Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 132 - 2014

132
January 2014, BBC 6 Music radio session
Chartjunk
Lariat

One difference between the 'Wig out' promotion and previous albums, this is a band promoting their album. I've seen a higher number than usual of interviews with all of the Jicks present. Now, if they get enough attention from the interviewers, that's another question. And all of the radio sessions have been with the Jicks, not solo acoustic. I take it as a sign of 'band awareness' running high at the moment, which is good. The one thing all the sessions (there are a couple coming up) have in common, is that they lack surprises. The Jicks play selections from their latest album in arrangements similar to the album. They play'em really well, on the whole, but is it too much to ask to drop a cover in there, or a re-arranged old song, a new song... It seems not so long ago, when that would be the order of the day.

Anyway, here at 6Music on BBC Radio they play a version of 'Chartjunk' that smokes the album version as far as I'm concerned. It rips, it's got that excitement, the gut missing from the album. There's urgency in Stephen's vocal. And those guitars on the final minute. My goodness. 'Lariat' takes a while to gather momentum. Stephen hesitates here and there, both the vocal and the guitar line. It's good, but only comes alive at the very end of the take. Don't worry, they play the song at 3 of the 5 2014 radio sessions in this list. They'll get it right.

Btw, the BBC confirm their excellent reputation in radio sessions. The sound is superb.