Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 103/104 - 2011

103
2011/08/30, Late night with Jimmy Fallon
Senator
Surreal teenagers

Just one short week later, in perfect performance sound, we hear a whole other side of Jake Morris. The band is primed and ready for this mass media opportunity, delivering a taut, compact 'Senator' for the airing and an epic new song as a website bonus.

Everyone is at their best, but Jake owns these performances. Precise, exciting, very melodic (for obvious reasons the drums are the hardest instrument to play with a real sense of melody, but listen to it, he pulls it off).

With all the effort to find an alternative for 'blowjob' that could pass the censor (there was a contest!), Stephen still lets rip a 'Fuck it' that needs to get bleeped. But it doesn't distract from a powerful 'Senator' that for once sounds like a real single to me – like you could hum it after hearing it once. Special mention to the nice bass embellishments that Joanna drops in – subtle but effective.

'Surreal teenagers' – in the two weeks since Stephen played it near-instrumentally at Disjecta this song has gained some wonderfully deadpan lyrics:
I went caroling with my family
They were quite untuned
The microtones were dripping
Driping from the pantaloon

It's also become a proto-prog Jicks epic, effortlessly moving from solo parts to thundering band crescendos, from eerie falsetto backing to a blazing glamrock chorusline. To my ears, it's never been as good as right there right then – not even the album version. At 'Fallon' it's undeniable: the amazing percussion construction Jake has dreamed up, the perfect balance between Stephen's guitar tone, the off-mike count-ins (only make it more exciting). From beginning to end they're riding the tiger and nothing could shake them off.

Essential listening.

104
aug/sept 2011, Other Music
Independence street
Fall away
Tigers
No one is (as I are be)
Forever 28
Long hard book

Another date around this time, another facet of Jake's drumming – this time he's Ringo banging on a suitcase in the train segment of 'A hard day's night'. (Don't worry – I'll stop focussing on Jake soon. It's not like I have a crush on him or anything. I do like the zest and rejuvenated sense of enjoyment he's brought back to the band. I missed that.)

At this in-store record shop mini-show the Jicks play it semi-acoustically, though that doesn't mean campfire ballads in this case. 'Play some fills' Stephen instructs Jake at one point during a rearranged 'Forever 28'. 'Barbershop,' says Joanna. I was thinking 'skiffle' myself. This is still a rock band, just a slightly different take.

It's not in my top drawer of Jicks shows – there's a droning, metallic hum to Stephen's guitar that wears me out after a while. There's a little too much freewheeling guitar solo on 'Independence street' (the entire song's not a solo, Stephen). The track selection isn't all that illuminating. Minor criticisms, I know. There's a lot to enjoy. 'Independence street' is always good at this time, soloing or not. The only performance of 'Fall away' (ballad version) I've ever heard (did they ever play this song during concerts?). Mike's playing melodica on 'No one is (as I are be)', on an instrument he's just bought the day before and he's clearly still discovering it. The 'Forever 28' remake is my highlight of the set. 'Long hard book''s also always welcome. Great song.

So yeah, I enjoy it. Not mind-blowing, but fine.