Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – Wig Out At Jagbags

I completely missed Pavement in the 90’s, but have been gonzo about Malkmus the solo artist since his debut in 2001.  Which then turned me on to Pavement.  I love Malkmus’ hipster humor lyrics, Lou Reed like voice, but most of all his great guitar playing.  The slacker “I don’t give a shit” attitude is a cherry on the top.

The new album is flat-out great and has already reserved a spot on my best of 2014.  It is the first new release of the year for me and I hope it is a sign of a great year to come.

Malkmus mixes punk, pub rock, jam band, classic rock, soul and 90s indie rock.  Always with a sardonic wink and smile.  This is more of the same of what Malkmus has been pouring for the last 15 years, but it has aged to perfection like a fine scotch: smooth, yet with a nice pungent bite.  There are some really cool subtle horn arrangements on some of the tunes too.  Ultimately Malkmus is rock and roll and I never get tired of well done rock and roll.

Check out the video below.  It perfectly captures, visually and musically, what Malkmus is all about.