Stephen Malkmus | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Stephen Malkmus |
Also known as |
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Born | Santa Monica, California, U.S. | May 30, 1966
Origin | Stockton, California |
Genres | Indie rock |
Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1982–present [1] |
Labels | |
Member of | |
Formerly of | |
Website | stephenmalkmus |
Stephen Joseph Malkmus (born May 30, 1966) [2] is an American musician best known as the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Pavement. He performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Pavement, and as a solo artist.
Stephen Malkmus was born in Santa Monica, California, to Mary and Stephen Malkmus Sr. [3] [4] His father was a property and casualty insurance agent. [4] When Stephen Jr. was 8, the family moved north to Stockton, [4] where he attended Carpinteria's Cate School and Lodi's Tokay High School. As a teenager, Malkmus worked various jobs, including painting house numbers on street curbs and "flipping burgers or whatever" at a country club. [5] At age 16, he spent the night in jail after consuming alcohol, urinating in the bushes, and walking on the roofs of several residential homes. [3] Later, he was placed on probation for underage drinking, [3] and was also expelled from school "for going to a party in the woods where people were taking mushrooms. I didn't take them, but some guy narc'd on me." [3]
Malkmus learned the guitar by playing along to Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze". [4] Around the age of 16, he started playing in several Stockton-based punk bands: Bag O Bones, The Straw Dogs, and Crisis Alert. After graduating from high school, Malkmus followed in his father's footsteps by attending the University of Virginia, where he majored in history and was a disc jockey for the college radio station WTJU. During this time, Malkmus met fellow WTJU DJs David Berman (who would later front the Silver Jews) and James McNew (of Yo La Tengo) and formed the lo-fi band Ectoslavia. [6] [7] In the late 1980s, he was employed as a security guard at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, along with Berman and Bob Nastanovich. [3]
Malkmus formed Pavement with Scott Kannberg (aka Spiral Stairs) right after finishing college at UVA in the late 80s. [8] Their first album, Slanted & Enchanted, was released to critical acclaim, and the band continued to receive attention for subsequent releases. Pavement, and Malkmus in particular, were hailed as spearheading the underground indie movement of the 1990s.
Pavement reunited in 2010 and embarked on a world tour, [9] and reunited again in 2022 and 2023 for another tour.
In 2001, following the 1999 dissolution of Pavement, Malkmus released his first self-titled album with his new band, The Jicks (although they were uncredited).
Malkmus's fourth studio album with The Jicks, Real Emotional Trash , was released in March 2008. [10]
In August 2011, he released his fifth studio album with The Jicks, Mirror Traffic . He played the album Ege Bamyasi , originally by the band Can, in its entirety on December 1, 2012 at WEEK-END Festival in Cologne, Germany. [11] A recording of this performance was released as a limited-edition live album on Record Store Day 2013.[ citation needed ]
Malkmus's sixth studio album with the Jicks, Wig Out at Jagbags , was released on January 7, 2014. On February 7, 2018, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks released "Middle America", their first material in four years. It was their first single from their seventh studio album, Sparkle Hard , which was released on May 18, 2018. [12]
Malkmus released an electronic album titled Groove Denied on March 15, 2019, after having worked on the album for 12 to 13 years. After he submitted the album in 2017, Chris Lombardi of Matador Records, which had released all of Malkmus' records thus far, told Malkmus that it was not the right time to release the album. [13] The album features Malkmus on all instruments and production and engineering. [14] [15] Malkmus released Traditional Techniques on March 6, 2020. The album was produced by Chris Funk of The Decemberists and features guitarist Matt Sweeney and musician Qais Essar.
Malkmus was a member of rock group Silver Jews along with David Berman. [16] In early 1999, Malkmus participated in a Sonic Youth side project called Kim's Bedroom that included bassist/vocalist Kim Gordon, guitarist and vocalist Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke, and drummer Ikue Mori; they never released an album, but did play a few live shows. By 2001, Malkmus was performing as frontman of The Jicks. [17]
In 2007, Malkmus provided 3 songs to the Todd Haynes' film I'm Not There , based on the life of Bob Dylan. He contributed on the songs "Ballad of a Thin Man", "Can't Leave Her Behind", and "Maggie's Farm". Malkmus has admitted that he was never "really a really big fan of Dylan," [18] but noted that his involvement with the film had made him listen "to him again a little closer." [5]
In 2016, Malkmus scored the soundtrack to the Netflix series Flaked , which stars Will Arnett. [19]
Malkmus moved to Portland, Oregon, where he met his wife, artist Jessica Jackson Hutchins. [20] [21] [22] The couple have two children: daughters Lottie (born 2004) [23] [24] and Sunday (born 2007). [25] In 2011, before the release of Mirror Traffic , Malkmus and his family moved to Berlin. [24] By the release of Wig Out at Jagbags in 2014, however, the family had moved back to Portland. [26]
Malkmus is a sports fan, supports Hull City Football Club and is known to play tennis [27] and golf.l[ citation needed ] He also played second base for the Portland-based Disjecta softball team. [28] Malkmus also previously played lacrosse in his high school. [29]
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(February 2014) |
Malkmus currently plays a Fender Stratocaster and a Guild S-100. [30] Other guitars used are a 1960s Fender Jazzmaster that can be traced back to the Brighten The Corners era, a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, and a Fender Stratocaster that was his guitar of choice during the majority of his time with Pavement. He used a Gibson SG with Pavement during the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain era. For the 2010 Pavement reunion tour he used his Stratocaster extensively. During his 2011 tour in support of Mirror Traffic he played a Guild S-100. He has also played a Danelectro Silvertone (Sears model dating to 1962 or 1963) for one-off solo shows.
Typically, he uses an Orange Retro 50 head through a 1970s Marshall 4x12 cabinet when playing live, though he has used various other Orange, Marshall and Fender amps, including a vintage Silverface Twin Reverb during the early Pavement years, an Orange OR120 during later Pavement years, and a single channel Orange AD30 with the Jicks. Malkmus's other confirmed (though not constant) gear includes: Z.Vex Fuzz Factory, Diamond J-Drive, Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler, T-Rex Replica, Lovetone Big Cheese, Lovetone Meatball, BOSS TU-2, DigiTech Whammy, Crowther HotCake, Kaisser Instruments Reamer and Pro Co RAT.
Year | Title | Director |
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2001 | "Discretion Grove" | Grant Gee |
"Jenny & the Ess-Dog" | ? | |
"Jo Jo's Jacket" | Shynola | |
2003 | "Death and the Maiden" | Mitchell Hawkes |
"Dark Wave" | Scott Lyons | |
"Baby C'Mon" | Lana Kim & Andy Bruntel | |
2005 | "Mama" | E.J. McLeavey-Fisher |
2008 | "Gardenia" | Daniel Woods |
2011 | "No One Is (As I Are Be)" | Steve Doughton |
"Senator" | Scott Jacobson | |
2013 | "Lariat" | Michael Leblanc |
"Cinnamon and Lesbians" | Jay Winebrenner | |
2018 | "Middle America" (acoustic) | Brook Linder |
"Solid Silk" (acoustic) | ||
2019 | "Viktor Borgia" | Jan Lankisch |
"Rushing the Acid Frat" | Robert Strange & James Papper | |
"Come Get Me" (lyric video) | Marisa Gesualdi | |
2020 | "Xian Man" (lyric video) | |
"Shadowbanned" | Jan Lankisch |
Pavement is an American indie rock band that formed in Stockton, California, in 1989. For most of their career, the group consisted of Stephen Malkmus, Scott Kannberg, Mark Ibold (bass), Steve West (drums), and Bob Nastanovich. Initially conceived as a recording project, the band at first avoided press or live performances, while attracting considerable underground attention with their early releases. Gradually evolving into a more polished band, Pavement recorded five full-length albums and ten EPs over the course of their decade-long career, though they disbanded with some acrimony in 1999 as the members moved on to other projects. In 2010, they undertook a well-received reunion tour, followed by another international tour in 2022-24.
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is the second studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on February 14, 1994, by Matador Records. The album saw the band move on towards a more accessible rock sound than that of their more lo-fi debut Slanted and Enchanted and achieve moderate success with the single "Cut Your Hair". The album also saw original drummer Gary Young replaced by Steve West. It was a UK Top 20 hit upon release, although it was not so successful in the US charts.
Wowee Zowee is the third studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 11, 1995, by Matador Records. Most of it was recorded at Easley Recording in Memphis, Tennessee, where some members of the band had previously worked on Silver Jews' 1994 album Starlite Walker. The album showcases a more experimental side of the band, marking a return to the clatter and unpredictability of their early recordings after the more accessible sound of their 1994 studio album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Its eclectic nature ranges from mellow yet distorted melodies to noise and punk rock, while the lyrics generally explore humorous and cryptic themes. At nearly one hour long, Wowee Zowee is Pavement's longest studio album, filling three sides of a vinyl record. Side four was left blank.
Terror Twilight is the fifth studio album by the American indie rock band Pavement. It was released on June 8, 1999, on Matador Records in the US and Domino Recording Company in the UK.
Slay Tracks: 1933–1969 is the debut EP by American indie rock band Pavement. Pavement—at that time, a duo of just its two founding members Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg (guitar)—recorded Slay Tracks with producer and future member Gary Young (drums) during a four-hour session. Pavement self-released the EP as a 7" vinyl record on the band's own record label Treble Kicker in 1989. The music of Slay Tracks was influenced by indie and punk rock bands such as Swell Maps and The Fall, and many of the lyrics were inspired by life in the band's hometown of Stockton, California.
Watery, Domestic is the fourth EP by American indie rock band Pavement. It is their final release to feature drummer Gary Young as a member.
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks is an American rock band consisting of Stephen Malkmus, Mike Clark, Joanna Bolme, and Jake Morris. Malkmus was the main singer and songwriter behind the influential 1990s indie rock band Pavement.
Robert Nastanovich is an American musician and member of the indie rock band Pavement, as well as a former member of Silver Jews, Ectoslavia, Pale Horse Riders, and Misshapen Lodge.
Janet Lee Weiss is an American rock drummer, a member of Quasi and former member of Sleater-Kinney. She was the drummer for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, leaving after the album Mirror Traffic, and contributed to the Shins' fourth studio album, Port of Morrow (2012). She was also the drummer for the supergroup Wild Flag.
Joanna Bolme is an American multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer who works with several indie rock bands and artists, mainly in the Pacific Northwest. She has been the bass guitarist for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks since their formation in 2001. On October 12, 2019, Bolme was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
Stephen Malkmus is the debut album by Stephen Malkmus, released on February 13, 2001 by Matador Records. Malkmus had planned to create the record by himself, or through a smaller, local label, but eventually accepted the offer Matador made, and he released it. Pre-release promotional CDs of the album exist under the working titles Jicks and Swedish Reggae. Malkmus intended to release the album as The Jicks, but Matador insisted that the album be released under his own name. The album peaked at number 124 in the US and number 49 in the UK.
Major Leagues is the final EP by American indie rock band Pavement. It was released on October 12, 1999, on Matador Records. To date, it is their final release of original material excluding reissues.
The discography of Pavement, a Stockton, California-based indie rock group, consists of five studio albums, five double-length reissues of the albums, one compilation, ten extended plays, and thirteen singles. This list does not include material performed by members or former members of Pavement that was recorded with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Silver Jews, Preston School of Industry, Free Kitten, The Crust Brothers, or any other associated solo or side projects.
Real Emotional Trash is the fourth album by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. The album was released on March 4, 2008 by Matador Records. The album was leaked on to the internet January 13, 2008. The album peaked at #64 on the Billboard 200.
Mike Clark is an American musician and restaurateur based in Portland, Oregon. He currently plays keyboards and guitar for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks.
Mirror Traffic is the fifth studio album by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, released on August 23, 2011 by Matador Records. It is the first collaboration between Stephen Malkmus and producer Beck and also the last album to feature drummer Janet Weiss, who moved on to become a member of Wild Flag. As of November 2013, the album has sold 30,000 copies in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Wig Out at Jagbags is the sixth studio album by American rock band Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. It was released on January 7, 2014, by Matador Records.
Stephen West is an American musician. From 1993 to 1999 he was the drummer for the indie rock band Pavement appearing on four of their studio albums. He has also become active as an artist in Rockbridge County, Virginia.
Sparkle Hard is the seventh studio album by American indie rock band Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, released on May 18, 2018, by Matador Records and Domino Records. It reached #174 on the Billboard 200 charts, and peaked at #64 on the Official UK Charts.
"Middle America" is a song by American rock band Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. It is the fifth track and first single from their seventh studio album, Sparkle Hard, and was released as a digital single on February 7, 2018 by Matador Records and Domino Records.
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