Here’s the first segment of a four-part Soft Focus interview with Stephen Malkmus. I always envisioned to “Hopscotch Willy” from Real Emotional Trash to look something like Svenonius, and this really brings it home for me. Visit VBS for subsequent segments.
Whether he’s giving props to former UVA standout Jeff Lamp (above) or defending his fantasy sports addiction as more socially acceptable than internet porn (mental note : be sure to use this line someday), Stephen Malkmus takes everything Rotoworld’s Steve Alexander has to dish out. I’ve been (virtually) ass-kicked by SM on countless occasions, and thus, can vouch for his fantasy sports prowess, though learning his commitment to the craft extends to scanning the waiver wire whilst going thru airport security is a little sobering. For the sake of Malk’s competitors, TSA, can’t you do something about this?
Here’s my fave snippet from the interview :
Q : What is the best live act going right now? The popular answer seems to be My Morning Jacket, and I tend to agree.
In what likely constitutes the sexiest meeting of the minds in recent memory, Portland’s Baghdad Theater will host Stephen Malkmus and Ian Svenonius for a taping of Soft Focus on December 4th.
Soft Focus, for those of you stuck in 1991, is a long-form interview program hosted by Svenonius and featuring interviews with some of the elite minds in independent culture.
If you’d like to attend the taping, please RSVP here. Svenonius will also pick the brain damage of PDX rock legends Pierced Arrows.
(l-r Stephen, Janet, photographed in Paris last month, pic taken from gguillaumee’s Flickr page)
Midwestern USA, Western Canada, we’ve heard your plea. Or rather, Billions has heard your plea. We’re just forwarding the info.
October
23-Calgary AB @ The Warehouse
24-Edmonton AB @ Starlite Room
25-Saskatoon SK @ Amigo’s
27-WInnipeg MB @ Pyramid Cabaret
30-Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
November
2-Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
4-Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
5-Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
6-Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Blitzen Trapper support on all dates.
(Janet and Mike patiently listen to Bob Nastanovich tell them about the time he met Dudley Doright and Gordon Lightfoot at the Canadian border. Picture swiped from Stephen Malkmus.com)
In addition to headlining Coney Island’s Siren Festival on July 19, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks will be making the following north of the border appearances :
July 16-Toronto @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
July 17-Montreal @ LaTulipe
The initial lineup for the 2008 edition of the Village Voice’s Siren Festival was announced yesterday, and we’re pleased to note headliners Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks will be joined by Times New Viking and (making their first East Coast appearance-at-an-amusement-park) Jaguar Love.
This free event takes place on Saturday, July 19. Times New Viking will be hopping on a plane after their set, as they’ll be playing on the 3rd day of the Pitchfork Festival the following afternoon. Mayor Bloomberg, consider this an advance request for a police escort to the airport.
For those of us who didn’t spend the weekend baking away in the Coachella sun, a friend of the Matablog sent along some photos of our first experiment with skywriting. To celebrate Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks’ performance we emblazoned the skies with their name. It went so well that we’ll be floating triumphantly above every summer festival this year! Keep an eye on the sky!
Incidentally, we are currently running a Stephen Malkmus Bundle Sale. You can get all 4 Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks CDs (Stephen Malkmus, Pig Lib, Face The Truth, Real Emotional Trash) plus a free rare 7″ flexi of “Jojo’s Jacket”, all for $40. Supplies of the flexi-7″ are very limited.
I know for me, every day is Record Store Day, but now there is an official day to celebrate independently owned record stores and it is this Saturday, April 19th! RECORD STORE DAY!
The following bands/members will be participating by:
The New Pornographers – John – DJing at Vintage Vinyl (St. Louis, MO) @ 3:00
Times New Viking – Adam – DJing at Used Kids Records (Columbus, OH) throughout the day between bands
The Cave Singers- In-store performance at CD World (Eugene, OR) @ 3:00
Dead Meadow – Jason – DJing at Other Music (NYC) @ 3:00
Also, this is a list of the very special, very limited edition items we produced specifically for this day:
Matador Turntable Slipmats
Stephen Malkmus – Cold Son 10″
FREE Matador Sampler CD
We’re really hoping that the recent earthquake swarm off the coast of Oregon remains exactly what it is, a harmless swarm of 600 earthquakes in the course of 10 days. We wouldn’t want any natural calamities to jeopardize the May 1st Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks show at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland since the Ace Hotel and The Seattle Stranger have helped us put together a pretty nice contest that we don’t want any of our Northwestern friends to miss out on.
If you visit the this page now you can enter to win yourself a fairly deluxe prize pack which includes two tickets to the aforementioned rock show, a one night stay at the Ace Hotel in Portland and stack’o CDs from America’s favorite late night talking head.
The staff, management and legal representation of Matador Records would like to wish Joanna Bolme a very happy birthday. OK, we’re 12 days late. But Miwa took the above picture and I’ve got about 6 dozen birthday cake JPG’s clogging up the folder so it took awhile to narrow this one down (sorry).
This is as good a time as any to remind you Lee Ving can be seen in the upcoming motion picture, “Endless Bummer”, starring alongside Matthew Lillard, Joan Jett and Keith Morris. Would IMBD lie to you?
While Brightblack Morning Light’s booking on “Hannity & Colmes” has proven somewhat elusive, we are pleased to display the image above, provided by our dear friend Johansen Smith (thanks to Patrick for the eagle-eye).
OK, we’re trying to turn this around in time for Record Store Day, but the general plan is we’ll be releasing a new 10″ EP from Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks featuring the following selections :
a
“Cold Son” – album version
“Walk Into The Mirror” – RET outtake
b
“Pennywhistle Thunder” -RET outtake
“Carl The Clod” – ‘Face The Truth’ outtake
The 6 1/2 minute “Pennywhistle Thunder” has been described by one interested observer as “the best song from ‘Real Emotional Trash’”, albeit one that mysteriously didn’t make the final cut. Whether the author shares that assessment I cannot tell you for certain, but consider this —- would the Jicks seek to commemorate a major American Holiday like Record Store Day with anything but the finest in unreleased material? We think not.
I don’t know exactly which gang signs are being flashed here, but imagine what Randy Foye could do on a regular basis with this kind of support?
Also, there’s no truth to the rumor after the game, Kevin McHale tried to swap the Jicks’ rooting interest to Danny Ainge in exchange for a copy of ‘Bark Along With The Young Snakes’.
For the first time, we’re making our annual ‘Intended Play’ label sampler available digitally. Click on the link to get a zipped file of all 12 tracks plus front and back artwork, and burn it yourself (or just listen to it digitally):
1. Jay Reatard Always Wanting More (from 7″ #3, due out June 17 June 24)
2. Times New Viking DROP-OUT (from Rip It Off, released January 22)
3. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Cold Son (from Real Emotional Trash, released March 4)
4. Shearwater Leviathan, Bound (from Rook, due out June 3)
5. Cat Power Metal Heart (from Jukebox, released January 22)
6. Matmos Polychords (from Supreme Balloon, due out May 6)
7. Mission Of Burma That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate (from Vs.: The Definitive Edition, released today, March 18)
8. Jaguar Love Bats Over The Pacific Ocean (from Take Me To The Sea, due out this summer August 19)
9. The Cave Singers Helen (from Invitation Songs, released last September)
10. Dead Meadow I’m Gone (from Old Growth, released February 5)
11. The New Pornographers All The Things That Go To Make Heaven And Earth (live) (from Live From Soho (iTunes Exclusive), released March 11)
12. Earles & Jensen Bleachy Is Back In Town, Look Out (from Just Farr A Laugh Vols. 1 & 2: The Greatest Prank Phone Calls Ever!, due out April 22 May 6)
The sharp-eyed among you will note that some of these tracks are not the ones released as promo MP3s to date.
p.s. did anyone else notice the magazine cover above Stephen’s shoulder and the resemblance between the two? I only noticed because I was zooming in to get a better look at Stephen’s bad-ass glasses.
SM, having a quiet moment at Seattle’s Sonic Boom last night prior to performing before a loud & loyal throng (pic by Miwa Okumura). ‘Real Emotional Trash’ is in stores and available on-line today, and the Jicks will be playing their no-longer secret MySpace show later tonight.
Tonight, Monday, March 3rd, at 11:00pm Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks will play an in-store at Sonic Boom Records in Seattle!
Its a Free, all-ages event, and the sweetest part is that you can pick up your copy of “Real Emotional Trash” immediately following the in-store…the minute it is released!
Virtual friends of SM & The Jicks received the following missive earlier today :
You will need a wristband to get into the show. Writsbands will be available for pick up at Music Millennium’s “east” location between 5:00 and 7:00 P.M. on the day of the show.
Music Millennium’s “east” location is at 3158 E Burnside. The telephone number there is (503) 231-8926. They will also have the band’s new album, “Real Emotional Trash,” on sale for $11.99.
ALSO, wristbands will be available at the club at the normal door times. However, THIS SHOW IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVED, so get there early and stay in line.
The whole of ‘Real Emotional Trash’ (LP/CD, coming March 4) can be heard at the Jicks’ MySpace page. Please, someone befriend this band so they can get some decent looking people in their Top Whatever.
In addition, the dashing quartet pictured above will be performing in the following record shops next week :
