Following last year's triumphant Pavement reunion, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks will release their latest, Beck-produced album, Mirror Traffic in two weeks. The very positive early reviews have focused on the melodic aspects to the new record, and suggest that, despite being recorded just prior to the reunion, Mirror Traffic harkens back to Malkmus' former band's sound more than any of his other solo albums—BBC calls it "one of those records that’ll tempt fair-weather fans back to the Malkmus name." And Malkmus will celebrate the release with two rare NYC record store appearances. more ›

Since beloved Washington State punk band Sleater-Kinney dissolved two years ago into an "indefinite hiatus," drummer Janet Weiss has carved out a new niche for herself in Stephen Malkmus's small family of musicians, the Jicks. Weiss played an active role in the creation of Malkmus's fourth full-length "solo" album, Real Emotional Trash, which came out in March. In its wake she's been tearing up the road in the U.S. and Europe with Malkmus and company; on Saturday they'll be headlining, for free, the annual Siren Music Festival in Coney Island. We caught the Portland-based Weiss for a few minutes earlier in the week as she was about to board her flight east. more ›

Real Emotional Trash, the fourth post-Pavement solo album by Stephen Malkmus, is arguably his best, and at the very least rivals the acclaimed Pig Lib for inventiveness. A well-crafted balance of catchy pop, multi-part prog rock compositions, heady guitar shredding and his signature lyrical whimsy, the album is sure to stymie Pavement fans on a nostalgia trip and the skinny jean set appalled by any song that dares last longer than five minutes. Joined by former Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss, bassist Joanna Bolme and keyboardist/guitarist Mike Clark, Malkmus's Jicks will give New Yorkers their first chance to hear how all this new trash translates live, starting tonight at Bowery Ballroom. They play there again Tuesday night before heading over the river for a Wednesday night gig at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. All three shows are sold out. more ›