Product Description

Stephen Malkmus has never made a record that covered nearly as much stylistic ground as this nor, it could be argued, has Stephen made an album until now that packed as much of an emotional (not nearly trashy enough for some) wallop. "Cold Son," "Out of Reaches" and "We Can't Help You" are amongst the more gorgeous, contemplative songs Malkmus has recorded, though we should stress a) there's no shortage of dark humor scattered through RET and b) Malkmus remains a sh*t-hot guitarist (ridiculously so).

Track Listing

1. Dragonfly Pie
2. Hopscotch Willy
3. Cold Son
4. Real Emotional Trash
5. Out Of Reaches
6. Baltimore
7. Gardenia
8. Elmo Delmo
9. We Can't Help You
10. Wicked Wanda

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30118 in Music
• Released on: 2008-03-04
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
If you’ve never heard Stephen Malkmus, you might want to begin with one of the more accessible of his four solo albums, be it the self-titled debut or 2005’s watertight Face the Truth. But if you’re familiar with his individual work or that of his former band, Pavement, Real Emotional Trash will settle right in as the next chapter of the eccentric Portlander’s prolificacy. Leading the Jicks this time is ex-Sleater-Kinney drummer (and backing vocalist) Janet Weiss, who--while she never lets loose to pound her skins to oblivion--does manage to reel in the band on extended jams like that of the intricate "Elmo Delmo," a bluesy murder yarn called "Hopscotch Willie," or the sprawling 10-minute title track. Malkmus’s guitar fixation tends to overshadow his roguish, pop-sharp song craft this time around, with fewer catchy choruses and more axe-driven bypasses, save for the peculiar "Cold Son" and the joyful live-show staple "Gardenia." Then again, Trash's capriciousness and experimental willingness are what gave Malkmus an audience in the first place--and what promise to keep it coming back for more. --Scott Holter

Customer Reviews

Real Emotional Trash
This has turned out to be one of my favorite albums of the year. It may be Malkmus's best post-Pavement work. The tracks are catchy, the lyrics are stupid, and the guitar freakouts are entertaining.

Uno de los mejores discos del 2008
Solo se queda en 4 estrellas porque los otros 4 discos del embarque son de 5 estrellas y no quiero subirlo a ese nivel, con el tiempo tal vez. Te gusta el rock? Te gusta el blues? Te gusta el jazz? Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks logran uno de los mejores discos del año en el que comienzan con un excelente tema abridor en el que exploran todas las emociones posibles en una sola canción y una gama equivalente de ritmos, tienen también canciones enternecedoras, canciones rápidas y movidas pero sobretodo una sinfonía que le da el título a la placa (Matador, 2008) que dura mas de 9 minutos pero vale la pena cada segundo.

His Best Album Yet
To explain just how deeply I love this album, let me tell you first off that I'm on my 2nd copy already! That's right, I wore out CD #1. This album rocks; shreds; cooks with gas. Glorious. Hallalujah brothers that there's a songwriter like Malkmus alive today! It's classic rock with indie lyrics. It sweeps, it swoops, it dives, it sings, it sways. Everybody should have a copy. The new Sgt. Pepper.