Oh hey speaking of Domino Record Co…. the label has dibs on Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks’ next full-length album, “Mirror Traffic,” due Aug. 22.
And the Pavement frontman has claimed another famed name for production: Beck.
Before we talk about Mr. Hansen, let’s talk about what the “Senator” wants. And what the Senator wants, says Malkmus in the first song to arise from the set, is a blow job. It’s apparently what we all want.
This political little firecracker of a skeletal rock track is a little heavy on the populism imagery — cattle prods and all that — but it couldn’t have come at a better time in our stupid news cycle, where House Rep Anthony Weiner has been holding down headlines with his, erm, head lines and is leaving office today.
Malkmus, in the meantime, beats that line to death, but in his special, pretty little stoner way that ever made me lackadaisically pick up his first, self-titled solo album but then enthusiastically play it over and over.
Janet Weiss (Quasi, former Sleater-Kinney) is not back with the Jicks this time, as she’s too busy being awesome in awesome new group Wild Flag (listen to a song here).
After a brief reunion tour run last year, Pavement have not scheduled any shows for 2011. There are no signs of new music from the ’90s post-rock frontrunners.
Beck, in the meantime, seems to be poking out and waving at us. If you’ll remember, his last album, “Modern Guilt” — though good — didn’t lift him up where he belongs, back in large venues and on the radio. So it seems he’s on hiatus from making his own music with exception to his Record Club one-offs. However, he’s made a mark on Charlotte Gainsbourg’s career, certainly, and produced Tobacco and Jamie Lidell’s weird one last year. He’s also behind the decks for Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore’s dozenth solo set, “Demolished Thoughts.”
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Download “Senator for free here. Do you like the new track?