Stephen Malkmus

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Stephen Malkmus
Stephen Malkmus on 4 July 2005 at the River To River Festival show in Battery Park in New York City
Stephen Malkmus on 4 July 2005 at the River To River Festival show in Battery Park in New York City
Background information
Birth name Stephen Joseph Malkmus
Also known as SM
Born May 30, 1966 (1966-05-30) (age 42)
Santa Monica, California
Origin Stockton, California
Genre(s) Indie rock
Instrument(s) Guitar, Vocals, Drums, Bass
Label(s) Matador Records, Domino Records, Drag City
Associated acts Pavement, The Jicks,
Silver Jews
Website Official Website

Stephen Joseph Malkmus (born May 30, 1966 , Santa Monica, California[1]) is an indie rock musician and a former member of the band Pavement.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Born in Santa Monica, Calif., and raised in Stockton, Malkmus attended and graduated from high school in Carpinteria, at Cate School, a prestigious boarding school, and Tokay High School in Lodi. After graduation, Malkmus followed in his father's footsteps by attending the University of Virginia, where he majored in history and was a disc jockey for the college radio station WTJU, along with David Berman (Silver Jews) and James McNew (Yo La Tengo).[2]

Malkmus formed and fronted Pavement while he was living in Stockton, California during the 1980s.[3] Their first album, Slanted & Enchanted, was released to critical acclaim, and the band continued to receive attention for subsequent releases. Pavement, and Malkmus in particular, was hailed as spearheading the underground indie movement of the 1990s. In 2001, following the 1999 dissolution of the band, Malkmus released his first self-titled solo album. He also was a member of rock group The Silver Jews along with poet/lyricist David Berman, but was not involved with the Natural Bridge recording.[4] Malkmus' current solo career is backed by musical band The Jicks. In early 1999 Stephen Malkmus participated in a Sonic Youth side project that included bassist/vocalist Kim Gordon, guitarist/vocalist Thurston Moore, Chicago avant-garde veteran Jim O'Rourke, and renowned Japanese drummer Ikue Mori. The project was named Kim's Bedroom. They never released an album, but did play a few live shows.

[edit] Equipment

Stephen is most noted for his "jangly" single coil sound. This is most attributed to his guitars and playing style. He uses predominantely a Fender Stratocaster, a Fender Jazzmaster and a Gibson Les Paul Goldtop.

[edit] Personal life

Malkmus at Bonnaroo 2006
Malkmus at Bonnaroo 2006

Malkmus currently resides in Portland, Oregon with his wife, artist Jessica Jackson Hutchins. In 2005, Hutchins gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter named Lottie. The couple had their second child, called Sunday, in 2007.[5]

On May 23, 2003 in Milwaukee, while touring with his new band The Jicks, Malkmus opened the show by saying, "This is off our first record." The band then proceeded to play an evening's worth of Pavement songs. This show has been dubbed by fans as The Milwaukee Show.

In 2007, Malkmus provided the singing voice for Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes' film I'm Not There. He contributed on the songs "Ballad of a Thin Man", "Can't Leave Her Behind", and "Maggie's Farm".

Malkmus' fourth studio album with The Jicks, Real Emotional Trash, was released in March 2008.[6]

[edit] Discography

[edit] With Pavement

See Pavement discography.

[edit] With Silver Jews

[edit] With The Crust Brothers

[edit] With The Jicks

  • Note: Even though Pig Lib and Real Emotional Trash are the only albums that titularly recognizes the Jicks by listing the artist name as "Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks," the self-titled album Stephen Malkmus is, in fact, a Jicks recording. Initially, Malkmus wanted to simply call his post-Pavement band the Jicks with no mention of his name, but Matador records resisted the idea and released the new album from SM as Stephen Malkmus with no mention of the Jicks. Face the Truth is technically Stephen Malkmus's only true solo affair, though the Jicks do provide instrumentation on nearly every song.

[edit] Singles

  • Discretion Grove (2001) - w/ "Sin Taxi" and "Leisurely Poison" (2001)
  • Jenny & the Ess-Dog (2001) - w/ "Keep the Faith", "That's What Mama Said" and "Alien Boy"
  • Phantasies EP (2001) - w/ "Malay Massaker"
  • Jo Jo's Jacket - w/ "Polish Mule", "The Hook(live)" and "Open and Shut Cases" (2001)
  • Sex Life of Robinson Crusoe, Pt. 2 (2001) - b-side available only on official site
  • Us (2003)
  • Dark Wave (2003) - w/ Pig Lib bonus disc b-sides
  • Post-Paint Boy (2005)
  • Baby C'Mon (2005) - w/ "Wow Ass Jeans"
  • Kindling for the Master EP (2006) - w/ 4 remixes
  • Cold Son 10" EP (2008) - w/ Walk Into the Mirror, Pennywhistle Thunder and Carl the Clod

[edit] Compilations/Collaborations

[edit] Miscellaneous

  • The New Yorker College Tour: University of Washington, Seattle: A Conversation with Stephen Malkmus (2006)

[edit] Interviews

[edit] References

  1. ^ Stephen Malkmus biography from Matador Records
  2. ^ Billboard.com biography of Pavement
  3. ^ Stephen Malkmus biography from Matador Records
  4. ^ Interview with The Corduroy Suit
  5. ^ Interview with Pitchfork Magazine
  6. ^ Stephen Malkmus news at Matador Records

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Pavement
Stephen Malkmus a.k.a. SM • Scott Kannberg a.k.a. Spiral Stairs • Mark Ibold • Bob Nastanovich • Steve West
Gary Young
Studio albums
Compilations and reissues
EPs
Singles
"Summer Babe" • "Trigger Cut" • "Cut Your Hair" • "Gold Soundz" • "Range Life" • "Rattled by la Rush" • "Dancing with the Elders/Chemical" • "Father to a Sister of Thought" • "Stereo" • "Shady Lane" • "Spit on a Stranger" • "Carrot Rope" • "Major Leagues"
Video releases
Associated acts
v • d • e
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Stephen Malkmus • Joanna Bolme • Mike Clark • Janet Weiss •
John Moen
Studio albums
Associated acts