Stephen Malkmus tackles February's releases
Never shy of a withering put-down in song, in the flesh we find February's guest single surveyor Stephen Malkmus grappling with the role of the critic
Louise Rutkowski – Bedtime Story (from the album Diary of a Lost Girl, released 14 Feb via Jock Records)
Stephen Malkmus: It sounds like she’s trying to be a little Kate Bush but it’s too much of a pop tune. It’s dramatic. It’s in a minor key and stuff. Her name is very… long. It sounds Polish. It says she was in This Mortal Coil. Really? They were on 4AD, right? If The Cocteau Twins were The Sex Pistols, This Mortal Coil were like the Wire of the 4AD sound. This is so-so.
Rare Monk – Splice (single released 18 Feb via B3SCI records)
SM: Mmm. It’s well recorded and stuff. I can’t hear what they’re saying – I’m trying to hear the words. It’s a little… It’s okay, you know? They’re kinda cool. I don’t wanna make them feel bad. I’m not dismissing it. It can’t be easy being a critic. People are spending a lot of time doing this, you know? They’re spending their lives on it. What do I know?
Lacrosse – 50% of Your Love (from the album Are You Thinking of Me Every Minute of Every Day, released 24 January via Tapete)
SM: They’re called Lacrosse? That’s crazy. That’s just the craziest name for a band. When I had Sirius radio in my car, they’d play this band called Tennis. Non-stop Tennis. (Ponders.) Golf… I don’t know what they mean by calling themselves that. It’s a rough game but played by posh kids. Preppy guys from Maryland.
The Skinny: Ever play?
SM: Yeah! Well, I tried. Cos I was a bit of a nouveau riche preppy guy for a while when I was 17. But I was way too skinny. That was always the downfall for me – for every sport. Too skinny.
The Skinny: What were you like at that age?
SM: (laughs) I was just a… young California asshole.
The Skinny: Not a fan of Lacrosse, then? The band.
SM: (shakes head)
Young Fathers – Low (single, out now via Big Dada/Anticon)
SM: Young Fathers. That’s a funny name. I like that name. (Listens to first few bars.) They’re not a funny band, though. They got a real singer. Yeah, I could hear this on the radio. Is that a good thing? It could almost be Macklemore, you know? He’s like this lad rapper. My kids listen to him. It’s low stakes rap or whatever, but at least it’s trying to be politically fresh, maybe. But this doesn’t seem to have very high stakes either. It’s more like pop, really. I like the idea of rap, though. I’m more forgiving to rappers than I am to most indie rockers.
Adam Holmes – Oh My God (from the album Heirs and Graces, out now via Gogar Records)
SM: This is classy so far. Almost sounds like Gordon Lightfoot.
The Skinny: There’s some John Martyn in there, too, I think.
SM: Yeah, I hear that. I always thought I was supposed to like John Martyn but I never did.
The Skinny: Same here. I could never find a way in.
SM: Yeah, I don’t know why cos I love Fairport Convention and Nick Drake. It’s hard. I mean this guy’s 23. I could never have done this at 23. He sounds like he’s 37. I guess it’s a little conservative but some conservative music is good.
The Skinny: Like what?
SM: I don’t know! Gordon Lightfoot? McCartney? I like McCartney – well, some. Even Elton John sometimes. Well not always. Not often.
Rufus – Desert Night (single, out now via Sweat It Out)
SM: This is on a major label, Columbia. (Reads promo sheet.) The Huffington Post like this. Mmm. That’s an odd place to get your quotes from. The production and rhythm is a little bit ham and eggs. I’m trying to imagine it making it to pop radio in the US. I can’t see it. I can see it being bigger here, in Europe. It’s a bit ‘bedroom artist’ but it’s not as good as, say, Lorde. I saw her play a radio show on Portland. It was abusively loud, super-bass loud. She’s good. She’s got zero charisma. But she’s 18, you know? Her wardrobe consists of just this one black shirt and these really blocky shoes she shouldn’t wear. If I’m the one saying she needs a makeover, there’s a problem.
The Skinny: There’s not a lot to say about Rufus, evidently.
SM: No, there isn’t.
Doug Tuttle – Turn This Love (from the album Doug Tuttle, out now via Trouble In Mind)
SM: I like the album cover. His sound’s got an obvious 60s influence. A little Beatles. It’s got like a blown-out sound. It’s just fine you know? I’m a little bit tired of that kind of music but it’s not that it’s bad. Who knows, maybe it goes further. That might be the poppy first song to pull you in. It’s totally fine. It’s sunshine pop.
Night Beats – Love Ain’t Strange (from the album Sonic Bloom, out now via Reverberation Appreciation)
SM: There’s a lot of ‘Night’ bands. My drummer’s in a band called Street Nights. He wanted to be called Night Moves but then he found out there was another Night Moves. It’s supposed to be really cheesy, kinda 80s.
The Skinny: Do you know Night Beats?
SM: No, I don’t. It says they’re from Tacoma. That’s a small town. It’s like the asshole of Seattle. But this is good. I like that, that twangy guitar. This is more in the vein of The Sonics or 13th Floor Elevators. This would be popular at home in Portland. This would be more fun to see played live.
New Mendicants – Follow You Down (from the album Into the Lime, out now via One Little Indian)
SM: Oh this has Norman Blake from Teenage Fanclub. He’s the main guy, right? And the guy from the Pernice Brothers. It’s going on a definite lo-fi kick. Maybe even four track. Okay, sounds like the guy’s really far away from the mic. But that toy piano isn’t far away. It’s got a lot of atmosphere – was that a car driving by?
The Skinny: Norman’s holding up a glockenspiel on the cover.
SM: Yeah ok. You’re right. It was a glock. Yeah, it’s like early Simon and Garfunkel. They’re good singers. I like it. It’s pretty.
Merchandise – Begging For Your Life (single, out now via 4AD)
SM: They’re from Florida? That’s cool. Is that horns? I’ll give them credit for that, in a weird way. Is it saxophones? It’s kinda confusing sounding, which I sort of like, but I think if I heard it a few times it might not sound so confusing. At first it was a bit ‘where’s the tune?’, which is a good sign, but then I’m worried if I heard it more I’d realise it was just this straight beat with weird horns. I’m not sure, but you know…
Helms Alee – Pleasure Center (from the album Sleepwalking Sailors, out 10 Feb via Sargent House)
SM: There’s this band from Portland called Red Fang and they’re a real ‘Rock Band’, you know? And I can hear them in this a little. Okay. Not bad. Not my kind of music. But then they probably wouldn’t like my band, either.
The Skinny: You can tell they’re from Seattle – it’s a little Alice in Chains.
SM: Yeah. It could have been very Seattle – you know, the singer could have come in and been all “aaaaarghhhh!” but that singer was really melodic. I liked Alice in Chains. They were one of those spooky, heroin-sounding bands. That guy there did have a little Staley in his singing and that’s a good thing. But I don’t listen to that kind of music much around the house. (Looks across at Eli, The Skinny’s photographer, who’s been quietly taking his picture throughout.) Do you? You do? Sometimes? No? Something a little more, I don’t know, doom-y? Yeah? OK. That’s cool.
The Skinny: Do you listen to your own music?
SM: My own? No!
The Skinny: Not even a sneaky listen to Pavement?
SM: (laughs) Yeah, imagine me critiquing that: “Well that was pretty slow and apathetic...”
TRACK OF THE MONTH
Augustines – Nothing To Lose But Your Head (from the album Augustines, released 3 Feb via Caroline International)
SM: Yeah, bit of U2 in there. I don’t know if there’s an audience for this, but if there is, they’ll like this.
The Skinny: You should be their manager.
SM: (laughs) I should! It’s got an anthemic feel to it and a communal quality. I don’t have a problem with that. That’s alright with me. You’re serving the people. ‘People music.’ It doesn’t make me so mad. No, it’s good. I like it. Like the singer with that big voice. This is the best. Yeah, it's good.