Stephen Malkmus: New York Bowery Ballroom
Ex-Pavement frontman proves the cheekbones - and the tunes - are still intact...
If anyone at tonight's show is expecting former indie golden boy Stephen Malkmus to bust out a medley of old Pavement favourites, they'll leave scratching their heads. The regal-cheekboned Scrabble champion formerly known as SM is here to debut a new band and new songs, and any cheeky shouts of "Box Elder!" will only be met with a laconic grin and a shake of the head. To underscore his new status as a struggling unknown, he's even distributing free T-shirts reading: "Who the fuck is Stephen Malkmus?"
So what's his new direction? Most of tonight's songs are from his upcoming solo disc, and, well, Stephen Malkmus in 2001 sounds... quite a bit like he did in late-period Pavement, when the early-'90s multipronged fuzz gave way to sunset-tinged pop and lyrics more wistful in their crypticness.
But that's not a bad thing - he'll never do another 'Debris Slide', but the new clarity has forced his songwriting to come out more in the open. Two of tonight's best songs tell actual cohesive stories: 'Hook' is the catchy tale of a kidnapped young man carving a happy life with Turkish pirates, and 'Jenny And The Ess-Dog' depicts a sweet if fleeting liaison between a rich 18-year-old and the 31-year-old "son of a Coca-Cola middleman".
But where late-era Pavement seemed a bit lackadaisical live, Malkmus' new band have worked out a tight but easy groove. Granted, Malkmus' girlfriend Heather Lorimer and her not-quite-in-sync maracas sometimes seem superfluous, but when she and Malkmus trade goofy grins, it's obvious he's glad she's there. From a band standpoint, she fills the role of Pavement's Bob Nastnovitch - not technically necessary, but adding a certain undeniable vibe.
Halfway through the set some joker yells out for 'Connection', undoubtedly having heard the rumour that Justine Frischmann may join the band as a guitarist on future dates. Malkmus, though, seems fine with the prospect of leading the show on his own. "But I like playing guitar," he says in an exaggerated drawl. "What do you think I do all day?" So never fear, Indie Nation - regardless of how the flavour-of-the-week winds blow, he'll always be around for us. No guarantees on the cheekbones, though.
Lisa Gidley
So what's his new direction? Most of tonight's songs are from his upcoming solo disc, and, well, Stephen Malkmus in 2001 sounds... quite a bit like he did in late-period Pavement, when the early-'90s multipronged fuzz gave way to sunset-tinged pop and lyrics more wistful in their crypticness.
But that's not a bad thing - he'll never do another 'Debris Slide', but the new clarity has forced his songwriting to come out more in the open. Two of tonight's best songs tell actual cohesive stories: 'Hook' is the catchy tale of a kidnapped young man carving a happy life with Turkish pirates, and 'Jenny And The Ess-Dog' depicts a sweet if fleeting liaison between a rich 18-year-old and the 31-year-old "son of a Coca-Cola middleman".
But where late-era Pavement seemed a bit lackadaisical live, Malkmus' new band have worked out a tight but easy groove. Granted, Malkmus' girlfriend Heather Lorimer and her not-quite-in-sync maracas sometimes seem superfluous, but when she and Malkmus trade goofy grins, it's obvious he's glad she's there. From a band standpoint, she fills the role of Pavement's Bob Nastnovitch - not technically necessary, but adding a certain undeniable vibe.
Halfway through the set some joker yells out for 'Connection', undoubtedly having heard the rumour that Justine Frischmann may join the band as a guitarist on future dates. Malkmus, though, seems fine with the prospect of leading the show on his own. "But I like playing guitar," he says in an exaggerated drawl. "What do you think I do all day?" So never fear, Indie Nation - regardless of how the flavour-of-the-week winds blow, he'll always be around for us. No guarantees on the cheekbones, though.
Lisa Gidley
Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks set for new single
Malkmus, Stephen & The Jicks : Dark WaveNME Alerts
Get NME news delivered direct to your desktop. Find out more
Add your comment
Please sign in to add your comments or register to have your say.