Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 150 - 2015

150
20150225, Governor Hindmarsh hotel, Adelaide, Australia

Unknown song [Unto others you must do]
Pick up the spare
Unknown song [Love you better]

More new originals (at least I assume - they have that Malkmus melodic touch) from a lo-fidelity recording (the only one?) of a show on the february 2015 Australian tour. Sadly, I can't continue the good news of 'Kite in a closet' and 'Baby boomer blues'.

Both songs are obviously works-in-progress. I have a feeling those won't be the final lyrics on either. Nevertheless I'll give them some dummy titles for identification. 

'Unto others you must do (what you would have them do to you)' is 2 and a half minutes of proto-prog riffing again. Again? Yes, again. Son of son of 'Planetary motion' and 'Scattegories'. Partial rich inheritance? Not so much. For this fan the well has run dry. I know this song by now. Stephen should be able to write them in his sleep. I can only hope this turns into one of those discarded by-the-wayside songs - a messy secret for the tape collectors, known in only one or two recorded versions. 

'Love you better' (if these aren't dummy lyrics, I'll eat my hat) is a much better way to spend 2 and 1/2 minutes. Spends its opening 30 seconds on a sublimely catchy riff. The next 'Lariat'? Then verse, riff, verse again. From 1'25" to 1'50" there's a weird, random sounding bridge which leads chromatically upwards, ends in chaos. Then back into the riff with 'nanana' chanting. A good start, but this song is not completely written yet, right? It needs a chorus.

Nice sighting of 'Pick up the spare'.

Anyway, a couple months later there were reports of Stephen working on keyboard demos, having a re-evaluation of direction... Maybe for the best. I can't wait to find out what comes next.