Stream Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks' Real Emotional Trash in its Entirety

Download: Stephen Malkmus - "Cold Son"
Download: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Baltimore"

Whether or not you are a wise consumer who likes to try something before they buy something or merely a cheap bastard who doesn't want to pay for music (you'll never guess which category I fall under), you can hear Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks newest album Real Emotional Trash before its release date, tomorrow the fourth. Through the magical social network MySpace, you can hear the entire record. Just head here to listen the complete album. Listen to the two MP3s that Matador has made available for download, "Baltimore" and "Cold Son", at the top of the post.

Real Emotional Trash is out tomorrow. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks will be playing First Avenue on March 19th. Tickets for the show can be bought here.

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

New Mp3: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Cold Son" and "Out Of Reaches"

Download: Stephen Malkmus - "Cold Son"
Download: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Baltimore"

Matablog posted yesterday the second MP3 from Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks' upcoming Real Emotional Trash, as well as a live video of another new song, "Out of Reaches", taken at a soundcheck.

In contrast to the more open-ended instrumental jams of "Baltimore", "Cold Son" is a fairly straightforward, verse-chorus-verse affair, starting out quietly with guitar and bass, but then adding a rad-sounding Moog synthesizer. The chorus of the song is as cool and collected as its refrain. Overall, "Cold Son" is the kind of nice, breezy and mellow song that Malkmus is renowned for - but this being the man played on "Woweee Zowee", he can't help but throw in a little chaos at the end, as "Cold Son" sputters to an idiosyncratic, almost polyrhythmic close.

Similarly, "Out of Reaches" mines the low-key vibe of the first Malkmus solo record by operating at an easygoing midtempo pace, a groove which allows the band to gracefully segue into the song's smooth, relaxed extended bridge.

As mentioned before, all of the songs are from the Jicks' forthcoming Real Emotional Trash, a record which is a part of Matador's "Buy Early, Get Now" series. Read more about that here.

Real Emotional Trash is out on March 4th.

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Buy Stephen Malkmus's New Album Before Its Release Date

Download Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Baby, C'Mon"
Download: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Baltimore"
Download: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Jenny & The Ess-Dog"

One of the more innovative methods of combating the record industry's never-ending woes has been Matador Records Buy Early Get Now (heretofore BEGN) promotion. Though the name and inherent premise of the project are self-explanatory, there's also much more to it than merely buying an album online ahead of its physical release date in order to get it ASAP.

No, No, No, you, the consumer, get so much more!

In addition to a streaming version of the record you purchase, BEGN gives you a whole lot more than what you get with mere CDs of the album (or, you know, when you download it on the internet).

The last entry in the Matador BEGN series was Challengers, the underrated fourth album from The New Pornographers. Those who ordered the last set got to choose from one of two editions. The "executive edition" (20 bones) included a box-set, live disc, videos, photos and artwork. While the "standard edition" (15 bones) didn't include such luxuries, but the listener still got 3 previously unreleased B-sides, a full album stream, plus advance notice on what-were-then upcoming New Pornos shows.

Challengers was number 4 in the series. Now, with the upcoming release of Stephen Malkmus's fourth post-Pavement album (and second with the Jicks) Real Emotional Trash, BEGN
begets entry number 5

From the Matablog:

Preorder the Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks album ‘Real Emotional Trash’ (out March 4) now, and a get an instant stream along with two exclusive B-sides, an entire live show and a poster.

Visit the buyearlygetnow.com website to register. You start by preordering the album from a participating retailer - click the location on the map closest to you, or just order from the Matador Store - and you will get a username and password. Go back to buyearlygetnow.com to log in, download the stream, and get your extras on the site over the next few weeks.

On March 4 you pick up the album and poster from your local retailer or receive it in the mail. Simple and straightforward.

So no box-sets like last time, but it seems like its still a pretty good deal. Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks play First Ave on March 19th.

Stephen Malkmus MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Annouce US Tour Dates, Show In Minneapolis

Download: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Baltimore"

Come the Spring thaw, Minneapolis residents better be ready to bring out their Real Emotional Trash. Matablog has just posted the confirmed dates for Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Spring US tour. Based on the schedule, which is posted below for your own perusal, the first date of the tour is in good ole Minneapple. The show will be at First Avenue on March 19th, which is about two weeks after The Jicks' latest record drops. Look below for the tour dates and head to the top to hear an MP3 of first single "Baltimore". Read MFR's take on said song here.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Tour Dates
March
19-Minneapolis @ First Avenue
20-Milwaukee @ Pabst Theater
21-Chicago @ Vic Theatre
22-Indianapolis IN @ Vogue Theater
23-Newport KY @ Southgate House
25-Nashville @ Mercy Lounge
26-Atlanta @ Variety Playhouse
28-Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
29-Philadelphia @ Fillmore
31-New York @ Bowery

April
2-Brooklyn NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
3-Boston@ Paradise Rock Club
4-North Adams MA @ MASS MoCA

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

New Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - "Baltimore"

Download: Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks - "Baltimore"

Real Emotional Trash, the forthcoming album fro Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, arrives via Matador in March. While that's a whole season away, Matablog was so kind as to post the first single from the Jicks' fourth album, a track called "Baltimore".

The song starts out waltzing rocker with a folk-flavored melody with some ethereal effects on the vocals and keyboards, before engaging in style and tempo changes that suggest someone developed a little musical crush on the Fiery Furnaces. When people described band who play music with extended instrumental interplay (that's a pretentious way of saying "lots of jamming") as being "jam-band-for-people-who-don't-like-jam-bands", they could probably point to this track as defense Exhibit A. The end of "Baltimore" actually has some unironic dual guitar harmonies, though they obviously filtered through the indie-rock aesthetic. Which is to say, the harmonies are not screaming. Based on "Baltimore", maybe Real Emotional Trash will be more like Pig Lib, in the sense that Malkmus will show off his underrated guitar chops.

Listen to "Baltimore" at the top of the post.

(Jonathan Graef)