Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

Last updated
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, July 2018.jpg
Malkmus performing with The Jicks in 2018
Background information
Origin Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Genres Indie rock
Years active2000–present
Labels Matador Records, Arts & Crafts, Domino Recording Company
Members Stephen Malkmus
Joanna Bolme
Mike Clark
Jake Morris
Past members John Moen
Janet Weiss
Joe 'Plumdog' Plummer
Website www.stephenmalkmus.com

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.

Contents

History

The Jicks formed in 2000, almost immediately after Pavement's 1999 "hiatus" began. The group's first record - which had a working title of Swedish Reggae - was simply called Stephen Malkmus. It was released by Matador Records on February 13, 2001.

The group made their official live debut at New York's Bowery Ballroom only a few weeks before their first record was released. Around this time, Pavement's auxiliary percussionist Bob Nastanovich began acting as The Jicks' tour manager, and Mike Clark joined on keyboards.

Pig Lib was the name of the band's second record, which was released in 2003. The album featured a looser interplay between the musicians with longer song lengths and a growing emphasis on guitar solos. The album received positive reviews, gaining 4/5 stars from Rolling Stone and an 8.0/10 from Pitchfork Media. In 2003 the Jicks opened for Radiohead on their North American tour, and in 2004 the band helped to curate an edition of the British All Tomorrow's Parties festival.

The band released Face the Truth in 2005 to widely positive reviews, many of them claiming a return to Wowee Zowee -type form. Most of the album was recorded by Malkmus alone in his basement, although each member of the Jicks play on at least one song on the record. The band toured minimally for this record, partially due to the fact that Malkmus had a new child. During this time period Joe Plummer briefly filled in on drums.

Malkmus performing with The Jicks in 2006 Stevemalkmus(by Scott Dudelson).jpg
Malkmus performing with The Jicks in 2006

On October 2, 2006, it was reported by Pitchfork that John Moen had become a full-time member of The Decemberists and had been replaced by Janet Weiss - drummer of Quasi and the then-defunct Sleater-Kinney. [1] The band's fourth studio album, Real Emotional Trash , was recorded at SnowGhost Music in Whitefish, Montana, and released on March 4, 2008 to generally positive reviews. While Malkmus spent much of 2010 on tour with Pavement, the band completed recording on their fifth album Mirror Traffic with Beck Hansen. Prior to the release, Janet Weiss' departure from the Jicks lineup was announced. Her place was taken by ex-Joggers drummer Jake Morris. [2]

The band's sixth studio album, Wig Out at Jagbags , was released on January 7, 2014. It was recorded in the La Chapelle studio in Belgium with Pavement's F.O.H. live sound engineer Remko 'El Duche' Schouten. Overdubs were done in Berlin where Stephen lived from 2012 until 2014 with his family. The album was mixed in Amsterdam's IJland Studio.

On March 26, 2018, it was announced that the band's seventh studio album, Sparkle Hard would be released on May 18, 2018. [3]

For much of the band's existence, the Jicks did not regularly perform songs by Malkmus's previous band Pavement. However, since about 2012, the group has shown a greater willingness to occasionally play Pavement songs (generally one or two per show). Commonly played Pavement songs in later Jicks performances have included "In the Mouth a Desert", "Shady Lane", "Box Elder", and "Stereo" among others.

Members

Current members
Former members

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleater-Kinney</span> American rock band

Sleater-Kinney is an American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1994. The band's current lineup features Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, following the departure of longtime member Janet Weiss in 2019. Sleater-Kinney originated as part of the riot grrrl movement and has become a key part of the American indie rock scene. The band is also known for its feminist and liberal politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pavement (band)</span> American indie rock band

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, with another international tour currently ongoing in 2022 and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Malkmus</span> American musician (born 1966)

Stephen Joseph Malkmus is an American musician best known as the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Pavement. He currently performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks and as a solo artist.

<i>Slanted and Enchanted</i> 1992 studio album by Pavement

Slanted and Enchanted is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 20, 1992, by Matador Records. It is the only Pavement album to feature drummer Gary Young.

<i>Terror Twilight</i> 1999 studio album by Pavement

Terror Twilight is the fifth and - as of 2023 - final studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on June 8, 1999, on Matador Records in the US and Domino Recording Company in the UK.

Shiggy may refer to:

<i>Pig Lib</i> 2003 studio album by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

Pig Lib is the second studio album by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, released on March 18, 2003 by Matador Records. It peaked at #97 in the U.S. and #63 in the UK. The first pressing of the record came with a bonus disc containing five additional new songs. As of June 2004, the album has sold 49,000 copies in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quasi</span> American indie rock band

Quasi is an American indie rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1993 by former spouses Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss. Joanna Bolme performed and recorded with the group as a bassist from 2007 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet Weiss</span> American rock drummer (born 1965)

Janet Lee Weiss is an American rock drummer, best known as a former member of Sleater-Kinney and a current member of Quasi. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joanna Bolme</span> Musical artist

Joanna Bolme is a 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.

<i>Stephen Malkmus</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Stephen Malkmus

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.

No. 2 is an American indie rock band that originated in Portland, Oregon in 1996 and consisting of Neil Gust, Gilly Ann Hanner and Paul Pulvirenti (drums).

<i>Real Emotional Trash</i> 2008 studio album by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

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 #64 on the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Clark (indie rock musician)</span> Musical artist

Mike Clark is an American musician and restaurateur based in Portland, Oregon. He currently plays keyboards and guitar for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks.

<i>Mirror Traffic</i> 2011 studio album by 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.

<i>Wig Out at Jagbags</i> 2014 studio album by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

Wig Out at Jagbags is the sixth studio album by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. It was released on January 7, 2014, by Matador Records.

<i>Sparkle Hard</i> 2018 studio album by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle America (song)</span> 2018 single by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

"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.

<i>Groove Denied</i> 2019 album by Stephen Malkmus

Groove Denied is a studio album by American rock musician Stephen Malkmus. It is the third album credited to Malkmus and the first to not feature his band The Jicks. It was released on March 15, 2019 by Matador Records and Domino Recording Company.

References

  1. "Janet Weiss Talks Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks". Pitchfork . October 2, 2006. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008.
  2. Valania, Jonathan (September 12, 2011). "Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks: Rule Portlandia". Magnet . Archived from the original on 2013-10-23.
  3. "Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Announce New Album Sparkle Hard, Release "Shiggy"". Spin.com. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.