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PIG LIB
Home > Complete List of "m-n" Artists > Stephen Malkmus > Item 10
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PIG LIB
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by STEPHEN AND MALKMUS
Sales Rank: 239884
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$10.22
At Amazon
on 10-2-2008.
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1. Water and a Seat
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2. Ramp of Death
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3. Do Not Feed The Oyster
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4. Vanessa from Queens
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5. Sheets
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6. Animal Midnight
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7. Dark Wave
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8. Witch Mountain Bridge
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9. Craw Song
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10. 1% of One
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See all 11 tracks on this disc
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1. Dynamic Calories [#]
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2. Fractions and Feelings [#]
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3. Old Jerry [#]
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4. Poet and the Witch [Live][#]
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5. Shake It Around [Live][#]
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His sophomore album embraces the classic rock ensemble featuring a delectable array of antecedents inform the music herein, from Irish prog-folk greats Mellow Candle to the Jazz inflected musings of Kevin Ayers and Lol Coxhill to some of the more outro moments on Pavements weirdest album, Wowee Zowee. Includes a bonus CD with 5 tracks, 'Dynamic Calories', 'Fractions & Feelings', 'Old Jerry', 'The Poet & The Witch' (live Sweden 2001) & 'Shake It Around' (live Australia 2001). Digipak. Matador. 2003.
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
Few geniuses come along in ones lifetime who can truly be remembered in music. Today, we are perhaps faced with only a handful, among them Billy Corgan, Thom Yorke, and of course, Stephen Malkmus. Head of the tremendously popular yet insanely underground indie band, Pavement, back in the early 90s, Malkmus is no stranger to the world of rock. We all knew Pavement was rad, but I think Malkmus's solo career has been far underpublicized for its magnitude. The fact is that Pavement remains that simplistic but influential band that everyone includes in their list of influences. Malkmus builds on that simple insanity, layering it with more guitar solos than Pavement ever saw and a sound that could be determined as a bit more cleaned up and at times, just a bit more lo-fi. Malkmus's vocals remain as occasionally unnatural as ever, that forced, DIY indie attitude of vocal stylings. The lyrics and melodies, however, are stunning at times. Songs like "Dark Wave" make this indie legend sound more like a new wave master, somehow sounding like vocals out of a System of a Down sound while retaining an overall feel closer to a band like the Faint. Overall, though, the album has a feel closer to good ole rock 'n' roll. "Witch Mountain Bridge" has beautiful guitars and really nice vocals. It immediately struck me as being a really great song, although I'll admit that there's one melodic section in it that reminds me tremendously of the Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Californication." Around the half-way mark of the song comes this guitar solo that while simple in nature, just blew me away. Listening to it, I really think it's the riffs that make this album what it is. Other great songs included "Us," something sounding almost poppy, a mix of Belle and Sebastian with Beck. "I don't really know your taste in ceilings," Malkmus sings, "but for now i think i'll keep on reeling / this adventure needs a little game." It's amazing how well this man's songwriting abilities have increased even since the days of Wowee Zowee. I also really liked "Craw Song," with keyboards and really nice guitars, the lyrics perhaps may even equal the insanity that we once knew with Pavement. "Michael wants Jackie / Jackie wants William / William wants Leroy / But Leroy is straight." There is just this silent sense of humor in the song: "I kiss and tell and make life hell." Unfortunately, I don't think there's one bad song on this album... which in retrospect isn't unfortunate at all. I really feel that this album is magnificent, a modern work of art encompassing the traditional Pavement sound with a more mature element. This is excellent indie-rock, perhaps some of the finest there is. Truly. I'm actually blown away by this album, and right now, it ranks at #4 or so for my top of 2003 list (the Postal Service remains at top, followed by Cursive and perhaps Rainer Maria). So, if you like indie rock with insane lyrics, great guitars, even a remotely folk sound... go for this. Really, best guitar solos I've ever heard within solid rock music here. Plus an sense of melody that only bands like Belle & Sebastian could suprass. Brilliant. Check out if fans of: Pavement (of course), Velvet Underground, Spoon, the White Stripes, Ted Leo, Paul Westerberg (and the Replacements), Belle and Sebastian, the new Beck, Built to Spill (Doug Martsch), Guided by Voices or maybe even the Strokes...
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PIG LIB
Available from Amazon
Price: $10.22
Updated on 10-2-2008.
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