Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – Mirror Traffic

 

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – Mirror Traffic

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

You’ve fronted two famous indie bands. In fact, you’ve practically invented indie rock. You’ve gotten a lot of acclaim, if not a ton of money to show for it. And now you want to collaborate with an old friend.

So was the story of Stephen Malkmus in the summer of 2009. The guitarist and songwriter had great critical success with his first group Pavement, and more success with his indie-jamband Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks.

Malkmus had worked with famous producers before, including Nigel Godrich. But now he and his Jicks were going to be collaborating with Beck to make their next album. In Beck, Malkmus found a likeminded free spirit who could make things happen behind the mixing board.

Expectations for such a collaboration must have been high. Fans were waiting since the 1990s for such a project to surface. So, when the Jicks finally released Mirror Traffic in the summer of 2011, how did it sound? And could it measure up to listeners’ hopes?

Album opener “Tigers” feature Malkmus’ signature fingerstyle guitar leads and (typically) bizarre lyrics about “streaking in […] Birkenstocks.” In other words, it was no drastic departure, but a fun summer anthem for 2011.

Second track “No One Is (As I Are Be)” allows Malkmus to delve into an ascending melody on an acoustic guitar as the singer dismisses sit-ups as “bourgeoisie.” “Senator” uses Malkmusian zaniness and fluid Janet Weiss drumming to articulate humorously obscene lyrics about a political sex scandal.

“Stick Figures In Love” and “Spazz” dig into Malkmus’ post-punk roots. “Stick Figures” features a fast, monotone lead and a chugging rhythm guitar. “Spazz” brings to mind the sound of The Who on too many purple hearts. A spastic drumbeat gives way to a verse that is missing a quarter note.

Malkmus sings a hilarious tale from the perspective of a horny teen at summer camp. He receives “French kiss lessons” and “feels like a total goner.” It’s a lot of fun, and wastes none of it’s 2:37 second track length.

But perhaps the best song of all is “Asking Price.” A gently arpeggiated, minor key guitar riff and steady drumbeat reminiscent of “Major Leagues” introduce the track in majestic fashion. Malkmus sings mysteriously about the “distortion” being “way too clear,” and that the “extortion is way too near.”

Could he be referring to Pavement’s impending 2010 reunion, and the rough edges being sanded away from the band with years more of experience? (Not to mention higher guarantees and ticket prices, thus the “extortion” bit.) Or was he commenting on the then-recent recession? Only Malkmus knows for sure.

In the end, Mirror Traffic never got the same recognition as other Malkmus/Pavement classics such as Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and Wowee Zowee. Which is a shame, because as his hardcore fans know, the music on Mirror Traffic is just as good as anything on either of those records.

Matador/2011

 

 

 

Tommy Keene – Isolation Party

 

Tommy Keene – Isolation Party

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

Tommy Keene knew his way around a song. The late singer-songwriter’s approach was not entirely unique. But he knew what worked and what didn’t. What made a sharp melody, and what dragged an album down.

A contemporary of Mathew Sweet, he had been crafting power pop gems since the mid-80s. He had a college rock hit in 1986 with “Places That Are Gone.” And then, one thanksgiving, he was gone. Dead of a heart attack in his sleep. He was 59. 

In the middle of his story came Isolation Party. The 1998 album carried the jangly sound of earlier records forward, but with a harder edge to the guitars. Opener “Long Time Missing” perfectly exemplifies this transition. 

The guitars have a staccato crunch to them, with a slight gain. The tempo lurches forward and the song seems to jump out of the speakers before pulling back. When the drums crash in and Keene’s nasal tenor belts the opening line, you can hear the influence that touring with Paul Westerberg had on him.

The Replacements’ singer/guitarist tapped Keene to play lead guitar with him on tour in 1996. The shows were roaring, and showed a consummate professionalism not previously seen in Westerberg. But more importantly, they showed that Keene could rock on guitar.

“Long Time Missing” is a success not just because it faithfully captures a live sound on record, but because it also shows an artist breaking free from past expectations. He’s still a master craftsman, but he’s also a capital “R” Rocker.

Elsewhere, we hear Keene in familiar territory with the sweet, soft pop of “Never Really Been Gone.” Jeff Tweedy of Wilco provides beautiful harmony vocals, and the way their voices blend gives the track an ethereal quality.

Tweedy also shows up on “The World Outside,” which manages to combine the sound of The Raspberries with R.E.M. But it’s Tweedy’s partner in Wilco, the late Jay Bennett who brings the album to an even higher level of quality.

Like Keene, Bennett was a master craftsman with an untimely end. He could play nearly any instrument and transformed Wilco from roots rockers in pop perfectionists on Summerteeth. His contributions are all over Isolation Party, but they really stand out on “Happy When You’re Sad.”

A resigned melancholy hangs over the track both in the lyrics and Keene’s delivery. The lyrics describe a rainy autumn day using it as a metaphor for the dying days of a relationship. But Bennett’s bass and rhythm guitar parts paint in the extra details. His gentle stop-start strumming locking in with the jazz drum beat and Keene’s reverberated lead guitar.

The defeated, sepia toned sound is somewhat reminiscent of what The Jesus and Mary Chain did on Stoned and Dethroned. But Keene gives it his own spin, singing in a higher register than the Reid brothers.

Tommy Keene released his biggest hit in 1986 with “Places That Are Gone,” but there is much more to his story. Despite having made several great songs and records before, Tommy Keene shone the brightest on Isolation Party.

Matador/1998