgia
The Greatest Own in Legal History
Bike Lane

SIDE C
Come Get Me
Cash Up
Middle America
Shadowbanned
Forget Your Place
Rattler

SIDE D
Rushing The Acid Frat
What Kind Of Person
Flowin’ Robes
Love The Door
Shiggy

SIDE E
Kite
Boss Viscerate
Brainwashed
Ocean Of Revenge
Brethren

SIDE F
Signal Western
Refute
Grown Nothing
Amberjack
Difficulties / Let Them Eat Vowels

This is really hitting the spot this morning.

VTC, I may create that playlist in Apple Music and let it ride for the afternoon! Interesting idea.

I think its his best solo album

Yeah it really is great

Sparkle Hard rules
Groove Denied stinks, and I am an S.M. apologist

Trad Tech ... some high points, but I never could get into it as much as I wanted to. I should try again.

I like VTC's idea up there, too