<![CDATA[Stephen Malkmus]]> http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/malkmus_stephen/artist.jhtml (c) 2007 MTV Networks. (c) and TM MTV Networks. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/mtvinfo/terms.jhtml for terms and conditions. http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/images/u/mtv-logo.gif MTV http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/malkmus_stephen/artist.jhtml 65 44 Music en-us 15 <![CDATA[New Releases: Audioslave, Gorillaz, Common, Wallflowers, Sleater-Kinney & More]]> Also due Tuesday are albums from Stephen Malkmus and Nikka Costa.
By Alyssa Rashbaum


Audioslave's <I>Out of Exile</I>
Photo: Interscope

After making history earlier this month by playing the biggest show ever by an American rock band in Cuba, Audioslave are preparing to take on the albums chart this week. The band is releasing its sophomore album, Out of Exile, which follows 2002's self-titled album.

After four long years of waiting for two-dimensional artists Gorillaz to deliver a studio follow-up to their 2001 self-titled album, the band composed of animated members 2-D, Russel, Murdoc and Noodle is back with Demon Days. Led by its first single, "Feel Good Inc.," the LP features two major changes — the absence of former producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and the presence of Danger Mouse in his place.

Common, king of conscious rap, is going back to his roots with his latest album, Be. After releasing 2002's highly experimental, sprawling Electric Circus, Common narrows his focus this time around, employing two main producers, Kanye West and J Dilla.

The Wallflowers are taking a cue from the title of their new album, Rebel, Sweetheart, defying the ever-changing climate of the mainstream with another straight-up rock and roll album that follows 2002's Red Letter Days.

Nikka Costa's long-awaited new album, Can'tneverdidnothin, hits stores this week on the heels of the single "Till I Get to You." Frank Sinatra's goddaughter is back, four years after the release of Everybody Got Their Something.

Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus releases his third solo album, Face the Truth, while fiery female rock trio Sleater-Kinney follow up 2002's One Beat with The Woods. South African hard rockers Seether unleash their sophomore effort, Karma and Effect.

On the hip-hop side of new releases, there's the latest from Young Gunz (Brothers From Another), former Immature/IMX member Marques Houston (Naked) and B.G. (The Heart of tha Streetz).

In DVD news, fans of Dave Chappelle who are still reeling over the news that the next season of his "Chappelle's Show" will be postponed can comfort themselves with the DVD of season two.

Also out this week are albums by Belle and Sebastian (Push Barman to Open Old Wounds), Alkaline Trio (Crimson), Gucci Mane (Trap House), the Agony Scene (The Darkest Red), Death in Vegas (Satan's Circus), Shout Out Louds (Howl Howl Gaff Gaff), Pretty Ricky (Bluestars), Meat Beat Manifesto (At the Center) and Shelby Lynne (Suit Yourself).

Out Tuesday, May 24:

May 31:

June 7:

June 14:

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1502815/20050523/audioslave.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1502815/20050523/audioslave.jhtml 23 May 2005 08:37:00 EDT <![CDATA[Stephen Malkmus Hoping For Crunk Success With New LP]]> Ex-Pavement frontman finds hip-hop parallels on his third solo album, Face the Truth.
By Rodrigo Perez


Stephen Malkmus
Photo: MTV News

As a founding member of arguably the most revered indie-rock band of all time, Pavement, Stephen Malkmus has always had to bear the burden of indie's reluctant leader.

So it may seem strange that he found inspiration for his third post-Pavement solo record, Face the Truth, in all things ... crunk?

"I Googled [the album title] and I found that there's crunk-style hip-hop guys that have a song called 'Face the Truth' down in Houston. And that's sh--'s selling, so ...," Malkmus said with a half-smirk.

OK, maybe crunk wasn't much of a musical stimulus, but he still loves the concept behind the sound. "When Houston-style crunk first came out, it was based on drinking cough syrup and so much codeine," he said. "They would do these mixes that were really slow. And the leader of the scene, his body gave out from too much Robitussin or something. And I love that ... these over-the-counter cough syrups are influencing music. Instead of marijuana for once, it's nice."

While no substance, illegal or pharmaceutical, fueled Truth, Malkmus instead found inspiration in the little mantras and goals he gave himself. "I had a sign in the basement that I put up that was like, 'Don't be normal. Don't let things get normal.' "

The maxim seemed to work. The eclectic May 24 release showcases many of Malkmus' musical styles, from the recent guitar-god noodlings of his previous Pig Lib to classic indie-rock songs to goofy Moog-inflected numbers to his newfound genre, "jokey disco."

"I wrote about the art world in Manhattan," Malkmus said. "It's a very small, small world, but it's very big to the people who are in it, so I wrote a vicious put-down on the art world."

Though known as the quintessential smartass with his smarmy, facetious wordplay, this time Malkmus tried to let his guard down and get a little honest. Both "It Kills" and "Freeze the Saints" bear the mark of sincerity, with the latter being one the more heartfelt songs Malkmus has written in recent years.

"There's songs on [Truth] that I would never normally release except in a private room where no one else could hear. They're like secret fetishes that no one should really know about, but I decided to put it out because, hey, it's just a CD. It's me, and I don't get out much anymore." Having recently celebrated the birth of his first child, Malkmus is a homebody indeed, and his tour schedule has been truncated as a result.

His tendency to stay home did, on the other hand, facilitate the recording of Truth, which he documented mostly by himself in his home-basement studio in Portland, Oregon. The Malk is proud of his back-to-basics approach that eschewed the use of modern technology like Pro Tools. "You remember in '78 or '79, when people were like, 'Disco sucks?' " he asked. "Pro Tools sucks as much as disco sucks."

However, a video is being planned for the first single, the smooth and Pavement-esque "Mama." Malkmus is pleased with the song, but he'll only let the rhythm do the talking.

"It's like asking Missy Elliott what 'Get Ur Freak On' is all about. It's just about that beat. She can say whatever she wants," he said, stopping to beat-box the "Freak" beat, "but that's what the song's about."

This year saw the re-release of Pavement's indie-rock classic Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Much like the Pixies' successful comeback tour last year, offers for the band to reunite have been pouring in. But even if a dump truck of money were driven up to the front of his house, he wouldn't reunite the band — not for at least 10 years.

"We've already had offers of that ilk — maybe not a dump truck, but a small minivan," he said. "People that like Pavement will still be alive [in 10 years], their kids will be in high school by then, so it'll be easier for them to go to the show. Right now they have to carry them in baby papooses, you know?"

Stephen Malkmus tour dates, according to Matador Records:

  • 6/5 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
  • 6/7 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
  • 6/9 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
  • 6/10 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew's Hall
  • 6/12 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
  • 6/14 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
  • 7/4 - New York, NY @ Battery Park - The Lawn (with Yo La Tengo and Laura Cantrell)

Face the Truth track list, according to Matador Records:

  • "Pencil Rot"
  • "It Kills"
  • "I've Hardly Been"
  • "Freeze the Saints"
  • "Loud Cloud Crowd"
  • "No More Shoes"
  • "Mama"
  • "Kindling for the Master"
  • "Post-Paint Boy"
  • "Baby C'mon"
  • "Malediction"

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1500623/20050422/malkmus_stephen.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1500623/20050422/malkmus_stephen.jhtml 22 Apr 2005 11:08:00 EDT <![CDATA[For The Record: Quick News On Prince, Ryan Cabrera, Lil' Mo, Vanessa Carlton, Kevin Bacon, Stephen Malkmus & More]]> Prince headed to the Oscars, Lil' Mo having her baby, Wallflowers set new album release date.
By MTV News staff report


Prince (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Prince, who won Best Original Score for "Purple Rain" in 1984, will return to the Oscars stage for the first time in two decades on Sunday as a presenter. Leonardo DiCaprio, John Travolta, Sean Penn and Kate Winslet have also recently been added as presenters. ...

Lil' Mo is getting ready to have her second little one. The singer is currently in a hospital in Odenton, Maryland, giving birth to her daughter. Meanwhile, Mo will release her next album this spring through Cash Money Records. ... Ryan Cabrera and Vanessa Carlton are performing together in Los Angeles for a private event where fans will get a one-of-a-kind cell-phone ringtone converted from one of Carlton's live songs. To get into the show, you have to win a sweepstakes called "Sweeten Your Tone" sponsored by the makers of Swedish Fish, Sour Patch and Chiclets. Enter before March 31 at any of the candies' Web sites. ...

Two Bacon Brothers, a man from a land Down Under, a "Barely Breathing" musician, and a pint-sized singer/songwriter joined forces on Tuesday night to raise money for the victims of the tsunami disaster. Kevin Bacon and brother Michael, Colin Hay of Men at Work, Duncan Sheik, Toby Lightman and others performed their own sets on the stage of New York's Canal Room before gathering together to sing the Beatles tune "With a Little Help From My Friends." P.M. Dawn also played a set. ... Hitting shelves on April 16 is "Scratch: All the Way Live," the DVD follow-up to 2001's turntablist documentary "Scratch." The concert film captures a Scratch Tour stop at Los Angeles' House of Blues, and features performances by Mix Master Mike, The X-ecutioners and DJ Z-Trip. ...

The Wallflowers aren't content to stand on the sidelines anymore and are getting back in the game with Rebel, Sweetheart, due out May 24. Their new album is produced by Brendan O'Brien, and the first single, "The Beautiful Side of Somewhere," will be released to radio next month. Other songs include "Days of Wonder," "The Passenger," "Here He Comes (Confessions of a Drunken Marionette)," "God Says Nothing Back" and "All Things New Again." ... The Kaiser Chiefs are gearing up to hit American shores to support their debut album, Employment, due March 15. The trek begins March 13 in Seattle and wraps up March 26 in Boston. ...

Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus will release his third solo album, Face the Truth, on May 24. Malkmus won't be touring behind the 11-track disc anytime soon as he's expecting his first child, but select U.S. dates are in the works, including a March 18 appearance at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. ... Former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon will launch his first U.S. solo tour on March 17 at South by Southwest. The outing, which will feature Astralwerks Records mates 22-20s and the Golden Republic (on East Coast dates), wraps up April 1 in New York. ... Ex-Helium frontwoman Mary Timony will release her third solo effort, Ex-Hex, on April 19. The follow-up to 2002's The Golden Dove, the record was produced by Fugazi's Brendan Canty and will see Timony returning to a more guitar-oriented sound. ...

02.22.2005

Kanye West and a small entourage checked out "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" composer/songwriter Jon Brion's performance on Friday at Largo in Los Angeles. Apparently this wasn't the first time the Grammy-winning rapper has stopped by to watch Brion play at his weekly residency, but if Kanye would have stuck around for the second set, he would have witnessed inventive bluegrass takes on Radiohead and Strokes songs. ...

Jessica Simpson was treated for dehydration due to a stomach virus at a Chicago hospital on Monday while in town to shoot a segment for Friday's "Oprah." Simpson's stay was brief, and she returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday. Her rep said the singer is "already feeling better." ...

Jay-Z announced Tuesday (February 22) that he's opening an education center focusing on music, sports and fashion. The S. Carter Academy in New York will open in the spring, with enrollment starting in March, around the same time a commercial with Jay and New York Knicks star Jamal Crawford promoting the facility is scheduled to start airing. ... Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, currently incarcerated while awaiting trial on charges of murder and racketeering in the Murder Inc. drug-money scandal, has been put in solitary confinement at the Manhattan Detention Center. According to his lawyer, prosecutors requested that McGriff be taken out of the general population because he is a "problem" inmate. The defense has since complained about the move, causing the judge in the case to look into the matter. McGriff is due back in court on March 18, the same day as Irv and Chris Gotti. ...

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is going solo — in his personal life, anyway. The singer announced Sunday that he is separating from his wife of 17 years, Teresa, according to The Associated Press. He has two kids with Teresa: Chelsea, 16, and Taj, 13. In a statement released by his publicist, Tyler announced the split and said, "We're just a family trying to work through a difficult time." ... Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow and Aerosmith's Joe Perry are among the musicians who have designed Gibson guitars to be auctioned off to benefit the Expedition Inspiration Fund for Breast Cancer Research. The auction will be held May 3 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles and online at www.juliensauctions.com. ...

Phil Lesh has been tapped to host the fifth annual Jammy Awards, to be held April 26 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. The awards, which honor the world's best jam bands, will be given out in eight categories, including Live Performance of the Year, Archival Live Album of the Year and New Groove of the Year. ... Erykah Badu has recently been in the studio with the Neptunes working on her next album. The follow-up to 2003's Worldwide Underground is expected to be released later this year. ...

After more than two decades playing together and a sold-out reunion concert on Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin, the Jayhawks have called it quits. Singer Gary Louris told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that "we haven't completely closed the door, but ... I'd say it's dead." The band released five major-label albums over the course of its career, with its last recorded work being 2003's Rainy Day Music. ... Antonio Banderas and Carlos Santana will join Beyoncé and Josh Groban as performers at Sunday's Academy Awards. The two will perform the Best Song from a Motion Picture nominee "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" from "The Motorcycle Diaries." ...

Henry Rollins is taking his talking show "Caught in the Zipper" to the Zipper Theater in New York for a slew of dates. The volatile singer/spoken-word artist will perform there March 22-27, March 29, and March 31-April 2. ... Glenn Danzig will reunite with his old Misfits bandmate Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein at shows February 28 at the Roxy Theatre in Boston, March 1 at the Spirit Performance Center in New York, and March 2 at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. The duo, who performed together for the first time in 20 years at two surprise West Coast dates last year, will play a 30-minute set of Misfits favorites after Danzig's regular set in support of his new album, Circle of Snakes. Danzig also recently completed Black Aria II, the follow-up to 1993's classical album Black Aria, and is writing a movie adaptation of "Gerouge," one of the comic-book titles distributed by his Verotik publishing company. ...

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1497409/20050223/prince.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1497409/20050223/prince.jhtml 23 Feb 2005 05:57:00 EST <![CDATA[For The Record: Quick News On Britney Spears, Eminem, Loon, Evanescence, Hoobastank, Stephen Malkmus, RZA & More]]>
Britney Spears (file)
Photo: John Shearer

Britney Spears has more than knee trouble to worry about — she's also facing a $10 million lawsuit. San Diego athletic-clothing company Lite Breeze Inc. is claming trademark infringement because of the singer's use of the phrase "In the Zone" for her album. Lite Breeze claims that it's causing marketplace confusion, since it has used the phrase in association with its promotion of music and live sporting events. The company also alleges that once Spears received a cease-and-desist letter, she switched the name of her tour to the Onyx Hotel. Spears is required to file an answer to the allegations by Monday. ...

Eminem won another victory against Ray Benzino and The Source. On Wednesday in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, a judge awarded Shady Records undisclosed compensation for the hip-hop magazine's violation of an injunction and publication of some of Em's lyrics on its Web site. The raps, which were written by Em as a teenager, came to light only a few months ago when they were uncovered by The Source. The judge also dismissed a counter-copyright-infringement lawsuit by the magazine against Eminem, whom the judge compared to Elvis. ...

Rapper Loon, along with one of two co-defendants, failed to appear in California's Beverly Hills Superior Court on June 3 for a preliminary hearing on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. A bench warrant has been issued for Loon, whose real name is Chauncey Hawkins, and co-defendant William Reyes. The charges stem from an incident at the West Hollywood House of Blues in February in which Loon is accused of stabbing a security guard. ... Scott Weiland got a bit of a breather in the DUI case against him in Los Angeles. His court date was postponed until June 22. ...

Evanescence have added a batch of new shows to their summer tour, which also features Seether, Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin. The trek, which was previously scheduled through the end of July, now runs through August 15 in Little Rock, Arkansas. ... After playing a few select shows and summer radio festivals, Hoobastank will launch a tour on June 19 in Toronto. Dates run through July 30 in Weedsport, New York. The following day the band will head to Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to play the Rolling Rock Town Fair, which also features Disturbed, N.E.R.D., Staind, the Crystal Method, Sevendust, Finch, Finger Eleven and Three Days Grace. ...

Despite the assurances of the Rock the Bells concert promoter, a spokesperson for RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan said that any reunion of the iconic rap crew scheduled for July 17 in San Bernardino, California, is still under discussion. The Clan are also scheduled for a handful of shows overseas in June and July, which RZA also says are tentative. ... "Legally Blonde" is joining the ranks of flicks-turned-musicals. Music and lyrics for "Legally Blonde - The Musical" will be composed by Larry O'Keefe and Neil Benjamin. No word yet on when the show will see the bright lights of Broadway or who will play the starring role of Elle Woods. ...

Stephen Malkmus is hammering away on his third post-Pavement album, which he expects to drop in January. Malkmus isn't sure if the album will be a solo venture or will include his band the Jicks, with whom he released last year's Pig Lib. ... For Tanya Donelly's third solo album, she's recruited a former Throwing Muses bandmate to play percussion. Whisky Tango Ghosts is due August 10 and features Dave Narcizo on two songs ("The Promise," "Story High"). Other song titles include "Butterfly Thing," "Every Devil," "Divine Sweet Divide" and "My Life as a Ghost." ...

Producer and beatmaker Jimmy Tamborello of the Postal Service and Dntel will unveil a hip-hop project under the name Headset in the fall. The group's album, Space Setting, is described as being influenced by the work of the Neptunes and Timbaland. ... Peter Garrett, the former lead singer of Midnight Oil, announced on Thursday (June 10) that he will run for Australia's parliament with the opposition Labour Party. According to The Associated Press, the Labour Party approached Garrett about joining the race, and he will run for a seat from a Sydney district that strongly favors the Labour Party. Garrett has long been involved in politics, largely as an environmental activist. In the early '80s, he bid for a seat in parliament's upper house on a nuclear-disarmament ticket and was narrowly defeated. ...

6.9.2004

Outkast want to teach you to be just like them — they're planning a book called "The Outkast Guide to the Galaxy." The duo are shopping the book proposal as a way to encourage people to learn about the band's likes and dislikes, as well as to teach people to think on their own and to be a true outcast in the traditional sense of the word, according to their literary agent. The book will also include fashion tips. ...

One of Hilary Duff's upcoming flicks has undergone a name change. "Heart of Summer," starring Duff as a girl from a small town who spends the summer at a performing-arts school in Los Angeles, will now be called "Raise Your Voice." The movie will open in theaters nationwide on October 9. ... Meanwhile, Duff recently added 23 more dates to her summer tour. The trek still kicks off on July 20 in Worcester, Massachusetts, but will now end on September 8 in Portland, Oregon. ...

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has commented on the "episode" he suffered on his plane ride to England's Download Festival, which caused him to land in Germany and enter a hospital for tests. "I think that the last six months of playing super-duty metal and traveling all over the world at my age kind of caught up to me a little bit," he said in a statement. Ulrich thanked Slipknot's Joey Jordison, Slayer's Dave Lombardo and Metallica's drum tech Flemming Larsen for filling in on drums during Metallica's set. "God, I wish I could have seen that," he said, then added, "No, on second thought, it's probably better that I don't see it." ... Eleven and counting. LL Cool J has set an August 3 release date for DEFinition, his follow-up LP to 10. L's first single will be the Timbaland-produced "Headsprung." Other producers on the album include N.O. Joe and Dame Grease. ...

Just a month after her album So-Called Chaos was released, Alanis Morissette's already thinking ahead to her next single. She's planning a video shoot with Liz Friedlander for the song "Eight Easy Steps." ... Voter-registration tables will be set up on all dates of the summer tours of the Dave Matthews Band, Phish and the Dead, reaching an estimated audience of 2 million people. The nonprofit, nonpartisan group HeadCount, which is organizing the registration drive, will also be present on the Lollapalooza tour. ... Live at the Gorge, due June 29, documents the Dave Matthews Band's three-night stand, September 6-8, 2002, in George, Washington. The two audio discs, which were compiled with the help of the band's fan organization, the Warehouse, are augmented with a DVD. ...

"Survivor" and "The Apprentice" mastermind Mark Burnett is developing a new reality series that gives contestants the chance to front '80s Australian rockers INXS. The show is described as a cooler version of "American Idol" with a bit of competition a la "The Apprentice." INXS' frontman, Michael Hutchence, hanged himself in 1997 ... Thomas "Quorthon" Forsberg, the frontman for pioneering Swedish metal band Bathory, has died of heart failure at the age of 39. Bathory's combination of garage-quality production and hardcore tempos, raw metal riffs and satanic lyrics through the '80s was instrumental in influencing the death metal scene. And Quorthon's inclusion of Nordic themes and orchestral flourishes in the '90s had a substantial impact on nascent Scandinavian black metallists, who fancied themselves Vikings. In a statement, video director Jonas Akerlund, who formed the band with Quorthon in 1983, said, "People like Marilyn Manson, Billy Corgan and the members of Metallica have all come up to me and have told me that they listened to Bathory. It is so sad. He had much more to offer." ...

To coincide with the release of "Driv3r", the long-awaited video game's soundtrack will be released independently on June 22. Phantom Planet's "Big Brat," the Raveonettes' "Bowels of the Beast" and the Stooges' "Gimme Danger" are among the 14-track album's highlights. ... Comedian George Lopez will host the fifth annual Latin Grammy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on September 1. The show will be broadcast live on CBS. ...

One California winery is making a drink fit for a king ... or more specifically the King. Signature Wines' Elvis-inspired Graceland Cellars line features Blue Suede Chardonnay, King Cabernet Sauvignon and Jailhouse Red Merlot. ... New York quartet Interpol have completed their second album. The follow-up to 2002's Turn on the Bright Lights is expected to surface this fall. ... Following a summer spent writing and demoing new material, Brand New hope to enter a studio in September to record their third album, the follow-up to last year's Deja Entendu. ...

Middleweight boxing champion and State Property clothing spokesperson Winky Wright celebrated his new business venture as part owner of Long Island, New York's Street Dreams Automotive Accessories with a party on Saturday. Joe Budden, video starlet Gloria Velez and radio personality Doctor Dre were on hand. ... Beautifully morose Down Under dirgers Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will release two albums packaged together in September. The double-disc set, Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus, is Cave's 13th studio effort. A U.S. tour is expected to coincide with the release. ...

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1488325/20040610/spears_britney.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1488325/20040610/spears_britney.jhtml 10 Jun 2004 05:48:00 EDT <![CDATA[New Releases: '8 Mile' DVD, Mr. Cheeks, Raveonettes, Libertines, Stephen Malkmus, Buzzcocks & More]]>
Eminem
Photo: Universal

Time again for new releases, but this week's big story might not be a record: Eminem's rags-to-riches story, "8 Mile," makes its DVD debut and features deleted scenes of Em spontaneously battling extras from the film in a freestyle sequence.

The compilation Atticus: Dragging the Lake 2 features pop-punks Blink-182 and their side projects Box Car Racer and the Transplants, plus contributions from Sparta, Rocket From the Crypt and Alkaline Trio.

The Libertines up the racket in Up the Bracket, their punk rock album produced by the Clash's Mick Jones, which invokes the Jam and the Buzzcocks on "Horror Show" and "The Boy Looked at Johnny." Meanwhile, the Buzzcocks invoke themselves on their new eponymous album. After some shaky years trying to maintain relevance, the punk pioneers recapture some of their original magic as co-founder Howard Devoto returns to pen "Stars" and "Lester Sands" with Pete Shelley.

M. Ward, a singer/songwriter combination of Nick Drake and Neil Young with a hint of John Fahey, presents his haunting Transfiguration of Vincent, while Stereolab bassist Simon Johns releases Trinity Neon from his band Imitation Electric Piano.

Moldy Peaches and their Unreleased Cutz & Live Jamz share shelf space with the Blam's poppy garage rock on their self-titled LP, as well as with the North Carolina hip-hop trio Little Brother's Listening.

Now that the buzz on this band has increased, it's time for its major-label debut. You Hear It First alums the Raveonettes present, for the second time, Whip It On. And finally, Stephen Malkmus is back. The ex-Pavement star and his band the Jicks release their second album, Pig Lib. Wowee Zowee.

Out Tuesday, March 18:

  • Alicen - Talk to Me (Hitpros)
  • The Allman Brothers Band - Hittin' the Note (Peach/Sanctuary)
  • Ape Breaks - Volume 5 (Ubiquity)
  • Nate Ashley - The Darker Corners of Your Heart (Knw-Yr-Own)
  • Philo Beddow - End the Measured Mile (The First Time)
  • Belmondo - Entertainers (Kold)
  • Big Country - Rarities III (Navarre)
  • Biohazard - Kill or Be Killed (Sanctuary)
    Buy Now: Kill or Be Killed (Sanctuary)
  • Jeff Black - B-sides and Confessions Volume One (DualTone)
  • The Black Lips - Black Lips (Bomp)
  • The Blam - The Blam (Mootron)
  • The Blood Brothers - Burn, Piano Island, Burn (ARTISTdirect)
    Read: "Blood Brothers Seek Order In Muscle-Free Chaos"
  • Blue Oyster Cult - Then and Now (Sanctuary)
  • The Boils - Pride and Persecution (TKO)
  • Briefs - Off the Charts (EP, Dirtnap)
  • Mick Bund - Astronaut Graffiti (Madacy)
  • Buzzcocks - Buzzcocks (Merge)
  • Califone - Quicksand/Cradlesnakes (Thrill Jockey)
  • Deana Carter - I'm Just a Girl (Arista)
  • Cave In - Antenna (Hydra Head/RCA)
  • Concrete Blonde - Live in Brazil (2 CDs, Ark 21)
  • Crooks - Just Released (Navarre)
  • Culture - Healing of the Nations (Varese Sarabande)
  • Deerhoof - Apple O' (Kill Rock Stars)
  • Detroit Experiment - Detroit Experiment (Rope A Dope)
  • DF Dub - Country Girl (Columbia)
  • DJ Debra - Wildlife 2003 (Studio K7)
  • DJ Spooky - Dubtometry (Thirsty Ear)
  • Drugstore - Songs for the Jet Set & Collector Number One (First Time)
  • Ronnie Earl - I Feel Like Goin' On (Stony Plain)
  • Exhibition - Sign of Tomorrow (Limb)
  • Father MC - My (Empire Musicwerks)
  • Lorraine Feather - Cafe Society (Sanctuary)
  • Ibrahim Ferrar - Buenos Hermanos (Nonesuch)
  • Fire - Magic Shoemaker (Navarre)
  • Five Blind Boys of Alabama - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Liquid 8)
  • Fleetwood Mac - Live in Boston 1&2 (Snapper Classics)
  • FM Knives - Useless and Modern (Broken Rekids)
  • Kim Fox - Return to Planet Earth (Franklin Castle/Oglio)
  • Freaks - Man Who Lived Underground (Music 4 Freaks)
  • Fred Frith - Prints (Fred)
  • Rory Gallagher - Wheels Within Wheels (BMG)
  • Howie Gelb - Listener (Thrill Jockey)
  • Gentle Giant - Artistically Cryme (United States)
  • Gigi - Illuminated Audio (Palm Pictures)
  • Gluecifer - Basement Ape (Steamhammer)
  • Grand Mal - Bad Timing (Arena Rock)
  • Gravy Train - Hello Doctor (Kill Rock Stars)
  • Gun Barrel - Battle Tested (Limb)
  • Regie Hamm - American Dreams (Universal South)
  • Jim Hightower - The People Are Revolting (In the Very Best Sense of That Word) (Alternative Tentacles)
  • Imitation Electric Piano - Trinity Neon (Drag City)
  • Incredible Expanding Mindf--k - Arcadia Son (United States)
  • Jet Black Summer - Ladder of Divine Ascent (Lakeshore)
  • Junior Panthers - Junior Panthers (First Time)
  • Damien Jurado - Where Shall You Take Me? (Secretly Canadian)
  • Kaskade - It's You It's Me (Om)
  • Kill Your Idols - Skinnier Years (State of Grace)
  • King Britt - Adventures in Lo-Fi (Studio K7)
  • Jill King - Jillbilly (Blue Diamond)
  • Lambrettas - Da-A-A-Ance (Navarre)
  • Adam Levy - Get Your Glow On (Lost Wax)
  • Libertines - Up the Bracket (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
  • Little Brother - Listening (Abb Soul)
  • Longwave - The Strangest Things (RCA)
    Read: "Longwave Different From Anthrax, Public Enemy; Get Career Help From The Strokes"
    Buy Now: The Strangest Things (RCA)
  • Corb Lund Band - Five Dollar Bill (Stony Plain)
  • Lylah - Lifeless Valentine (Vermillion)
  • M. Ward - Transfiguration of Vincent (Merge)
  • Magic - White Eyes (Universal)
  • Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Pig Lib (Matador)
  • Marmalade - Kaleidoscope: Psych-pop Sessions (Navarre)
  • Meteors - Wreckin' Live (Navarre)
  • The Midnight Evils - Straight Til Morning (Estrus)
  • Miracle of 86 - Every Famous Last Word (Idelic Sounds/Lakeshore)
  • Mirror - Eye of the Storm (Streamline)
  • Moldy Peaches - Moldy Peaches 2000: Unreleased Cutz & Live Jamz (Sanctuary)
  • Mr. Capone-e - Dedicated 2 the Oldies (Thump)
  • Mr. Cheeks - Back Again (Universal)
    Read: "Mr. Cheeks Casts Ex-Destiny's Child Member As A Shorty With The Fatty"
    Buy Now: Back Again (Universal)
  • Mr. Serv-On - No More Questions (D3)
  • Mull Historical Society - Us (XL/Beggars Banquet)
  • Neon Hunk - Smarmymob (Load)
  • Pearlene - Pearlene (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  • Pistoleros - Cult 45 (Navarre)
  • Planet Earth - Blackout (Volcano/Jive)
  • Puny Human - It's Not the Heat, It's the Humanity (Small Stone)
  • The Raveonettes - Whip It On (Columbia)
    Read: " '8 Mile' Outtakes Coming Sooner Than You Think"
  • Celine Dion - One Heart (Sony)
  • Les Nubians - One Step Forward (Higher Octave)
  • Linkin Park - Meteora (Warner Bros.)
    Read: "Linkin Park Expand Meteora's Musical Horizons ... In 40 Minutes Or Less"
    Buy Now: Meteora (Warner Bros.)
  • Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 12 (Virgin)


April 1:

April 8:

April 15:

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1470590/20030317/eminem.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1470590/20030317/eminem.jhtml 18 Mar 2003 07:57:00 EST <![CDATA[Stephen Malkmus Hits NY Roller Rink With Some Indie Action]]> Former Pavement frontman delivered rock show at Roxy Friday night.
By Robin Rothman


Stephen Malkmus
Photo: Moses Berkson

NEW YORK — As Stephen Malkmus must have realized Friday night when he played the Roxy, a roller-skating rink doubling as a concert hall might be the most un-indie venue imaginable. Wide open space, breezy cool ventilation, an off-center disco ball and no lines for the ladies room were among the more noticeable distinguishing characteristics. Yet with support from his new backing band, the Jicks, the former Pavement leader's demeanor was hardly an anomaly. Addressing the audience with random observations and a conversational tone, he began the evening by gently warning (as much as asking), "Ready for some action?"

The show opened with "Sin Taxi," a moody, melodic, organ-oriented number that appears on neither of Malkmus' current solo releases, an eponymous album and a four-song EP, Jenny & the Ess-Dog. Disc tracks such as "Discretion Grove" — a catchy, direct descendent of the Pavement days — and the almost psychedelic pseudo-steel drummy "Vague Space" quickly followed. Most songs remained true to the three-minutes-or-less mark, leaving the total running time, including pre-encore suspense, at 90 minutes.

While post-September 11 sentiment wasn't directly expressed, Malkmus placed particular emphasis on a lyric from the Beatles-ish "Pink India": "As the news comes across the air today/ ... Tension grows in Afghanistan/Carbine bullets could settle the score ... / I had a crap gin and tonic/ It wounded me." The tune was penned, recorded and released well before the terrorist attacks.

Noting the large American flag hanging in the back of the room, Malkmus recalled playing a recent show in West Virginia in front of a flag. Instead of political commentaries, he stuck to lighthearted pop culture references. "It felt like a Lenny Kravitz video," he quipped. The band launched into "Church on White." Introduced as a "simple story about being born in a small cabin," the ballad is generally assumed to be a song about a deceased friend. "Carry on/ It's a marathon/ Take me off the list/ I don't want to be missed ..."

It was the bizarre ode to Yul Brynner, "Jo Jo's Jacket," that really got the indie-cool, head-nodding crowd going. Teasing New Yorkers for requesting Skynyrd, Malkmus mimicked the shout-outs with a hometown touch. "Contortions! Play some Contortions," he jested, "Blondie!" He spilled a beer onstage then agonized over it, smacking himself on the forehead and burying his head shamefully in his hands. Later, he scolded himself verbally for providing a "weak count for the coda" on "Trojan Curfew."

The real antics hit during the encore. Former Pavement percussionist and current Jicks tour manager Bob Nastanovich emerged to add screams and tambourine to the already energetic "Jenny & the Ess-Dog." Then John Moen stepped out from behind the drum kit, swapping spots with Malkmus for a fun-filled rendition of the Velvet Underground's "Satellite of Love."

"I'd love to do that with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir," Malkmus announced at the song's end. In a mocking voice he added, "If they were on acid it'd be so awesome!" Moen said nothing as he retreated to safety, jumping over the drum set back to his familiar seated position for one last jam.

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451042/20011119/malkmus_stephen.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451042/20011119/malkmus_stephen.jhtml 19 Nov 2001 12:45:00 EST <![CDATA[Mos Def, Black Crowes, Ween To Play Bumbershoot Fest]]> Stephen Malkmus, Cat Power, King Sunny Ade, Galactic, hundreds of others also on Labor Day-weekend bill.
By Teri vanHorn


Mos Def
Photo: Priority

The Black Crowes, Mos Def, Ween and David Lee Roth are among approximately 500 artists slated to perform during Seattle's 31st annual Bumbershoot festival over the Labor Day weekend. Mos Def, Dilated Peoples and Jurassic 5 will kick it all off August 31 at the Hip-Hop 101 showcase. The festival will be held at the 74-acre Seattle Center.

Also on the bill are Taj Mahal, Rufus Wainwright, Neko Case, Loretta Lynn, Marshall Crenshaw, Meshell Ndegéocello, Dave Alvin and the Guilty Men, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Built to Spill, Cat Power, Low, Reverend Horton Heat, Galactic, the Rollins Band, King Sunny Adé and His African Beats, Jon Brion and the Funky Meters.

The So Many Roads tour, featuring Ratdog, Rusted Root and Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, will converge with Bumbershoot on September 2. Additions to the festival this year include an electronic-music venue called the Electro-Deck, a street-dance stage and a new indie-rock hub at Experience Music Project's Sky Church. Tickets go on sale Friday via bumbershoot.org.

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1445056/20010710/black_crowes.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1445056/20010710/black_crowes.jhtml 10 Jul 2001 08:28:00 EDT <![CDATA[Sonic Youth Invite Vedder, Malkmus To Their Party]]> U.S. version of All Tomorrow's Parties also includes Stereolab, Television, JSBX, Cat Power.
By Joe D'Angelo


Thurston Moore performing at a benefit for Kosovo, 5/99
Photo: Dylan Stableford

Eddie Vedder, Stereolab, and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are among the acts scheduled to play the third incarnation of All Tomorrow's Parties, a U.K. festival that will hit these shores for the first time in October.

The lineup — which also includes '70s art-punks Television, alt-rock hipsters the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and airy-voiced songstress Cat Power — was chosen by festival curators Sonic Youth, who will also perform at the event, according to their publicist. All Tomorrow's Parties will be held October 19 and 20 at UCLA.

Other bands confirmed for the festival include indie-rockers Le Tigre, U.S. Maple and Neil Michael Hagerty; techno duo Autechre; solemn songcrafters Smog and Papa M; free-jazz guitarist Derek Bailey and pianist Cecil Taylor; Japanese noisemakers Merzbow and the Boredoms; and '70s deconstructionists Destroy All Monsters. More artists are expected to be added.

Screenings by such filmmakers as Jim O'Rourke of Gastr del Sol fame will also be part of the eclectic gathering, as will spoken-word performances, the publicist said.

All Tomorrow's Parties, named after a Velvet Underground song, debuted in England last April. Curated by Stereolab, the lineup featured Sonic Youth, Shellac, Mogwai and Plaid, among others.

The event's second coming occurred in April of this year, with a lineup assembled by Tortoise that included Yo La Tengo, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Calexico, Television, Broadcast and the Sea and Cake.

Festival organizers created a live album from April's festival, released only in the U.K., and they're planning on similarly documenting the U.S. version.

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1444366/20010608/sonic_youth.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1444366/20010608/sonic_youth.jhtml 8 Jun 2001 11:04:00 EDT <![CDATA[Malkmus Embraces Pavement Past For Solo Debut]]> Singer retains penchant for brainy lyrics and fragile, ambling rock songs on self-titled album.
By Brian Hiatt


Stephen Malkmus
Photo: Moses Berkson

NEW YORK — Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus loves John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, the 1970 solo debut that found Lennon singing, "I don't believe in Beatles." But when Malkmus' band "fizzled out" in 1999 and it came time to record his own solo debut, he wasn't interested in making a flamboyant break from his past as the leader of one of the most influential bands of the '90s.

"I don't believe in indie," he sang softly, trying out the line as he waited on a breakfast order at a Soho diner. "It's not like anyone would care, anyway." Instead, Stephen Malkmus, released February 13, is damn near a Pavement album: a collection of fragile, ambling rock songs with Malkmus speak-singing brainy lyrics that double as wise-ass poetry.

"I embraced my past. ... I was all for at least making one record that was, like, a pretty straight Pavement play," Malkmus said. "I wasn't particularly self-conscious while I was doing it, so I wasn't really worried if it was too much this or that." Pavement's quiet end was originally deemed a hiatus when the band announced it in November 1999, but the band's split turned out to be permanent, in part because the musicians tired of "the effort it took to get five people to agree." "'Fizzled out' is a good term — it's over," he said, adding that he wouldn't rule out a reunion in five or 10 years.

Pavement formed in Stockton, California, in 1989 and became central to the indie-rock boom of the early '90s. The band's breakthrough second album, 1994's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, featured the single "Cut Your Hair," which became omnipresent at college and alternative radio.

With his former bandmates gone, Malkmus ended up recording his new album with drummer John Moen and bassist Joanna Bolme, musicians from his current hometown of Portland, Oregon. He dubbed them the Jicks and claims to have originally intended to release the album under that name, until his record company insisted otherwise.

Ultimately, for all the new album's similarity to the Pavement catalog, some differences did emerge.

Malkmus found himself playing emotive, straightforward guitar solos on the delicate elegy "Church on White" and other tracks. He didn't feel the need, he said, to diffuse the impact of his playing with atonal squawks or deliberate clumsiness — a frequent tactic of his Pavement past.

While maintaining his famous penchant for non sequiturs — most notably on "Jo Jo's Jacket," on which he sings about late actor Yul Brynner and house music — Malkmus also wrote several more-or-less straightforward story songs.

Over a "Honky Tonk Women" groove, "The Hook" tells the tale of a young pirate's rise through the ranks of his profession: "At age 19 I was kidnapped by Turkish pirates. ... By 25 I was respected as an equal/ My art was the knife. ... By 31 I was the captain of the galleon/ I was Poseidon's new son." The song could pass for a metaphorical run-through of Malkmus' own career, but that's not intentional, he claims. "It was this really standard riff I'd had, so it had to have funny lyrics. ... It could've been about a young dentist." Another narrative track, "Jennifer and the Ess-Dog," somehow ekes genuine pathos from the tale of 18-year-old Jennifer, who dates Ess-Dog, a 31-year-old man who plays in a '60s cover band.

The couple bonds over the Dire Straits album Brothers in Arms and a bandanna-wearing dog named Trey, and all seems well. But the relationship falls apart: "Jennifer left for school up in Boulder/ And ... Ess-Dog came to visit when he could/ But the strain was too much/ They could not make up the distance/ And the distance between their years." The track, which Malkmus noted as a favorite, is slated to be the album's second single, following the rocker "Discretion Grove." Malkmus is scheduled to play the new songs on a tour with the Jicks, starting March 8 in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the meantime, he hopes to get in some practice time.

"It's hard to rock out efficiently," he said.

North American tour dates, as provided by a Matador Records:

  • 3/8 - Vancouver, BC @ Richards on Richards
  • 3/9 - Seattle, WA @ Graceland
  • 3/10 - Portland, OR @ Berbati's Pan
  • 3/12 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
  • 3/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
  • 3/14 - San Diego, CA @ 'Canes Bar & Grill
  • 3/15 - Tempe, AZ @ Nita's Hideaway
  • 3/17 - Austin, TX @ Music Hall (South by Southwest)
  • 3/21 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
  • 3/22 - Austin, TX @ Mercury
  • 3/24 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
  • 3/26 - Atlanta, GA @ Echo Lounge
  • 3/27 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat's Cradle
  • 3/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
  • 3/30 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
  • 3/31 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
  • 4/5 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andy's
  • 4/6 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
  • 4/7 - Minneapolis, MN @ 1st Ave

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1441050/20010227/malkmus_stephen.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1441050/20010227/malkmus_stephen.jhtml 28 Feb 2001 07:55:00 EST <![CDATA[Stephen Malkmus - Gardenia]]> Stephen Malkmus - Gardenia

Gardenia

]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1162155&vid=329925 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1162155&vid=329925 7 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST <![CDATA[Stephen Malkmus - Dark Wave]]> Stephen Malkmus - Dark Wave

Dark Wave

]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1162155&vid=21792 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1162155&vid=21792 21 May 2003 12:00:00 EDT