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Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

Independence Street

The long-running vehicle for Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus, spinning off loose, guitar-forward indie rock since 2000.

APPLE MUSIC

Independence Street

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

VIDEO · APPLE MUSIC

Gardenia

VIDEO · FROM APPLE MUSIC

About

MOODS · loose · guitar-driven · exploratory · indie rock · wry · jammy · laid-back · shifting personnel · understated

BIOGRAPHY

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks formed in 2000, soon after Pavement's 1999 hiatus began, with Malkmus fronting a rotating lineup that eventually settled with Mike Clark, Joanna Bolme and Jake Morris. Their debut, released by Matador Records in 2001 under the working title Swedish Reggae, was followed by Pig Lib in 2003, which leaned into looser interplay, longer songs and extended guitar solos. The band's lineup shifted over the years: John Moen was replaced by Janet Weiss of Quasi and Sleater-Kinney in 2006, and Weiss was later succeeded by Jake Morris. Face the Truth (2005) drew widely positive reviews often compared to Pavement's Wowee Zowee, while Real Emotional Trash (2008) was recorded at SnowGhost Music in Whitefish, Montana. The band also opened for Radiohead in 2003 and helped curate All Tomorrow's Parties in 2004.

WHY THEY'RE COOL

Formed almost immediately after Pavement wound down, the Jicks let Malkmus stretch his songwriting into looser, more guitar-driven territory, favoring extended solos and shifting personnel that included drummers from Quasi, Sleater-Kinney and the Joggers. Albums like Face the Truth earned comparisons to Pavement's most beloved work, while Real Emotional Trash pushed the band toward jammier, more exploratory arrangements, all while keeping ties to indie rock's underground circuit through tours with Radiohead and curatorial work at All Tomorrow's Parties.

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