Stephen Malkmus [Import]

1. Black Book

2. Phantasies

3. Jo Jos Jacket

4. Church On White

5. The Hook

6. Discretion Grove

7. Troubbble

8. Pink India

9. Trojan Curfew

10. Vague Space

11. Jenny And The Ess-dog

12. Deado

13. Polish Mule (Bonus Track)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Japanese edition of the eagerly anticipated solo debut for the Pavement frontman, includes one exclusive bonus track, 'Polish Mule' along with 12 other future indie classics like 'Discretion Groove', 'Troubbble' and 'Deado'. 2001 release. Standard jewelca

Stephen Malkmus,Stephen Malkmus,Phantom Sound & Visi,Popular Music,Rock/Pop

Tanglewood Numbers
Average customer rating:

Love it to the Max!

very good very quickly

I Saw God's Shadow on this World

It won't get more profound

Welcome back, old friend.

Tanglewood Numbers
Silver Jews
Manufacturer: Drag City
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Feels

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

Broken Social Scene

Summer in the Southeast

Born Again in the USA

ASIN: B000AGL1G6
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

Punks In the Beerlight
Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed
K-Hole
Animal Shapes
I'm Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You
How Can I Love You If You Won't Lie Down
The Poor The Fair and the Good
Sleeping is the Only Love
The Farmer's Hotel
There Is a Place

Amazon.com

The first Silver Jews album in four years is a triumph with its throwback '80s-synth ear-candy keyboards, slack guitars, and a sublime hi-fi sound that only a former lo-fi band can get. Breaking the silence, the indie-rock star-studded band (Malkmus and Nastanovich rejoin, the 'Bonnie' Prince, as well as refugees from the Jesus Lizard and Papa M ) play fearless off-center rock rooted in Nashville, reminiscent of both Vic Chestnut's realism and Giant Sand's recent innovations. Not to mention that David Berman is a poet, so each song is dense with imagery, the whole record effectively telling a ten-part, 40-minute story that is partly funny, always honest, and often dark. Witness Berman exploring overcoming addiction, ("closed sign swinging in the liquor store" "later I come to find/life is sweeter than Jewish wine") the complete despair that lead to his suicide attempt, "There is a place past the blues I never want to see again" on "There Is a Place," and a uniquely American desolation, "I've been working at the airport bar/it's like Christmas in a submarine" on "Getting Back into Getting Back into You." Fortunately, the Jews sound is big enough to contain Berman's lyrical shadows, and this juxtaposition of opposite elements (happy-sounding rock and introspective lyrics) results in a record that is wholly satisfying: not too overwrought and never self-assuredly slick. --Gabi Knight

There's Plenty More Silver Jews Where This Came From

Actual Air by David Berman
The Natural Bridge
Starlite Walker

Bright Flight a>
American Water
Tennesee (EP)

Album Description

After a 4 year silence, David Berman returns under his Silver Jews guise with a new long playing album. And the songs are some of his best ever. How is it that one of Drag City's most popular artists has never toured? He is, and will remain, an enigma though his songs will live forever in your mind.

Customer Reviews:

Love it to the Max!.......2006-05-17

If any of my frivolous nuisance lawsuits against Fortune 500 companies ever bear financial fruit, I would take some of my proceeds and hire David Berman to be "artist-in-residence" at my garlic farm / spiritual retreat. This is a tremendous record, noisy and accessible, with poetic lyrics and crisp production. The Eggleston photo of Martin, Bobby, and John on the front cover does an excellent job of getting this record started. Highly recommended and the perfect length for a recording - in and out in 35 minutes!

very good very quickly.......2006-04-05

i found this album by way of cdnow.com's similar artists links and the people that bought this also bought that section. usually they send me some random works but this time they sent a diamond. i never heard of the silver jews until about a week ago (so i missed their rather large catalog thus far) but this album alone made me a fan for life. the bassy lead vocals and the occasional female voice makes this countrified rock opus sound like the new pornographers jamming quick 3 minute songs with my morning jacket. this album is 35 mins long and every second is great. start at track 1 and after track 10 repeat repeat repeat!

I Saw God's Shadow on this World.......2006-01-19

We all experience this. You find the perfect bar, you frequent it every chance you get, start to soak in its character, invite friends to experience it with you and question the strength of your friendship when they don't react the same, then as soon you're worried it'll lose its charm, you find another perfect bar. The Silver Jews are like that. Dave Berman doesn't release records on a regular basis, which works to his advantage, as it allows listeners to live in the worlds of the songs, decompose the lyrics for hidden meanings and memorize each chord progression. Then, just in time, a new one is presented to the world, and a new obsession is begun. The bar comparison is a tad inappropriate this time out, Tanglewood Numbers is an attempt by Berman to document the last years of drug and alcohol addiction, and subsequent rehabilitation. What's fascinating about it is how different it sounds from the last Jews album, and how rocking it is. This is due in no small part to the aforementioned Malkmus on guitar and his Pavement bandmate Bob Nastanovich on drums (both were members of the original SJ incarnation and record off and on with Berman.) Still intact are the lyrics that are the real draw to any Jews album. Sadly, I don't have the liner notes in front of me to quote, but suffice it to say that song titles include Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed and How Can I Love You if You Won't Lie Down?

It won't get more profound.......2006-01-16

One thing the following reviews make clear: Jews' fans are weird, man. Look at some of the reviews below. What are these people thinking and/ or talking about?
I will give you the skinny: this album is a little more rocking than the other releases (i said, a little, meaning there are some nicely sprawling guitar parts--thank you Malkamus), it's pretty fun, and it's equally genius as some other Jews' albums. Even the depressing songs are funny: "I've been living in a k-hole/ ever since you went away" and "woncha take this magnet and put my picture back on your fridge". Those are just classy lyrics, I think. You probably already own this album, if you're reading this. But if not you should probably check this out. And buy this album, too, for the cover art, because it's really nice.

Welcome back, old friend........2005-12-22

It's difficult to believe that at one time, David Berman was known as little more than Stephen Malkmus' fluky college roommate. Now an accomplished writer with a collection of poetry (Actual Air) headed quickly towards cult status, and five acclaimed albums on the highly credible Drag City imprint, Berman seems to finally be getting his dues as an artist. In the time since his career-best album, Bright Flight, Berman settled down into life in Nashville, domesticated himself alongside his new wife Cassie, presumably drank 20,000 (more) beers, became addicted to some hardcore substances, and alas, attempted to take his life. A true poet indeed. Luckily, Berman lived to write another album, the results being the recently released Tanglewood Numbers.
Once recovered, Berman began spending his days at home, collecting modest royalty checks-living off of less than $25,000 per year, a ridiculously low amount, considering his 1998 album, American Water, was regarded by many critics to be the year's best release. In time, Berman got the writing bug like he never had before, eventually calling on his all-star cast of friends and past band members to help him record what was to become his fifth full-length album in the spring of 2005. Along for the ride on one of the years most anticipated indie releases was Bob Nastanovich (Pavement), Will Oldham (Bonnie `Prince' Billy/Palace), his wife Cassie (Linda to his Richard Thompson), Steve West (Pavement), Bobby Bare, Jr., Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle), Mike Fellows, and on again-off again Joo, Stephen Malkmus.
As far as album formats go, aside from the absence of his customary instrumental composition, Berman's auteuristic habits continue to be a key element on Tanglewood. Yes, as has been the case with each of his works to date, Berman's vocal quality has once again changed. Album one saw a new artist that really wanted to sing showing youthful conviction, then there was the clever whip of a bearded Berman who seemed to secretly love country music on album number two. Album three saw Berman and Malkmus often sharing vocal duties to indie-friendly results while 2001's Bright Flight saw D.C. transformed into a raspy country singer with all the answers. Truth be told, if you were to listen to TN alongside any other Jews album, you might forget it's the same band. Sounding old and beaten, campy and funny, Berman finally seems to be just singing; not over-thinking or calculating, Tanglewood might be the first true account of what David Berman really sounds like.
Musically, TN takes a slight step away from the Americana sound of recent releases with oftentimes poppy art-rock compositions. The songs are strange yet immediate as Berman takes the role of a modern day Shel Silverstein. Some songs, such as "Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed" and "Animal Shapes" seem to be borderline kids songs in the vein of the Silverstein-penned "A Boy Named Sue." A good portion of the remaining tracks are, more or less, children's songs for adults; check the titles alone, "How Can I Love You if You Wont Lie Down," "I'm Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You," and "Sleeping is the Only Love." Berman's lyrical quality, while clearly strange, is still very multifaceted and rewarding, most significantly the open account of his suicide attempt on "There is a Place." Also of note is the return of Berman's great storytelling ability on the seven minute, word heavy-epic, "The Farmer's Motel," which is co-written by Stephen Malkmus.
Since the release of his second album, The Natural Bridge in 1996, Berman has been the songwriter to watch, delivering the indie classic American Water, as well as the Americana gem, Bright Flight. While the writing on TN can't stand up to such past masterworks as "I Remember" and "Random Rules," Berman has no doubt released another poignant collection that's sure to keep all his songwriter chums in check.
Everyone has a different Jews album of choice, and while Tanglewood Numbers might be his first release not to outdo it's predecessor, it still stands as a reflective, solid piece of work for Berman; and given the circumstances surrounding it, maybe the most important of his career. If you "get it," TN will leave you laughing, crying, and searching for the "repeat all" function. How many people really "saw God's shadow on this world?" Berman has, and as he sings "there was a place past the blues I never want to see again," on the closing track-you know he'll be back soon with more stories, jokes and coy insight.

Average customer rating:

Great Guitar Pop Album
Ambitious and Easy
Mad awful
Maybe Trying A Little Too Hard
Face What Truth?

Face the Truth
Stephen Malkmus
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tanglewood Numbers
Feels
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Z

ASIN: B0008FPIPY
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

Never in his solo career has Stephen Malkmus so brazenly showcased his eclectic tendencies as he does on Face the Truth. We all know the ultra talented Indy icon is as complex as they come. Those following his prolific career from Pavement through his solo albums know he can intelligently mix up many musical styles while always managing to keep true to his core abilities. But rarely has Malkmus delivered such diversity. The electro opener, "Pencil Rot," stands oddly alone and the album kicks into gear at track two. "It Kills" opens like a plucky pop track from Pig Lib and turns Television-esque as the solo kicks in and lifts off into a beautiful, fuzzy landscape. "I've Hardly Been" unfolds with a Spanish, Bizet-laden rhythmic drone that slowly fragments into a blissfully deconstructed, discordant mess. And lo-fi heads will agree that it doesn't get much better than the eight minute "No More Shoes"--which strangely recalls disco-era Kiss (hear Dynasty's "I Was Made For Lovin' You") and the guitar swaps of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd. Fans of Malkmus and Pavement alike will not be disappointed. --Rob Bracco

Album Description

Malkmus's third album since the break up of Pavement is a painstakingly crafted eclection of songs. Interspliced with serious rock history references is some of his most approachable and hummable work ever--and some of his weirdest. "The man has an uncanny ability to transliterate the sounds only record collectors can hear--early Thin Lizzy, for instance--into a passionate ache anyone can love"--Village Voice.

Customer Reviews:

Great Guitar Pop Album.......2006-12-17

I Really Really Dig this album, i would say i am a moderate Pavement fan, so i picked this album up and was blow away. Best Songs "It Kills" "Freeze The Saints" "No More Shoes" "Mama" "Kindling For The Master" "Baby C'Mon" and "Malediction" It is a super great album, I think it blows away his Pavement work, alot more relized and Poppy. It's amazing!!

Ambitious and Easy.......2006-05-20

Malkmus is one wicked craftsman of delightfully pleasant tunes. His songs come off to the ear so easy in one breath and wildly eclectic and zany in another. I'll never know how the guy does it but he does it well. That first track is probably the doosiest on FTT, and beginning with 2 on through to 11 (frequently my favorite) the album soars like a mini-epic. I dig it.

Mad awful.......2006-03-22

What? Worst ever. This is so bad it's funny. 1st solo album = not too bad. Better than Terror Twilight. 2nd album Jicks= not too bad, but pretty bad. this is just like ...What? What are you doing man? finding any merit in this is difficult.

Maybe Trying A Little Too Hard.......2006-03-14

This is really a musically ODD disc. It's far less melodic than anything Malkmus (& co.) have done so far (and, unfortunately, far less lyrically clever --did someone else in Pavement write the words?) The best way to describethe music is to compare it to the work of jazz musician Dave Brubeck (to whom Malkmus paid apparently-sincere homage with the song "5-4=Unity" on the album "Crooked Rain.") I find myself admiring the musicianship and the complexity of the arrangements, but overall there's a sort of....overworked quality to this that makes it a little hard to really get into.

Face What Truth?.......2006-02-02

From everything I've read about this album, most people agree it's Malkmus's best to date, a major return to form after the psych-pop noodlings of "Stephen Malkmus" and "Pig Lib."

I've tried hard to hear it that way, but must be living in some parallel universe. There are some worthy tunes here, sure, but there were on the last couple records too (I think if you compiled the best songs from all three Jicks releases, you'd have one heck of a classic). This one seems to follow the others in oscillating kind of senselessly between soft pop 30-something musings and proggy excursions into electro-synth weirdness with one foot in Zappa and the other in the Krautrock kosmische music that, in all fairness, Malkmus has championed since Pavement's early days. I don't mind the out-there stuff, and I like some of the pop, but I wouldn't make exaggerated claims for either one. It's fun, it's pleasant, but ... O.K., I'll say it. It just doesn't raise the top off my head and pour radiant sonic goodness inside the way Pavement did even on their bad days.

So much about post-Pavement Malkmus is great. The voice is still there, the genius for arrangement, the inventive, witty guitar quotes that fall just this side of irony. But Face the Truth somehow doesn't manage to be more than the sum of its parts. Maybe the Jicks are too tight, or too reverent in the presence of Stephen or something, but I miss the sloppy grandeur of the old band. Now go ahead and slay me on the votes ... then buy it and make up your own mind.

Average customer rating:

Over and Over you can not get tired of this CD
very good cd
fandom reaffirmed
In Retrospect
I've just remembered who this album reminds me of!

Pig Lib
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tanglewood Numbers
Rather Ripped
Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement
Kindling for the Master
Discretion Grove

ASIN: B00008AY6B
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Tracks:

Water And A Seat
Ramp Of Death
(Do Not Feed The) Oyster
Vanessa From Queens
Sheets
Animal Midnight
Dark Wave
Witch Mountain Bridge
Craw Song
1 Percent Of One
Us

Amazon.com

As an indie paragon since the early '90s, it's inevitable that Stephen Malkmus would want to make music that falls closer to traditional rock. His second solo album is the logical extension of those moments when Pavement cautiously approached the classic-rock canon, albeit from an oblique angle. Initially, it's hard-going for listeners. Where Malkmus's self-titled debut accentuated his flirtatious, pop-friendly inclinations, Pig Lib is gnarlier and more expansive. At times, it's uncharacteristically earnest, as if Malkmus was trying to defuse those usual jibes of archness with a sustained bout of jamming. Persevere, though, and Pig Lib's excellence is revealed. The two most obvious influences on spindly, febrile epics like "1% of One" and "Witch Mountain Bridge" are Television and Fairport Convention; Malkmus is particularly proficient at highlighting the affinities between New York art punk and British folk-rock through his notably improved guitar playing. Less rock-oriented souls, meanwhile, will be heartened by evidence of his continuing Ray Davies fetish on "Vanessa from Queens" and, especially, the "Waterloo Sunset"-styled "Craw Song." This is an album that, if lived with and nurtured, amply repays the kindness. --John Mulvey

Album Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

Over and Over you can not get tired of this CD.......2005-09-02

My personal favorite of Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks becuase the songs just so cool, and i know that's not saying much but when you hear it if you do you'll understand completly I promise you. With all of there CD's all the songs are good but some of the best happen to be on this one "Venessa From Queens" "Craw Song" "Sheets" "Animal Midnight" and "(Do Not Feed The)Oyster"

Pick This One Up It's Really Neato!

very good cd.......2005-02-05

You forgot to list Jason Pierce (aka j.spaceman?)and the mars volta as musical genius's.Well anyways I saw Stephen Malkmus & the jicks live when they opened up for radiohead and they were amazing you can really get into their music and it's really catchy. Pig lib is a great cd you should buy it.

fandom reaffirmed.......2004-07-11

if i'd had the option, this would have gotten 4 1/2 stars, not five, because the first half of the record is noticeably less inspired than the second, which i would give 13 stars if i could...while the first 5 songs would only receive around 3 1/2. that would average out to about 8 stars, which is damned respectable given that the scale only reaches to 5. seriously, though, this is malkmus' most exciting and giddy musical product in many years, and his growth as a guitar soloist is truly astounding. while it is true that there isn't anything as emotionally affecting on pig lib as, say, "fillmore jive," "we dance," or even "church on white"...there certainly isn't anything less interesting than "black book," (maybe the worst song malkmus has ever released on an LP), "discretion grove," "vague space," or "deado". from "animal midnight" on, i'm enthralled. just try to tear me away. it's really difficult to pick a favorite. i don't get lost in the meanderings of the ten minute opus "one percent of one"--indeed, following the epic threads of the separate and distinct solos is delightful--and i dearly appreciate the brief gut-punch of "dark wave." of the first half, "vanessa from queens" is pleasant, and "do not feed the oyster" is a wonderful romp, but the first and second tracks would have been better b-sides. "sheets", while sporting a memorable chorus that does remind me of better days in pavement, is disposable. perhaps the most pleasant surprise of all is the bonus disc (aka the "dark wave" EP): "dynamic calories" was the first song i really loved after listening to both the LP and the EP, and "ol' jerry" is currently my favorite of all sixteen songs (perhaps my favorite malkmus tune since "type slowly"). the dilemma here is consistency. i like the second half of this offering much more than anything on the previous record, but that record is much more solid, unwavering. the solution is simple: replace the first five songs on the album with the full EP, and you've got a perfect record.

In Retrospect.......2004-05-15

No, this album is nowhere near as good as his first solo album. The first one was fun, free and loose. This album is dangerously close to sounding too-thought-out and claustrophobic. It's not as fun, not as spontaneous. In fact, I like the more throwaway type songs on the bonus EP more than the ones on this LP.

Hopefully SM will lighten up for his third.

I've just remembered who this album reminds me of!.......2004-04-07

The Blake Babies!

Particularly, compare "Us" on this album with "Downtime" on Rosy Jack World...

Stephen Malkmus
Average customer rating:

You have no choice but to love this album

BUBBBLE

loosen up and you'll see

Almost Five Stars but a tad boring

very similar to pavement's terror twiilight.....

Stephen Malkmus
Stephen Malkmus
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
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Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Tanglewood Numbers

Daydream Nation

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Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement

Washing Machine

ASIN: B000056NZV
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

Black Book
Phantasies
Jo Jo's Jacket
Church On White
The Hook
Discretion Grove
Troubbble
Pink India
Trojan Curfew
Vague Space
Jenny & The Ess-Dog
Deado

Amazon.com

"In a funny way, the shaving of my head has been a liberation," announces a voice on "Jo Jo's Jacket." "It has simplified everything for me, and it has opened a lot of doors." It doesn't take a detective to crack this thinly veiled statement of intent; when Steve Malkmus, boyish frontman of lo-fi trailblazers Pavement finally jumped ship from his mother-band in 2000, reasons were thin on the ground. Perhaps, then, this is the spirit of Stephen Malkmus: the king of the cryptic couplet freed from his 11-year yoke and embarking on an ultimate loosening-up exercise--the eponymous debut solo album. Odd, though, that it should sound exactly like Pavement. Stephen Malkmus is a close relative of Terror Twilight--a neatly polished showcase of shambolic art-pop, with a grinning, brotherly Malkmus dropping wisecracks every inch of the way. It sure sounds like he is having fun, indulging in vicious pirate fantasies on "The Hook," claiming to be "the king of Siam" on "Jo Jo's Jacket"--and isn't that him yodelling in the background on "Phantasies"? The only problem is, there is precious little of the disarming tenderness that once made Pavement's quirkier rough edges so endearing. If this is the sound of a man liberated, it's a shame he sounds so reluctant to be straight with us, just this once. --Louis Pattison

Customer Reviews:

You have no choice but to love this album.......2006-07-26

Terror Twilight sounded like Malkmus was alone alot, but still had the yoke of the group and Spiral Stairs upon him. It had some flashes of brilliance but there seemed to be an overiding need to overproduce and over coda the album. Terror Twilight was not so catchy, the darker side of Pavement.

Malkmus' first album is so damned great because it is like another Pavement album, but with a unified purpose and goal, and without creative distraction. Pavement had two sides, the quirky pop wowie zowie type side and the quirky introsopective crooked rain-crooked rain side. Both equally excellent. Malkmus takes his first album to Wowie Zowie land more so than Crooked Rain; but its a freeing sort of pop with a truly witty and cynical bent.

You don't like post modern music if you can't get your head around "The Hook" "Jo-Jo-'s Jacket" "Discretion Grove" "phantasies" and "T.r.o.u.b.b.l.e" The introspective songs that do appear, "Church on white" "Pink India" and "Trojan Curfew" are brilliant. Pink India contains a song within a song that just blows your mind and lets you know that Malkmus is still on top of his game.

My only criticism would be that Black Book seems left over from Terror Twilight and should not be on the front of the album. Otherwise, fans of pavement, cake. beck, or any cynical post -alternative quirky power pop will not be disappointed with this album.

BUBBBLE.......2006-04-21

Lets just make this really simple. There are two SM camps, those who like the more structured stuff, starting mostly with Brighten The Corners, and ending with his solo career. The others prefer the jangly loose structures of the early albums, Enchanted and Crooked Rain. So, if Terror Twilight was your favorite Pavement album, you'll be happy to know that this first solo album is very much in that vein. If you thought Terror Twilight was boring, you'll think this is boring as hell.

loosen up and you'll see.......2005-11-01

I love this album. Absolutely love it. That said, it doesn't hold a candle to the "good" Pavement records. S&E, CRCR, Wowee Zowee can't be touched. But I do like it better than Terror Twilight and BTC. You knew where Pavement and Malkmus were going. They steadily ironed out all the rough edges and dissonance by their fourth album. Malkmus' solo debut is the culmination of that process, being really, really poppy. The complexity of early Pavement is pretty much gone, and the joker personality of SM is in full effect here. But there are some achingly beautiful songs here, like Trojan Curfew, Church on White, Pink India, Deado... Then there's the goofy, fun stuff, like the sound effects in Troubble, the steel drum in Vague Space and the lyrics of the pirate tale, The Hook. Oh, and Jenny and the Ess-dog sounds just like Spit on a Stranger. But who cares? Lighten up and listen to it again. You'll like it. Trust me.

Almost Five Stars but a tad boring.......2005-09-02

This was the last disc by Stephen Malkmus that I bought out of his three solo disc's with The Jicks by his side. It's good don't get me wrong but not a great order where the song's are lined up track by track, I guess what i didn't like as much as the other two seemed to have was more variety in the over all sound but still great though.

very similar to pavement's terror twiilight............2005-07-11

..but more pop-esque than experimental.
From terror twilight to this it is clear that the frontman was on his way to a solo career. Those who appreciated pavement's latest efforts shall no doubt be satisfied with this album for it sees Malkmus remniscing that territory. Some of it falls shot of originality but songs like the beautiful "church on white", the bluesy "hook" or the catchy "jennifer" are consistent with a singer who started in a lo-fi experimental band and wants to make a career out of himself refining the best of his work. A fine album indeed.

Average customer rating:

100% worth getting
Use Your Discretion
Album track + 2.
More Malkmus is such a good thing!
Must Have Malkmus

Discretion Grove
Stephen Malkmus
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Jenny & the Ess-Dog

ASIN: B0000560SB
Release Date: 2001-01-16

Tracks:

Discretion Grove
Sin Taxi
Leisurely Poison

Customer Reviews:

100% worth getting.......2007-01-26

OK, I give this one five stars because if you're looking at this 3 song job it's probably because you already have malkmus' first full length and liked it.. if this is you, you might as well just get this. The b-sides are completely solid (which was not always the case with the mixed-bag pavement singles) and maybe even better than the album tracks. So if you liked the full length enough to search out the eps you will not be dissapointed with this one.

Admittedly, I agree that this isn't Malkmus' strongest solo stuff (I prefer pig lib), but c'mon, no person I know who is into pavement can agree on which songs are the best.. or even which albums (dare I say terror twilight is my favorite pavement lp??).

If for some reason you are looking at this item never having heard Malkmus or Pavement, quit being a cheapskate and just get a complete album already!

Use Your Discretion.......2004-02-22

How does that Malkmus dude get away with it? His voice sounds like Wayne Coyne's on a bad day. Him being so popular as a lead singer is along the lines of the dorks who write crappy reviews on amazon.com getting jobs as writers for Rolling Stone. Not that I'm complaining. After all, what would Slanted and Enchanted be if Tony Bennett was behind the mic?

Unfortunately, I have to view all of the early Malkmus solo material through the Pig Lib lens. Unfortunately again, the first album and this accompanying single were no Pig Lib.

On the other hand, "Sin Taxi" is one awesome song that I guess was too experimental for the actual self-titled Malkmus full-length. Meandering through sections of Rhodes-driven groove, sci-fi movie score, acoustic jam, and other, it sounds like the Jicks mashed together the entire Grateful Dead category like Play-doh and threw it against the wall.

As for the other tracks, "Discretion Grove" is good, but nowhere close to the beauty of "Church on White" or the new-wave glory of "Dark Wave." I don't know what's up with "Leisurely Poison," but I do like the fact that it was cut from the album.

The shortcut to the best Jicks release out there is Pig Lib, hands down. And, like, wasn't that guy in some other band? Like, Asphalt or something? They're cool too, I think.

Album track + 2........2004-01-06

3 tracks, "Discretion Grove" plus 2 non-LP tracks. The extra tracks are worth the price alone (used for $2.59, well, that's what I paid). I wouldn't pay $40 for it unless your an uber-completeist, but if you can pick it up for a few bucks, do so.

More Malkmus is such a good thing!.......2003-10-29

While "Discretion Grove" is probably not the single I would've picked from Malkmus's first solo album, the two B-sides on this single are excellent. "Sin Taxi" is melodic and rockin' -- with a wee hint of trippy psychedelia in the middle. "Leisurely Poison" is short (just over a minute and a half) and has a bit more of a Pavement flair than the other two songs. Both b-sides are worth hearing!

Must Have Malkmus.......2002-08-24

Will Malkmus continue in the tradition of Pavement and release excellent singles and EPs? It's too soon to tell, but this is a great indication of things to come. While Discretion Grove may have made for a mediocre single (it's still a great song), these two B-sides are top notch. "Leisurely Poison" is a short little bit of well structured indie-electronica; obviously an experimental track but one that succeeds, while "Sin Taxi" is a standard Malkmus solo track, but one that is relatively long and it is certainly good enough to have been on the album. That there are only two new tracks on this single is a bit disappointing, but at least they're stellar.

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Baby Britain, Pt. 1
Elliott Smith
Manufacturer: Mca Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

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Happiness / Son of Sam (Acoustic Version)

ASIN: B00000IWRO
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Baby Britain
Waltz #1(Demo)
The Enemy Is You

Album Description

Second single from the Grammy-nominated singer/ songwriter's acclaimed major label debut, 1998's 'XO'. Pt.1 is backed with two non-album tracks, 'Waltz #1' (Demo) and 'The Enemy Is You'. Comes packaged in a slipcase sleeve within a gatefold clear, plastic

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Prospect Park
James Hindle
Manufacturer: Badman Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Town Feeling

ASIN: B0000996H0
Release Date: 2003-06-10

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You Will Be Safe
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Leaving Trains
Hoboken
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Great Woodland Summer
Doubt
Hollow Bodies
Shadows Cast a Lie
Celebration
Park Slope Song

Album Description

For British folk-balladeer, James William Hindle, the second time's the charm. On Prospect Park, his second full-length album, there are the same wistful, delicately-strummed melodies strewn with hope and acoustic longing that garnered critical praise for his self-titled debut album. However on Prospect Park, there's also the definite sound of a maturity found. After over a year of touring the US with bands like The Essex Green and The Ladybug Transistor and appearing on a compilation with Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, and Spoon, among others, James' musical persona has just begun to spread its wings. For those keen-eared listeners who detect a faint Elephant-6-esque thread running through the songs on Prospect Park, James is ably backed up on these proceedings by members of The Essex Green, The Ladybug Transistor, Sunshine Fix, and Aden.

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Malkmus is back
Malkmus = tight+ grooves+ jams+ wacky+rocking+genius...

Pig Lib
Stephen Malkmus
Manufacturer: Domino
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008NUW4

Album Details

Limited Edition CD Version Includes a Five Track Bonus CD of Unreleased, Exclusive Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Malkmus is back.......2004-03-03

Pavement may be gone, but Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are here -- and God willing, they're here to stay. Malkmus's second solo album irons out the assorted problems of the first, and puts his new non-Pavement music on its own unique turf. It's catchy, fun, complex, and may just be brilliant.

After the quirky folk-rock opener "Water And a Seat," we're treated to melodic rock songs ("Ramp of Death," "Sheets"), polished jam sessions (the exquisitely titled "Do Not Feed the Oyster," "1% of One"), smooth multifaceted pop ("Vanessa From Queens"), and some songs that defy description (the taut, fast, scrapy "Dark Wave").

The special edition also comes with a five-song EP of previously unreleased material. Malkmus is at his best in these songs, like the catchy, fast-spinning "Dynamic Calories." The EP proceeds with the fun "Fractions and Feelings" before dipping down into the heavy, slow "Old Jerry." The way back up is surreal, as evidenced by the weird, waily "Poet and the Witch," before returning to catchy rock turf as the danceable "Shake It Around."

"Pig Lib" takes the best of jamming and polished studio sound and forces them together. It's refined, but hasn't had the indie-rock sound sucked out of it. A mass of contradictions: it sounds natural and relaxed, both spontaneous and carefully crafted. At times it drops into jam-band turf, before sliding back into Pavement-like rock with complex guitar riffs and spurts of psychedelica. The guitar riffs on "Shake it Around" are like an extension of Malkmus's voice, shimmying and bouncing as he sings.

Malkmus's voice both stands out and blends in. While it isn't drowned out by the music, the music seems like a natural backdrop for him, even if he seems like he's forcing the words out of his mouth. The guitars are fantastic, percussion is solid, and the lyrics are stellar (especially the who-wants-who lyrics. "I kiss and tell/and make life hell/you know what it's about..." -- how much better does it get?).

Stephen Malkmus is up there with Billy Corgan and Thom Yorke as musical geniuses, who can weave complicated and beautiful music time and time again. And "Pig Lib" is a modern masterpiece of sound. A must-have for lovers of good rock.

Malkmus = tight+ grooves+ jams+ wacky+rocking+genius..........2003-11-05

When I first heard Pig Lib, it was while waiting to see Radiohead (Malkmus and the Jicks were opening up, and I wanted to hear my friend's copy.) I wasn't too impressed. But hey, I was seeing Radiohead, and it was hard to give the Jicks much attention despite seeing them 3 times with Radiohead this summer. However when I arrived home, I had these songs stuck in my head... I had to run out and buy Pig Lib, which I listened to probably a hundred times the first month I had it. It is hard to explain what kind of "style" or "genre" this music fits into. The vocals are great, the arrangements are tight, and the music can generally be described as bizarre, wacky, and definitely unpredictable at times. Malkmus is a GOD on guitar, but doesn't have to flaunt it all the time. His band is like a tight disciplined jazz quartet, changing tempo, getting into grooves... But Malkmus and the Jicks ROCK OUT! This album may seem mellow at first listen, but give it time. Like Radiohead albums and other fine jems of music, this work of genius may require several listening to fully appreciate what Malkmus has accomplished... enjoy....