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Pavement, to this day, might seem like Malkmuss peak, but it barely scratches the surface.
This weeksTraditional Techniquespivots once again, deviating even further from what was thought to be the story.
Malkmuss third solo album is less Jerry Garcia and more Gordon Lightfoot … if he were studying Sanskrit.
Could you tell me more about that time?I feel blessed for that.
I had a certain amount of money, and I would just last as long as I could.
I went to Morocco and Italy.
I went to Turkey.
That was kind of exotic, by relative standards, for someone like me.
But then I was like, Im going to fly.
I told my friend I was with, Im going to go to Egypt now.
How long can you last?
Two guys staying in shitty hotels, youth hostels, and stuff.
So its like, Im going this way.
Ill see you back in America.
Egypt was really mind-blowing to a young person [like me].
Totally different way of living.
Then I went to Iraq and Syria.
I developed an interest in Syria and a skepticism about regime change wars ever since.
I was like many people; I saw a really repressive regime.
But Syrias a beautiful place to visit.
Im just talking as a total tourist.
I picture those places when I listen to the new record.
Guys that we have playing on it are actually playing Afghan instruments.
Ive never been to Afghanistan.
But theres definitely some chord progressions on a few of the songs that are not based on blues music.
Youre already playing something that white dudes already copped.
And obviously theres nothing wrong with getting totally stoked by some different melodic combinations.
Matt [Sweeney] plays on the second song, Xian Man.
It was like a burned West African guitar pattern that I wouldnt think to play.
It sounded new to me, and its not just a Johnny B. Goode lead.
Of course, theyre not real kirtans.
Theyre at a yoga studio.
Everyone dances for four or five hours sometimes.
Its kind of joyful.
So I wouldnt call it real deep kirtan [laughs].
But of course, I have the ACC in there.
Thats not for the ACC conference.
Thats something I do care about.
But its more likeAccelerationism.
More of an internet, philosophical kirtan.
I was singing lower, slower, and quieter.
Its basically a guy with a guitar, speaking his truth [laughs].
Its a little Velvet Underground-y at times.
Do any of these apply here?Its just the tools that you use to make it.
Very little electricity and everyone playing acoustic instruments in a room at low volume.
You could play them electric, probably, and some of them I tried that way.
Or its just one guy.
Just around the campfire, the song can hold up.
So [folk] is less drums too.
You should be able to just kind of play it on your legs and hands.
And its a little more performance work in all styles.
It self-consciously limits you to record 15 tracks.
And theyre just like, give it another spin, well go visit it later we didnt do that.
Not on this record.
And it affects it.
Im not saying I like it better, but it makes a different feel, at least.
But maybe thats a good thing too.
Or its a charming thing.
Other people arent going to be so hung up on that.
Do you have a favorite song off of the new record?No.
Thats a short answer.
I wouldnt say that.
Its not fair to the other songs.
Its like Im a teacher, and I cant say.
I probably do have a favorite one, but Im not allowed to.
Shadowbanned sounded different than I thought it would.
And ACC Kirtan, obviously, theres all this extra stuff.
I didnt think of it at all.
So thats really nice.
I think I need to do that even more in the future, even with the Jicks.
If we make more stuff.
Let them fuck around even more, I mean.
I was a little bit stoned when I read it.
I was like, Traditional Techniques.
Im into Adorno[laughs].
But besides that, it worked in an arch way with guys like me.
Im not an old-school folky.
That Bob guy that paints the PBS paintings?
Bob Ross?Yeah, total nerdcore thing.
Do you agree with Adorno that the Beatles were terrible?No.
Im a big Beatles fan.
Theres a lot of fucking information packed in.
A whole bunch of fucking melodies, and countermelodies, and counterpoint, and blah blah blah.
You cant really talk shit on the Beatles.
Its hard to do.
No way I would do it.
Theyre not my favorite.
I like the Stones better.
But I love those songs.
And I cant believe some of them.
I mean, theWhite Album.
I think my favorite off your album is Cash Up.
That actually sounds a little bit like the Beatles.That or What Kind of Person.
Thats got a George Harrison vibe.
[Malkmus starts singing the songs melody like George.]
Cash Up is more Paul or John.
No Ringo on there, though.
I guess Shadowbanned could be a little … no, theres no Ringo around.
No More Shoes specifically, and Pencil Riot, a sound thats not so far from this album.
It even has a fake sitar on it.
What makes it fake?Its from the Indian presets on the Roland XV-2020.
It has sort of Get Ur Freak On Missy Elliott sounds.
Its used by Indian pop songs from the 90s and 80s.
Are you going to cover Missy Elliott then?I wouldnt mind.
Is there an underrated Stephen Malkmus solo or Jicks album?Underrated?
I mean, not really.
I mean, all of them.
I think every artist should say that, right?
Unless youre the Strokes and you haveIs This It.
That cant really be underrated.
Theres only like Radiohead, the Strokes, White Stripes, Frank Ocean, and Kanye West.
They dont really get to say things are underrated.
The rest of us, were just fighting for the scraps.
So we got to say that.
They cant call that underrated, right?
Were going to be there on the big stage, get really good treatment.
I could be Erykah Badu or something.
Were just going to play these couple of chime-y things from Grounded.
Its one of Pavements classics.
Ten percent of the people are going to be on X and molly.
Theyre going to really be waiting for Tyler, the Creator.
But theyre just going to be like, Oh, I like this.
I want to check out their whole back catalog.
And theyre going to look on Spotify.
Its all going to be there.
Thats whats going to happen.
And theyre going to hearTraditional Techniques.
This is just as good, if not better.
The French people there are going to say that.
Its perhaps even better.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
