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Stephen Malkmus


scott

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Then buy (right now!) Stephen Malkmus' new album 'Real Emotional Trash' he cranks up the fuzz, writes great pop songs, has a ten minute song (that doesn't suck) and goes for a full on psychedelic freak out.

He plays like Hendrix, and is at times, more creative.

BUY IT NOW!

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What I mean by old

is those folks out there, that grew up with some awesome music, but then, something happened in their brains or in their life, or maybe they just turned on the radio one day and said "Everything sounds like crap!" and then gave up on music. If it wasn't one of 'their bands' releasing an album of songs that sound like their album before, and the album before that, and before that, and so on, these bands that were once great, but have grown stale, then you just won't listen to it.

The fact is, there is awesome music being made every single day, but to let it slip from your mind, and to never experience music again is... sad.

Stephen Malkmus is one of these artists.

His band, Pavement, was rock'n'roll to the soul for their first two albums, jagged punk guitars, awesome lyrics, and an amazing stage presence, then they hit a turning point (their 'rubber soul, if you will') and expanded into super melodic rock, which is just as fresh and creative as their first two efforts.

Then SM went solo, forming a new band 'The Jicks' and released three all right albums.

Then he added a new drummer Janet Weiss, from Sleater-Kinney, and she can kick meg white's pale butt from room to room, and now the jicks are fully formed.

And now, he has released 'Real Emotional Trash' a masterwork of the highest order, and has accomplished a feat few modern musicians have, gone from an amazing band, to solo artist, with a few mediocre albums, and then rocketing back to a creative tour-de-force.

During all this creation, he also managed to be the greatest guitarist of the last generation. and I'm not one of those guys with a big 'guitar hard-on' in fact, I was kinda getting tired of listening to guitars, until I heard the first bit of 'Real Emotional Trash'.

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There's tons of Stephen Malkmus on YouTube (including Real Emotional Trash ) , and I must say, to channel Randy Jackson, "It was just alright for me, Dawg"

He plays like Hendrix, and is at times, more creative.

Au contraire, mon jeune ami.

That's not a real compliment anyway. Players called "like Hendrx" are usually trying to mimic him. I wouldn't include Malkmus among those, but I don't think he's close to as impressive as Jimi.

The fact is, there is awesome music being made every single day, but to let it slip from your mind, and to never experience music again is... sad.

I go for music that moves me, and I don’t really care if it was made yesterday literally or in the 1920s. And, sure, I’ll try to turn anyone and everyone on to stuff I like.

Please keep the suggestions coming, but don’t count on unanimous agreement here at SongFacts.

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Every single jazz technique-check

Every inversion, every key- check

Ability to play in and out of key- check

Fuzzed out, amp up, psychedelia in-check

That is the core of Hendrix, and is also what SM does, reguarly, and he isn't dead.

Then SM goes on and adds

alternate tunings

Advanced melodic structure

lyrics that don't suck

I use the Hendrix comparison, because he does channel Hendrix, channel, not imitate, with the addition of crunch psychedelia to real emotional trash.

This is not just my opinion, but one shared by many others, including Rolling Stone.

Blahs, blah-humbug. I try to bring great tidings of music, but unfortunately it will die.

New generation won't hear it, because their brains have been bombarded and addled by backstreet boys, pop-punk'alt'rock, and cellphone ring diddies.

The old generation won't hear it, because their brains have gotten stuck on one mode, one track,

the only hope is if society somehow musically rebounds twenty years from now, which is doubtful, and I will be old, which will make me sad.

also, real videos from real emotional trash aren't even on youtube yet. just an all right cut of the title, but it's ruined with video game sounds, and then there's a soundcheck.

I feel as tho I've become a musical Cassandra, I speak of these great things, but no one will ever listen.

Edited by Guest
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oi, sorry, lazy

there aren't any youtube videos out yet

as the tour kicks off in minneapolis on wednesday (a show which I will be attending)

here is a clip of the Malk actually playing, it's from his pavement days, but he's only gotten better

'grounded'

a truly heartbreaking song.

and it showcases both his mad skills, and his stage presence, both of which like none other

You can go to his myspace page

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=16349952

and listen to the whole album there

my fave cuts are

Dragonfly Pie, which is where he cranks out the hendrix

'cold son' which is the perfect pop song.

and wicked wanda, because it has this great spaced out verse(the part where he goes Strike..strike,strike me square)

and for pavement buffs familiar with the smashing pumpkins pavement 'feud' it has an especially satisfying solo, as he uses the tone that billy corgan used for the whole siamese dream album (you'll know what I'm talking about) and plays a minute solo that absolutely crushes everything that corgan did.

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and one last thing on SMs ability that is undeniable

he is one of, (if not the absolutely) only rock musicians to make full use of dynamics (they're this thing in music, that musicians were using for hundreds of years before the modern era) with the electric guitar, an innovation that puts him near the top regardless of everything else.

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Tonybaloni

you win many laughs for that line.

And levis

his solo stuff pre-emotional trash is pretty lackluster

but emotional trash is so mind blowingly good, it requires repeated listening, go to the myspace page and check out 'cold son'

it's badass

and I get to see him live in just a few days, I'll update then.

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As impressed as I am with what I've heard I'm still not willing to:

1) Say this is the best release of '08 so far. I prefer Black Mountain

2) Compare him to Hendrix. Every great guitarist (yes, he is a great guitarist) has Hendrix-esque moments, but Malkmus strikes me more as Iommi via Frusciante, if that makes any sense.

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I feel as tho I've become a musical Cassandra, I speak of these great things, but no one will ever listen.

I don't think you realize how popular indie artists have become recently. I guess it depends on where you're from, but around my parts it seems like everyone is into indie. High School Musical may have been the top selling album of 2006, but the one I heard most people talking about and downloading and listening to that year was The Decemberists' the Crane Wife.

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