Stephen Malkmus Announces New Solo Album, Traditional Techniques, w/”Xian Man” Video

Although many still primarily associate Stephen Malkmus with his work as the frontman of indie rock titans, Pavement, throughout the 90s, he’s spent the last 20 years putting out, what is arguably, some of the greatest material of his career.  As the frontman of Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, he has not only released more studio albums than with his previous group, but they’ve actually remained a band for twice as long.  When the Jicks released their most recent LP, Sparkle Hard, in 2018, it was a tremendous effort that received widespread critical acclaim rivaling anything that they had released up until that point.  That’s one reason why it’s so interesting to consider that it wasn’t the album that Stephen initially hoped to put out.

As a songwriter, Malkmus has a proven gift for conjuring up one brilliant gem after another; assembling hooks; melodies; and often humorous, yet poignant, lyrics, with a delivery that feels remarkably natural.  And, whether or not they come as effortlessly as they seem, he’s notorious for always having several tunes in the chamber, at all time.  In fact, it’s not uncommon for each new LP he releases to contain material that he’d already had written, if not performed, by the time the previous one hit shelves.  After 2 years of living in Berlin with his family, they moved back to Portland, Oregon, in 2013, allowing his bandmates to add their touches and input on the 6th Jicks album, Wigout At Jagbags.  That release dropped the first week of 2014 and, somewhere within the next 4 years, before Sparkle Hard, Stephen chose to pursue a completely different direction by experimenting with electronic music.  He actually completed an entire solo album in the process, but it was shelved by his label.

Matador Records didn’t feel like that was the right move for Stephen to return with, after a period of silence.  They urged him to create something more aligned with the band’s more typical sound.  That isn’t to say that he hasn’t consistently changed up his approach with the Jicks over the career, because he has, but the label seemed to believe that this new project was a little too out there.  Maybe later.  Fortunately, Matador held true to their promise, and after Sparkle Hard had accomplished what it did, the album that they originally shelved, would ultimately be released last year.  Titled Groove Denied, it gave a bit of a nod to the whole situation leading up to it, and gave birth to a solo tour featuring Malkmus utilizing a laptop.  Interestingly enough, while the process of creating Sparkle Hard may have set him back on a more typical course, as far as the product that it yielded, it also inspired Malkmus to take further detours toward another.

Today, Malkmus announces his third solo album following Groove Denied and 2005‘s Face The Truth — his self-titled from 2000 is, technically, considered to be the first Jicks album.  Traditional Techniques is a 10-song effort built around the songwriter’s 12-string guitar, while utilizing various other acoustic instruments.  Created alongside Halfling studio engineer/arranger-in-residence and multi-instrumentalist, Chris Funk of The Decemberists, the new album features guitar work from the great Matt Sweeney (Chavez, Zwan, Bonnie Prince BIlly, Current 93, Cat Power etc) throughout.

The following excerpt from the press release breaks down the evolution an details of the project.

Malkmus took on Traditional Techniques as a kind of self-dare. Conceived while recording Sparkle Hard at Portland’s Halfling Studio, Malkmus had observed the variety of acoustic instruments available for use. The idea escalated within a matter of weeks into a full set of songs, and shortly thereafter into a realized and fully committed album. When he returned to Halfling, Malkmus drew from a whole new musical palette–including a variety of Afghani instruments–to support an ache both quizzical and contemporary. The resulting Traditional Techniques is expansive and thrilling. Alongside gorgeous folk music, there are also occasional bursts of flute-laced swagger, straight-up commune rock (“Xian Man”), and mind-bending fuzz.

Check out the first single, “Xian Man” below

Traditional Techniques will be released on March 6th, but the pre-orders for physical copies, including a limited edition vinyl pressing, are up now in the Matador online store.

Traditional Techniques Tracklist:
1. ACC Kirtan
2. Xian Man
3. The Greatest Own in Legal History
4. Cash Up
5. Shadowbanned
6. What Kind of Person
7. Flowin’ Robes
8. Brainwashed
9. Signal Western
10. Amberjack

Malkmus will also be embarking on a North American tour this spring, which will find him backed by an all new live band consisting of Chris Funk (pedal steel, keys), Matt Sweeney (guitar), Brad Truax (bass), and Jake Morris (drums), “joined at times” by Qais Essar (rabab) and Eric Zang (kaval, udu, daf).  Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday, January 24th at 10am local time.  Below is a list of all currently announced dates with more on the way.  I mean, they have to play the Northwest, right?

Stephen Malkmus Tour Dates:
Tue. March 31 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
Wed. April 1 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
Thu. April 2 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Fri. April 3 – Louisville, KY @ Headliners
Sat. April 4 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
Sun. April 5 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Tue. April 7 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
Wed. April 8 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Thu. April 9 – Richmond, VA @ The National
Fri. April 10 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Sat. April 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Mon. April 13 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Wed. April 15 – Boston, MA @ Royale
Thu. April 16 – Montreal, QC @ L’Astral
Fri. April 17 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
Sat. April 18 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Sun. April 19 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall